Finally Friday quick hits: 'Secret Santa' history; few Covid shots this year; hunters and drones; Museum on Main Street

Illustration by James Yang, The Wall Street Journal

Secret Santa exchanges are a long-held tradition, but how did these sneaky exchanges get started, muses Ben Zimmer of The Wall Street Journal. "There's a secret history behind 'Secret Santa.'. . . The phrase 'secret Santa' didn't appear in U.S. newspapers until the early 20th century, and when it did, it could simply refer to an anonymous benefactor . . . . One early breeding ground was Nebraska."

Many midwesterners are choosing to skip this year's Covid-19 booster. "Nearly 60 percent of Americans living in the Midwest and surrounding states say they will not get the new Covid-19 vaccine this year, according to a survey from Emerson College Polling," reports Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech of The Hill. "Americans in Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado and Iowa aligned with national attitudes toward the new shot — with about half of the residents in each state saying they would probably forgo the new vaccine."

It has been just over a year since more than 40,000 customers lost power in Moore County, N.C. At first, the blackout's cause was unknown, but as Duke Energy officials "surveyed the damage to the infrastructure at their local substation, it became evident that an expert shooter had intentionally cut power to the area," reports Danielle Battagliaand of The Herald Sun. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican representing Moore and nearby counties, "has toured a substation, held congressional meetings and proposed legislation in an attempt to prevent another community from being crippled by an attack." Hudson discussed future attack prevention planning and what he feels the federal government still needs to do.

Drone recovery and drone hunting are different.
(Mike Yoder courtesy photo via Lancaster Farming)

If you're a hunter who needs to find your downed deer, a drone could come in handy, but many states prohibit their use. "The Pennsylvania Game Commission prohibits using drones to locate wounded deer, but the owner of a deer recovery business says the agency is confusing the practice with hunting," reports Tom Venesky of Lancaster Farming. Mike Yoder founded Drone Deer Recovery, which is based in Ohio. Yoder and other trained pilots use thermal drones to locate downed deer, essentially doing the tracking for the hunter. Yoder believes the Game Commission regulation prohibiting drones for deer recovery is too broad. He told Venesky, "They're confusing drone hunting with drone recovery."

Severe farming accidents can be a reminder of the profession's dangers. Whitelaw, Wisconsin farmer Bruce Klemm was run over by a Vermeer 12000 Trencher-Backho and survived, but his story serves as a precautionary tale.

The Smithsonian's traveling exhibit entitled Spark! Places of Innovation, in Sauk County, Wis., above, highlighted the connection between land and people. (Wormfarm courtesy photo, Yonder)

Guess what's coming to town besides Santa's sleigh -- the traveling Smithsonian! "The prestigious institution's Museum on Main Street exhibits travel to rural communities, highlighting local stories and inspiring new homegrown installations," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder. "Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is the Smithsonian’s premier program for small towns. For almost 30 years, MoMS has brought rural communities high-quality museum exhibits in partnership with the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The 14 themed exhibits have toured more than 1,900 communities in all 50 states and the territory of Guam."