Backyard Fire Pits Can Put Neighbors At Odds Over Smoke: Block Talk

A cozy backyard fire for one household can mean closed windows next door. Tell us how much neighbors should accommodate each other.

The 3,100 Pound Pumpkin, Thieves Steal $1M In Pokémon Cards: Weird News & Oddities

A trading-card heist, a runaway cow and a rare shark visit, plus a macabre tale of pampered vultures and doomed pigeons.

How Trick-Or-Treating Is Changing In America’s Neighborhoods: Block Talk

For some, the gradual disappearance of door-to-door Halloween trick-or-treating feels like the disappearance of neighborhood life itself.

Orionid Meteors Peak, ‘Halloween Fireballs’ Build: What To Know

NASA says the extremely fast and bright Orionid meteors offer glowing trains that can last for seconds or minutes and can produce fireballs.

Dogs Are Family, But They May Not Be Welcome Everywhere [The Question]

Dog-friendly culture has its limits. Does an invitation to someone's home include the four-legged family members, or is that pushing it?

Huge Rats Move In, Drive Families Out: Weird News & Oddities

A stolen porta-potty, a suspect with terrible timing, a giant porcupine with 20-inch quills, America’s creepiest roads, and more weird news.

Congress Recesses For Midterms As Push For Year-Round DST Intensifies

Daylight saving time is scheduled to end next month, despite a push by President Donald Trump to make it the year-round permanent time.

An Abandoned Mine Could Be Hidden Beneath Your Home

Centuries-old mines beneath neighborhoods can trigger sinkholes and other collapses, and officials don’t know where all of them are.

Nature’s Strange Clues About The Winter Ahead

Persimmon seeds, woolly bears, acorns and other bits of weather folklore are still used to predict winter, even if science says otherwise.

Coffee Shop ‘Laptop Squatters’ Can Overstay Their Welcome [The Question]

Readers draw the line at empty cups, scarce seats and hours of free Wi-Fi. Some say an hour is plenty; others say the bill matters more.

Draconids, ‘Halloween Fireballs,’ More Meteor Showers Skywatchers Shouldn’t Miss

Meteor showers offer a dazzling, rare natural spectacle of shooting stars and spark a sense of wonder and tradition, such as making a wish.

When Grotesque Halloween Displays Are Too Scary: BlockTalk

Technology can make everything scarier. Can displays become so grotesque they’re inappropriate for the neighborhood?

Political Yard Signs Test Free Speech, Neighborhood Etiquette: Block Talk

The First Amendment protects plenty of bad manners. Patch readers debate what to do when political yard signs turn ugly.

Hosting An Event? Patch Just Made Getting The Word Out Easier

Give people more ways to discover your event across Patch, search engines and AI-powered tools. Posting multiple events is easier than ever.

Golden Retriever Had One Job. He Failed: Weird News & Oddities

Turtle was born with two heads; state sends 8,200 people the same photo ID; people are still crawling out of NYC sewers.

You Can Literally Explore Dolly Parton’s Head In These Corn Mazes

The corn mazes were planned before the “Jolene” crooner’s death and will benefit her Imagination Library foundation.

Communities Are Drawing A Line Around The AI Data Center Boom

The AI boom is pushing data centers into more communities, forcing a reckoning over what residents will tolerate — and who should pay.

Coffee Shop Etiquette For Remote Workers Who Stay For Hours [The Question]

A cup of coffee may buy the Wi-Fi, but how long does it buy the table? Is it OK to take your laptop to the coffee shop and stay for hours?

Take Off Your Shoes, But Don’t Make Guests Bare Their Soles [The Question]

A no-shoes rule may keep floors clean, but readers say hosts should tread carefully when comfort, health and dignity are at stake.

Skip The Bounce House And The Street’s Annual Potluck Without The Guilt: Block Talk

With block parties, readers draw a line between building community and surrendering free time to bounce houses, potlucks and forced fun.

When Political Signs, Profanity And Property Rights Collide: Block Talk

Free speech can get salty at the property line. What can be done about political signs that provoke and offend? Your kids see those, too.

Is This Bigfoot Or A Skinny Dipper? [Weird News & Oddities]

See the weirdest news this week on Patch.

Kids’ Birthday Party Etiquette: RSVPs, Siblings And Gifts [The Question]

Uninvited siblings, late RSVPs, “no gifts” requests and increasingly elaborate celebrations are testing old birthday-party manners.

A Shoes-Off House Rule Can Put Guests On The Spot [The Question]

Removing shoes indoors is customary in many cultures, but the request can leave some guests feeling exposed or uncomfortable.

AI Data Centers Face Growing — And Bipartisan — Pushback [Patch Survey]

In rare bipartisan consensus, Americans share concerns regarding the power, water, and infrastructure costs required to support the AI boom.

Outdoor Cats Spark Debate Over Wildlife, Pet Safety And Neighbor Rights: Block Talk

Readers agree unmanaged cats are a problem but split over roaming pets, feeding ferals, TNR and who should bear the responsibility.

Sleeping Woman Wakes To Bat In Her Mouth: Weird News & Oddities

Classroom catches fire and, of course, the snake was blamed; human skull donated to thrift; ‘Chucky’ suspect nabbed; that’s a big fish, man.

When The Street’s Party Is Too Much ‘People-ing’: Block Talk

Block parties can be fun — unless you’d rather skip the small talk, the potluck and the awkward questions about why you’re not joining in.

Cheaper Imported Beef Could Be Coming, But Savings May Be Slim

More imported beef could ease record-high hamburger prices, but savings may be slim, and U.S. ranchers warn the plan could undercut them.

The Sturgeon Moon Eclipse Will Look Like A Blood Moon Across The U.S.

About 96 percent of the moon will pass through Earth’s dark shadow, or umbra, in the “deep lunar eclipse.” Here are the best viewing times.

Early Or Late Party Guests Shouldn’t Disrupt Host's Plans [The Question]

Readers say hosts shouldn’t let habitually early or late guests derail the party, but they should give grace when delays are unavoidable.

Kids’ Birthday Party Etiquette Rules Parents Should Know [The Question]

Children’s birthday parties are full of unwritten rules about invitations, siblings, gifts, opening presents and RSVPs.

7 Amazing Facts About Monarch Butterflies And Their Fall Migration

Monarchs can soar a mile high, live much longer than summer generations and mysteriously find wintering grounds they’ve never seen before.

What Is Branded Content? How Brand Partnerships Work On Patch

From a brand partner: How Patch creates, labels and publishes branded content while keeping it distinct from independent news coverage.

How To Handle Feral Cats And Free-Roaming Pets: Block Talk

Free-roaming housecats and unmanaged feral cat colonies may be living their best nine lives, but they can fuel neighbor conflicts.

'Jaws' Worries At This Popular East Coast Vacation Spot: Weird News & Oddities

Dog put down despite emergency appeal to U.S. Supreme Court; modern fishing fuels “Jaws” fears along the Jersey Shore; a rare gorilla birth.

School Drop-Off Lane Chaos Puts Children At Risk: Block Talk

Impatience, entitlement and poor planning can turn school drop-off and pickup into a daily test of safety and sanity.

Powerball Raises Jackpot To $1B: What To Know

Stronger-than-expected ticket sales pushed the prize from $975 million to $1 billion in Wednesday night’s drawing.

Planets, An Eclipse And The Perseids Make Wednesday A Rare Tripleheader For Skywatchers

Wednesday offers a rare skywatching tripleheader, with six planets visible before sunrise, a partial solar eclipse and the Perseid meteors.

Late Guests And Early Arrivals: When Timing Becomes Rude [The Question]

Chronic latecomers test everyone’s patience, but guests who show up early can create their own problems. How much leeway should hosts give?