Goldin Auctions Sold 'Cheetozard' for Nearly $88K

An auction house in New Jersey auctioned off a Flamin' Hot Cheeto that resembles the Pokémon character Charizard. The final price of the auction reached $87,840 after fees on March 2, 2025.

Cheetozard sold for $87,840

According to ABC Action News, Goldin Auctions house in New Jersey discovered and preserved a Flamin' Hot Cheeto that resembled a Charizard in a clear box along with a Pokémon card. The cheeto was dubbed the "Cheetozard," and reached a final price of $87,840 after 60 bids. 

The Cheetozard was first discovered by 1st & Goal Collectibles between 2018 and 2022, and received a lot of attention on social media starting in 2024.

The auction ended on Sunday, March 2, 2025 after the Cheetozard was seen at the 2025 February Pop Culture Elite Auction, starting at only $250. The winning bid was actually $72,000 before Goldin Auctions' fees were added, bringing the final price to $87,840.00 USD.

Sources:

"Flamin hot Cheeto that resembles Pokemon character sells for nearly $90K at auction." ABC Action News

"Someone spent $88,000 to own 'Cheetozard,' a viral Cheeto shaped like Charizard from Pokemon." Entertainment Weekly.

In a previous blog post, I shared about a Cheeto that looked like Harambe the gorilla, and it sold on eBay for $99,900.

Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville Send Letter to Kash Patel to Request More FBI Employees at Redstone Arsenal

Two U.S. Senators representing Alabama sent a letter to newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel to convince him to send 1,000 more FBI employees to its Redstone Arsenal campus after Kash Patel already given orders for 500 FBI employees to transfer from Washington to Huntsville. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are behind the new initiative to ultimately bring 4,000 more FBI jobs to the Huntsville area.

U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville

According to AL.com, shortly after being appointed to the new FBI Director, Kash Patel "reportedly ordered the transfer of 500 workers from Washington, D.C. to Redstone Arsenal." These orders also included moving 1,000 FBI employees from the D.C. headquarters "out into the field."

However, U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville want more FBI employees moved to the Redstone Arsenal.

Letter from Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville to FBI Director Kash Patel

In a letter to Kash Patel, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville made a case urging Kash Patel to send even more FBI employees to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL.

Excerpts from the letter can be read below:

“Alabama is proud to host Redstone Arsenal, a hub for the FBI’s cutting-edge technology and advanced training,” the senators stated. “As national security threats grow more complex, the operations at FBI-Redstone Arsenal must expand to meet these challenges.”

“Given the strategic investments at Redstone Arsenal and its alignment with your mission to prioritize the safety and security of the American people, we urge you to assign an additional 1,000 employees to FBI-Redstone as a first step.”

Senator Britt invited Director Patel to visit the FBI’s Huntsville facilities during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. Patel affirmed his commitment to staffing the Redstone Arsenal campus, stating, “Senator, you have that commitment.” He also acknowledged the campus’s critical role in strengthening the FBI’s nationwide infrastructure.

The expansion of the FBI’s Redstone Arsenal campus is part of a larger effort to enhance national security operations, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, intelligence, and advanced training. With ongoing federal investment, the Huntsville FBI campus is poised to play a pivotal role in the FBI’s evolving mission.

Sources:

Angle, Alex. "Britt, Tuberville Push for Kash Patel to fill FBI jobs at Redstone Arsenal." Decatur Daily.

Koplowitz, Howard. "Kash Patel reportedly orders 500 FBI employees to transfer from Washington to Huntsville." AL.com.

A Full List of Celebrities Coming to Huntsville, AL for the Comic and Pop Culture Expo in April 2025

The 10th Annual Comic and Pop Culture Expo taking place at the South Hall of the Von Braun Center April 25-27, 2025 in Huntsville, AL will feature many special guest celebrities. The full list is below.

Comic & Pop Culture Expo (credit: https://www.hsvexpo.com/)

There are some amazing celebrity guests coming to Huntsville, Alabama for the 2025 Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo.

A Full List of Celebrity Guests at the Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo

Here is the full list of confirmed guest celebrities coming to Huntsville on April 25-27, 2025:

• "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Adassa
• A.J. Beckles
• Alan Oppenheimer (Saturday only)
• Anairis Quinones
• Anna Zhuo
• B.J. Ward
• Brian Austin Green (Saturday and Sunday only) - Beverly Hills 90210
• Chris Claremont
• Debi Derryberry
• Denise Crosby
• Diane Guerrero
• Tori Spelling - Beverly Hills 90210
• Eddie Steeples
• Elizabeth Berkley (Saturday and Sunday only) - Saved by the Bell
• Emily Swallow
• Ernie Hudson (Saturday only) - Ghostbusters
• Ethan Suplee
• Flatline Comics
• George Newbern
• Jason Lee
• Jaime Pressly
• Jason Griffith
• Joey Lawrence
• Jodi Benson
• Joel Hodgson
• Karan Ashley
• Kayleigh McKee
• Kevin Eastman
• Kim Rhodes
• Landon McDonald
• Linda Larkin (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Lisa Ortiz
• Maria Canals-Barrera
• Mario Lopez - Saved by the Bell
• Melissa Joan Hart (Saturday and Sunday only) - Sabrina the Teenage Witch
• Michael Bell
• Neil Ross
• Nicholas Roye
• Nick Pauley - "Bye Bye Bye" dance sequence in Deadpool & Wolverine movie
• Pete Capella
• Phil LaMarr
• Priscilla Presley (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Ryan Bartley
• Sarah Natochenny
• Steve Cardenas
• Susan Eisenberg
• Timothy Zahn
• Vincent D'Onofrio
• Walter Jones
• Walter Koenig
• William Shatner (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Zachary Levi (Saturday only) - Shazam!

A Special $20K Donation was Given to Kids to Love in 2024

The Huntsville Expo website shared that they presented a $20,000 check to the Kids to Love Foundation from the 2024 Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo, which has helped hundreds of thousands of children living in foster care.

Madison Pizzeria Valentina's Does Another Political Pizza Box, This Time with Jesus Inside

Valentina's pizzeria is not backing down on its politically themed pizza boxes after unveiling a "sequel" to the Trump-themed pizza boxes first unveiled around the Presidential election that took place in November 2024.

Valentina's pizza box; credit: AL.com

The front of Valentina's latest pizza box (seen in the photo above) starting on the leftmost side is Elon Musk, then JD Vance with piercing eyes, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert Kennedy Jr., and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The inside of the pizza box (seen below) depicts an image of Donald Trump in the Oval Office with a depiction of Jesus standing next to the President.

The inside of the pizza box; credit: AL.com

Valentina's Pizzeria and Wine Bar

Valentina's Pizzeria and Wine Bar was named after owner Joe Carlucci's daughter and has won many awards. It is located at 25783 Huntsville Brownsferry Road in Madison, AL.

Joe Carlucci first decided in the fall that he wanted to run a special promotion with a spin on politics, which was covered in this article.

3 More Businesses Permanently Close at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville, AL in January 2025

Three more businesses are permanently closing their doors for good at the Bridge Street Town Centre outdoor shopping mall in Huntsville, AL. Read the details on the business closings.

credit: Huntsville.org

First, Pieology Pizza left around November 2024. 

An employee from Bridge Street Town Centre posted the following on Reddit.com/r/HuntsvilleAlabama:

"I work at Bridge Street and I was there the day before they closed. The guy working there said they were bought by a different company and the new owners wanted to keep the stores mostly in Florida. Not sure how true that is but just what the guy said." 

(Source: Birdman_v5) 

Then PBR Lockhart Smokehouse permanently closed its doors at Bridge Street at the end of 2024.

FOX54 reported that the cowboy-themed restaurant closed after a 'Countdown to 2025' celebration. The restaurant was a unique joint venture partnership between PBR Cowboy Bar and Lockhart Smokehouse and opened in October 2022. They described themselves as "an electric combination of PBR Cowboy Bar's 'cowboy cool' with Lockhart's iconic Texas barbeque."

(Source: FOX54's RocketCityNow.com)

3 Stores Closing in Bridge Street Town Centre in January 2025

FOX54 reported on 2 January 2025 that Chico's, Soma, and White House Black Market will all close their Bridge Street Town Centre Huntsville, AL stores permanently on 26 January 2025.

All of these stores are owned by Chico's FAS/Sycamore Partners, which is based out of Florida.

FOX54 reported that this news was shocking to employees, who reportedly learned of the store closures "just days after Christmas."

One employee said, "Our general manager was informed by our District Manager," which came after management told employees that "their locations would not be affected."

An employee told FOX54, "We have ladies who have been here eight years, 11 years, and then my management, my manager now has been here eight years. And there's no plan B for some people."

It was clear that employees "were kept in the dark about the store closings" until after the holiday shopping season.

Reader poll: What do you think about all of the stores closing at Bridge Street Town Centre?

(Share your thoughts in the comments)