Donna Fagersten had taken refuge at a friend’s home on the top floor as Hurricane Helene tore through northern Florida, leaving a devastating trail of destruction and more than 100 casualties in the southeastern U.S.
As the storm appeared to calm, the 66-year-old teacher, just days away from her retirement, made a fateful choice to return home to rescue her cat.
When Hurricane Helene hit Florida on September 26, 2024, around 11 p.m., the Category 4 storm triggered flash floods, forcing residents to scramble for safety. One of the hardest-hit areas was Pinellas County, particularly in the Tampa Bay region, where at least 11 people lost their lives.
Among the victims was Donna Fagersten, a second-grade teacher from Ponce De Leon Elementary in Pinellas County.
According to her best friend Heather Anne Boles, Donna was set to retire the following week after dedicating 35 years to teaching. When the storm hit, Donna sought shelter with Boles and her partner, Mike Moran. As the storm surge rushed in, they retreated to the third floor of Boles’ mother’s home, across from the beach where Donna lived.
Boles recalled that as the storm seemed to settle, Donna insisted on going home to check on her cat, despite Boles’ pleas to stay. Tragically, another surge and high winds returned, battering the coastline.
A neighbor later came to their shelter, reporting that someone had been found floating in the parking garage. They quickly pulled Donna from the water and began CPR, but despite their efforts and the arrival of fire rescue by boat, they were unable to revive her.
Detectives later confirmed that Donna had drowned in her home, which had been flooded with water.
Family and friends have since remembered Donna as a “beautiful person” who was deeply committed to her students and community. In a Facebook post, Mary Gleason Lyons, a colleague and friend, described Donna as a dedicated teacher with a big heart, touching the lives of many students over her 35-year career.
Online tributes poured in, with former students and friends expressing their sadness at her passing and remembering her kindness and warmth.
While Boles and Moran are now left to clean up after the floods, which destroyed most of their belongings, the loss of their best friend is what hurts the most. “This is the worst we have ever seen,” Boles said, reflecting on the storm’s destruction compared to Hurricane Irma, where they managed to keep their home and belongings intact.
On a positive note, Donna’s cat survived, and her friends are working to find him a new home.
Hurricane Helene, which cut a destructive 800-mile path northward, left more than 2 million homes without power and claimed over 100 lives, according to USA Today.
Woman Shares Photo of Chicken Breast That Appears Stretched Like Spaghetti
Alesia Cooper, a mother from Irving, Texas, recently posted a surprising photo of chicken breasts she bought for dinner. When she began preparing the meal, the chicken shredded into thin, spaghetti-like strands, leaving her puzzled and seeking answers.
“I wasn’t sure about posting this, but since I had to see it, so do all of you,” she wrote alongside the photo she shared on March 21.
Cooper explained, “I was making dinner for my kids a few weeks ago, and after cleaning the meat like I always do, it ended up looking like this.” She noted that the chicken came from Aldi and humorously added, “I think it’s fake meat, but I’m not sure… I haven’t made boneless chicken since.”
The post quickly gathered attention, with commenters weighing in with their theories and concerns.
One commenter suggested, “That’s lab-grown chicken. It’s a new method because of bird flu and resource shortages. Last year, they announced they could make chicken in a lab, and that’s what’s in stores now.”
Another user chimed in, “It’s fake. I don’t buy it anymore.”
Others dismissed the lab-grown theory, pointing instead to the use of growth hormones. “It’s not lab-grown or 3D-printed meat. It’s real chicken, but producers use growth hormones to make them grow too fast,” someone explained.
Reports have highlighted similar issues, noting that chemicals and breeding techniques can lead to these abnormalities in chicken. Dr. Massimiliano Petracci, a professor of agriculture and food science in Italy, confirmed that fast-growing birds often exhibit these issues.
Historically, it took chickens 112 days to reach 2.5 pounds, but now, due to modern breeding methods, they can reach an average of 5 pounds in just 47 days.
Dr. Michael Lilburn, a professor at Ohio State University’s Poultry Research Center, pointed out that the growing demand for chicken products like nuggets and sandwiches is driving these changes. “If people keep eating more chicken, the chickens will likely need to get even bigger… and we’ll need to increase the amount of breast meat per bird.”
He added, “Most Americans don’t care where their food comes from as long as it’s cheap, but a small, vocal group is raising important questions.”
With growing concerns over food quality, it’s crucial to be mindful of what we consume, both for our health and the health of our families.
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