Episode 172: A Nephew’s Ammo Request Pushes Aunt To Raise Red Flag; Living With Lyme
Lee Ann Potter shows a video of Brandon Wagshol (left) on her cell phone. (Ryan Lindsay/Connecticut Public Radio)
This week on NEXT, a woman turns in her nephew to police after he asks to use her address to order high-capacity magazines for an AR-15-style rifle. And a new survey shows how wrong Americans are about the leading cause of gun deaths. Plus, some Maine high schools adjust to eight-person football as school populations shrink.
His Aunt Saw Red Flags, Police Got A Risk Warrant
Melissa Potter holds a photo of her nephew, Brandon Wagshol, (left foreground). (Ryan Lindsay / Connecticut Public Radio)
Three New England states, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut, generally ban the purchase of high-capacity magazines for weapons. After a Connecticut man was found in illegal possession of magazines earlier this year, he was arrested and charged with a felony. It happened when the FBI got a tip and police in the city of Norwalk, Connecticut used the state’s red flag law as part of their investigation. The law allows them to seize firearms from someone deemed a risk to themselves or others. Hear how a New Hampshire woman made the difficult decision to report a family member she thought posed a risk.
Meet The Patient Zero Of Lyme Disease
Tick chart. Courtesy of the TickEncounter Resource Center
Lyme Disease is carried by black-legged ticks – also called deer ticks. According to federal health officials, it affects about 300,000 people a year nationwide. And although it has spread down the eastern seaboard and is found in the Midwest, Lyme’s highest concentrations are in New England.
The disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut in the 1970s in large part because of the persistence of a woman named Polly Murray. As she and her family dealt with a slew of unexplained symptoms and incorrect diagnoses, Murray called the state health department, setting in motion the search for a proper diagnosis and cause. The New Hampshire Public Radio podcast “Patient Zero” explores this enigmatic disease from its discovery to the controversy surrounding its treatment.
Bobcats On The Prowl In New England
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- This female bobcat was captured in Lebanon, Connecticut. (Patrick Skahill/Connecticut Public Radio)
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- This female bobcat was tagged and outfitted with a GPS collar. (Patrick Skahill/Connecticut Public Radio)
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- The bobcat’s teeth during a procedure. (Patrick Skahill/Connecticut Public Radio)
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- After the bobcat was collared, she was released. Pictured: Jason Hawley at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, Conn. (Patrick Skahill/Connecticut Public Radio)
An elusive wild cat is making a comeback across New England. Bobcats are returning to the region following decades of conservation and forest regrowth. And now that they’re bouncing back, biologists are studying where bobcats are, and what they’re doing.
Also on this week’s show:
- Most Americans Don’t Know The Leading Cause Of Gun Deaths
- Maine High Schools Find Ways To Keep Football Programs, Despite Shrinking Enrollment
NEXT is produced at Connecticut Public Radio
Producer: Morgan Springer
Digital Producer: Carlos Mejia
Senior Director: Catie Talarski
Contributors to this episode: Ryan Lindsay, Taylor Quimby, Robbie Feinberg, Patrick Skahill, Lisa Dunn, Robert Spitzer and Cliff Gallagher.
Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon, “I’m Not Coming Home” by Wise Old Moon, “Outro” by West End Blend and “Down By The Lake” by The Wolff Sisters.
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