Tragedy Strikes: Young Melina Found Dead, Dad Charged
In a heart-wrenching case that has shocked both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, a father stands accused of the unthinkable: the murder of his own 9-year-old daughter. Luciano Frattolin, who traveled from Montreal to Upstate New York with little Melina Frattolin for what was supposed to be a summer vacation, now faces charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. Authorities allege that after a final phone call between Melina and her mother, Luciano brutally ended his daughter's life and chillingly attempted to cover up the crime by falsely reporting her abduction. Melina’s innocent life was discovered cut short in a wooded pond near Ticonderoga—a quiet place where evil found root. The tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of the spiritual and moral decay that can destroy the sacred trust between parent and child. As we mourn this precious life lost, we are called to deeper prayer for the protection of the innocent and the healing of a culture ever more in need of God’s mercy and justice.
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This Day in History
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Battle of Khe Sanh Begins (1968)January 21, 2026
Located near the demilitarized zone that marked the border between North and South Vietnam, Khe Sanh was the site of a protracted battle during the Vietnam War. It involved months of near-constant artillery attacks on the local US Marine base, matched by a bombing barrage of surrounding areas by US planes. The US forces retained the base but gained no advantage, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. Why do some historians believe the North Vietnamese never intended to capture the base?
Located near the demilitarized zone that marked the border between North and South Vietnam, Khe Sanh was the site of a protracted battle during the Vietnam War. It involved months of near-constant artillery attacks on the local US Marine base, matched by a bombing barrage of surrounding areas by US planes. The US forces retained the base but gained no advantage, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. Why do some historians believe the North Vietnamese never intended to capture the base?Today’s Birthday
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Sophia Jex-Blake (1840)January 21, 2026
In 1858, Jex-Blake enrolled in college against the wishes of her parents. She struggled to find a medical school that would accept women, and though she persuaded the University of Edinburgh to admit her, she could not graduate. She took her fight to Parliament, which passed a law enabling women to receive medical degrees. Jex-Blake founded two medical schools for women, and, after obtaining her degree in 1877, became the third female doctor in the UK. What became of her Edinburgh home?
In 1858, Jex-Blake enrolled in college against the wishes of her parents. She struggled to find a medical school that would accept women, and though she persuaded the University of Edinburgh to admit her, she could not graduate. She took her fight to Parliament, which passed a law enabling women to receive medical degrees. Jex-Blake founded two medical schools for women, and, after obtaining her degree in 1877, became the third female doctor in the UK. What became of her Edinburgh home?Today’s Holiday
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Babin DenJanuary 21, 2026
In Bulgaria, the old women who helped deliver babies—much like the modern midwife—were called baba, or grandmother. It was widely believed that the baby received some of the baba's wisdom, and it was customary for the baby's parents to bring the baba flowers on a particular day each year, called Grandmother's Day or Day of the Midwives. Eventually the children grew up, but they would continue to visit their baba each year. Most babies in Bulgaria today are born in hospitals, so the children bring flowers to the doctors and nurses who assisted at their birth.
In Article of the Day
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Murder, Inc.January 21, 2026
Murder, Inc., is the name given by the press to the band of professional killers who operated throughout the US in the 1930s and 40s as the enforcement arm of the Syndicate, a confederation of organized crime groups. Allegedly protected by corrupt politicians, they were able to commit well over 100 murders before law enforcement authorities launched a campaign against the mob that resulted in a number of convictions and executions. Who were some of the notorious members of Murder, Inc.?
Murder, Inc., is the name given by the press to the band of professional killers who operated throughout the US in the 1930s and 40s as the enforcement arm of the Syndicate, a confederation of organized crime groups. Allegedly protected by corrupt politicians, they were able to commit well over 100 murders before law enforcement authorities launched a campaign against the mob that resulted in a number of convictions and executions. Who were some of the notorious members of Murder, Inc.?
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