U.S. Good News Archive: April 2009
2 surviving members of 'Band of Brothers' visit class at University School
(Brian Albrecht, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Imagine you're studying Socrates at school and one day the old philosopher himself strolls into your class for a chat. Just that kind of encounter with living history happened Thursday to 10 University School eighth-graders in a "Band of Brothers" class, when two World War II veterans portrayed in the 2001 HBO mini-series of the same title paid a visit. The televised "Band of Brothers" followed the history of Easy Company paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division from basic training, through the D-Day invasion and Battle of the Bulge, to the end of the war. The elective class at University School -- where students view and discuss events depicted in the series -- has been offered for the past four years to provide a more realistic view of a war that wasn't anything like a video game, according to Bill Champ, who teaches the class with Chris Barton.
Harry Potter and the magical museum exhibit
(Cheryl Bowles, Chicago Tribune) I almost don't want to tell you how cool the new "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" show at the Museum of Science and Industry is, because I'm afraid I'll spoil it for you. If you don't know the difference between an Acromantula and a Firebolt, then you might not care anyway. But if you've seen and enjoyed the movies (and/or the books), you really, really need to go see this exhibit, which opens Thursday. It's that cool.
Sept. 11 Firefighter Breathing Easier With New Lung
(AP) Fire Lt. Martin Fullam survived the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center — a firefighter who rushed to ground zero on his day off and dived into the smoking debris in search of life. It wasn't until four years later that he nearly died, as he gasped for air, barely able to speak or move. But on Wednesday, Fullam left a Manhattan hospital with a new lung and a renewed spirit. Although he can now walk on his own, his body is weakened and he was in a wheelchair as he emerged from New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia. Dozens of firefighters lined up on both sides of Fullam as he rolled toward a waiting van to the sound of bagpipes, accompanied by his wife, two daughters, hospital staff and the surgeon who performed the transplant.
Attention-getting hustle of 'sign guy' wins him fans - and pizza customers
(Elizabeth Gibson, Columbus Dispatch) In the world of minimum-wage workers who stand on corners shaking signs, some have polka-dot clown costumes, and others have biceps that can support a cardboard sign for hours. Chris Williamson has something more: fans. The techno- and hip-hopdancing sign guy chugs through four hours of spins, pops, bounces and tricks outside the Little Caesars on E. Main Street in Reynoldsburg five days a week, holding a "$5 pizza" sign.
Seattle among kickoff cities for plug-in cars
(Phuong Le, AP) The city of Seattle and Nissan North America said Tuesday they will work together to promote the development of an electric-car-charging network in Seattle. Nissan plans to introduce plug-in electric vehicles in 2010 in Seattle, along with other markets including Oregon and Tennessee, and mass market them globally two years later.
After tornado, town rebuilds by going green
(Betty Nguyen and Jason Morris, CNN) On May 4, 2007, a monster tornado tore through this rural town, killing 11 people and leaving little more than empty slabs and stacks of debris. Greensburg, 109 miles west of Wichita in south-central Kansas, faced the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch. Like most residents, Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt lost his home and everything he owned. But Hewitt believes the tornado had a silver lining, for it made this town of some 1,400 people regroup and reinvent itself.
Smart Meter Saves Big Bucks For Pa. Family
(Elizabeth Shogren, NPR) Tammy Yeakel had an unusual request for her 44th birthday present: a storm door. This stay-at-home mom from Allentown, Pa., got the idea from the Web site of her electric company, PPL Corp. When PPL put a smart meter on Yeakel's house, she didn't even notice at first. But when the company launched the Web site to help customers use information from the meters to save money, it brought out the passionate kilowatt-pincher lurking inside her. It's become her new obsession.
Golden Lamb celebrates 75,000 days in business
(Justin McClelland, Dayton Daily News) A lot has happened in the past 75,000 days. Two world wars were fought. Forty presidents have taken office. An entire nation was built. But through it all, the Golden Lamb has stayed in business. The Golden Lamb celebrated its 75,000 consecutive day in business in Lebanon on Monday, April 27. National, state, and local political leaders appeared at the Lamb Monday to help celebrate its anniversary. "The Golden Lamb is the primary historic and economic anchor for Lebanon," said mayor Amy Brewer. "It has played an important role in the community for the past 206 years." The restaurant and hotel first opened its doors on Dec. 23, 1803.
90 Years Old, and Breaking Science News With Verve
(Corey Kilgannon, New York Times) It would be hard to find an older newspaper reporter than David Perlman, the 90-year-old science writer for The San Francisco Chronicle. It would also be hard to find a more youthful one. Mr. Perlman’s 78-year newspaper career began at age 12 when he started his junior high school paper with a mimeograph machine. His tenure at The Chronicle began in 1940 when was hired as a copy boy. He still works full-time in his cubicle in the corner of the paper’s city room.
A survivor and an unsung savior, 68 years on
(Daniel Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer) The two old men threw their arms around each other Friday night in the foyer of the Lafayette-Redeemer home in the Northeast. For the longest time, neither man would let go. "Welcome to Philadelphia," said Hans Salomon, 86, his accent still redolent of his boyhood in Germany. "Let me look at you." Tracy Strong - slightly stooped at 93, with a pink complexion and snow-white hair - returned the gaze.
After 64 years, Algona man takes down the barber pole
(Nicole Tsong, Seattle Times) Lynn Pope once woke up in the middle of the night thinking about an eyebrow...Earlier that day, the veteran barber had forgotten to trim one on a customer with a particularly dense pair. He called him in the morning. "I cut one side and not the other," he said. "I woke up and knew that." Pope, who has been serving clients as the sole barber at Lynn's Barber Shop for 64 years, retired Saturday and will close his shop, with its single, worn green-and-white barber chair facing the window onto First Avenue North.
Pat Tillman run brings out thousands of friends, veterans in San Jose
(Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News) It was the final, gruesome irony of Pat Tillman's life that, even as he died, he was surrounded by friends. Tillman was killed in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan five years ago by a barrage of "friendly fire" while on his second tour of duty with the elite U.S. Army Rangers. But if the tragic circumstances surrounding his death could distort a word that had been central to Tillman's life, the foundation his family started to honor his memory was determined to restore its meaning. On Saturday, Pat's Run — the combination fun run and fundraiser named for the former football star — proved that Tillman continues to make friends, and influence people, long after his death.
Proud day for 56 new Americans at Bronx Zoo for naturalization and induction
(Sarah Armaghan, New York Daily News) A new wave of Americans professed their pride and pledged their allegiance Friday, becoming citizens at a venue every kid loves: the Bronx Zoo. Four-year-old Axel Imanol Canas, born in Honduras and now living in the Bronx with his father, celebrated his American induction to the strains of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be an American."
Anonymous Donor Gives Millions to Colleges
(Lisa Foderaro, New York Times) The call typically comes from a banker, bringing word of a fairy godmother. This is followed quickly by a check arriving in the mail — or two checks, the larger earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students, the smaller to be spent at the recipient’s discretion. The only catch, for at least a dozen colleges and universities that have benefited from the surprise largess over the past two months, is that the donor must remain anonymous. Not just to the public, as is typical, but to the institution itself. No one on campus — not the president, not the public relations staff, not the chief fund-raiser — can know where the money came from.
Former FDNY lieutenant Michael Finer saves a man from suicide on George Washington bridge
(Wil Cruz and Jonathan Lemire, New York Daily News) Real heroes never really retire. A former FDNY lieutenant who quit the job he loved soon after pulling a suicidal woman out of the Hudson River last year stopped a man from jumping off the George Washington Bridge, officials said Thursday.
California town decides to put kindness on the agenda
(Susan Herendeen, McClatchy Newspapers) This little town in eastern Stanislaus County may be known for the orchards and dairies that dot its rolling hills, but this week city officials are reminding the 8,100 residents to pass on some good cheer by doing something thoughtful for a stranger, mentoring a youngster or simply being a good neighbor. Thanks to a push from the Waterford Ministerial Association, the city has declared "Random Acts of Kindness" week, which began Sunday and ends Saturday, at the close of a community clean-up day.
Some communities are printing their own currency
(Jen Haley, CNN) Steve Carlotta's family-owned camera store is struggling along with other mom and pop stores. But he's found a way to compete with Internet stores and big-box chains. Carlotta's store accepts BerkShares -- a local currency in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He credits it with helping keep local customers coming back to his store. And as U.S. dollars and credit vanish in this economic crisis, more communities are looking into printing their own currencies.
L.A. County Science Fair survives dip in donations
(Catherine Ho, L.A. Times) Brian Vallelunga got two job offers yesterday. He's 14. His secret? Levitation. The Dana Middle School eighth-grader, one of more than 1,000 students participating in the 59th annual Los Angeles County Science Fair, impressed the judges so much with his research on ionic propulsion that two of them offered him summer internships.
Even one-time naysayers now back national parks
(Joel Connelly, SeattlePI.com) When I was a kid, with my folks working to create the North Cascades National Park, a Seattle Times editorial famously dismissed campaigners to save wild places as "mountain climbers and birdwatchers." Can any responsible person be found, especially among folks who fought national parks, who are still pecking away at the idea? "We're looking for 'em," joked Ken Burns.
Fourth-graders plead case for state crustacean
(Michelle Cole, The Oregonian) The legislative sponsors wore big red stuffed crabs on their heads during Monday's House debate. They talked about the Dungeness crab's economic value to Oregon. They noted that the crabs are "fierce and independent" just like the people of Oregon. Nobody laughed. The measure in question would make the Dungeness crab the official state crustacean. It was backed by a powerful lobby -- fourth-graders from Sunset Primary School in West Linn.
After 3 years at sea, hard hat about to come home
(James Halpin, Anchorage Daily News) On a cold day more than three years ago, Jacoby Angleton was working as a roustabout on a dock at the Tesoro plant in Nikiski when a gust of wind lifted his favorite hard hat off his head and tossed into the icy Inlet waters below. He watched it drift away, upside down, in the dark water, lost at sea. That was late 2005 or early 2006. Then, long after he'd forgotten all about his lucky hat, the now 23-year-old oil-services worker based on the North Slope got a recent e-mail on his MySpace account from a California woman whose curiosity was piqued when she found the hat, still bearing his name, while she was walking on a beach near San Francisco.
Oregon bar hosts benefit for displaced tavern workers
(Tom Beyerlein, Dayton Daily News) Exactly two months after a two-alarm fire destroyed the Tumbleweed Connection, the Oregon District’s business and musical community came together to throw a benefit for the tavern’s displaced employees. “‘Generous’ isn’t even a good enough word to say about it,” said Amber Hess, one of about a dozen Tumbleweed employees who are to evenly split the proceeds of a noon-to-midnight benefit on Sunday, April 19, hosted by another Oregon bar, Blind Bob’s.
Monopoly pays off big in competition
(Mark Chenoweth and Natalie Lester, Washington Times) Richard Marinaccio forced three strangers into bankruptcy Wednesday. But the three weren't victims of a greedy capitalist scheme - they just lost at Monopoly. "I'm a little shocked," said Mr. Marinaccio, of Sloan, N.Y., after winning the National Monopoly Championship at Union Station in the District.
'How to Talk to Girls' author, 10, juggles life, school, more
(Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today) Before author Alec Greven can discuss his third book, How to Talk to Dads (HarperCollins, $9.99, out Tuesday), he has to finish his homework. And when that's done, his mother reminds him to wash his hands. Such is life when you're a best-selling author at 10, with a movie deal and national TV appearances scheduled around soccer practice.
In search of the "Wow!" factor
(Jeff Nachtigal, Bakersfield Californian) On the first day of school, Teresa Casallas gets to teach one of her favorite lessons, when she dons a pirate costume complete with fake parrot and bags of pirate booty, and proceeds to shock her students into having fun learning the scientific method. "They look at me like I'm crazy, but they see I'm not uptight, and they buy into it," said Casallas, an integrated science teacher at West High and a 2009 nominee for Kern County Teacher of the Year.
Brooklyn woman gives out designer dresses to girls for prom night
(Caitlin Millat and Christina Boyle, New York Daily News) A Brooklyn woman is giving hundreds of young girls the chance to shine on prom night. As families across the city tighten their belts, Megan Kerrigan is making sure high school students' hopes of being the belle of the ball don't plummet along with the economy. The 29-year-old, who lives in Marine Park, will be heading to a lower East Side school Sunday with truckloads of gowns from high-end designers like Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent.
Michigan lottery winner gives prize to charity
(MSNBC) A Kalamazoo-area man who won $10,000 in the Michigan Lottery's Club Keno game has donated his winnings to a charity. Soon after winning the money on March 11, Jim Dancy of Richland decided others needed it more than he did. So he gave it all to the Greater Kalamazoo United Way.
Man on cross-country trek to honor Tillman
(Kyle Odegard, East Valley Tribune) One would think, after seven months and nearly 3,000 miles of walking across America, that Rory Fanning could get a small break. Not yet. Fanning is a former Army Ranger and friend of Pat Tillman, the Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals star who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004. In his memory, and to raise funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation, Fanning has spent every day since Sept. 17 walking westward from Virginia Beach, Va., averaging 20 miles per day in a trek that will end in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Brooklyn's Nerd Herd await fate in robotics championship
(Melanie Lasoff Levs, New York Daily News) After three grueling rounds of competition, a crew of Brooklyn brainiacs went to bed Friday night not knowing if they'd won or lost. "They're on pins and needles," said Christina Zaremba, who coaches the five-member robotics team from St. Edmund's Elementary School. The whiz kids, affectionately known as the Nerd Herd, were among nearly 1,000 students who converged on Atlanta to compete in an international robotics championship.
Brooklyn brainiacs in awe at robot festival
(Carrie Melago, New York Daily News) They left Brooklyn as the "Nerd Herd," but they want to come back winners. After weeks of feverish fund-raising, the brainiacs from St. Edmund's Elementary School finally started competing Thursday at the Robotic World Festival in Atlanta.
Mystery donors give $45 million to colleges
(AP) A mystery is unfolding in the world of college fundraising: During the past few weeks, at least eight universities have received gifts totaling nearly $45 million, and the schools had to promise not to try to find out the giver's identity. One school went so far as to check with the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security just to make sure a $1.5 million gift didn't come from illegal sources.
$40 million found in forgotten city account
(Annie Linskey, Baltimore Sun) Cash-strapped Baltimore has unearthed a nearly $40 million windfall, after auditors realized that an obscure account had been accumulating tax payments for about a decade. Finance Department employees were supposed to manually transfer money from partial tax payments into the city's operating budget. But because of staff turnover and poor communication, no transfers had taken place for years, city officials acknowledged Wednesday in disclosing the results of an annual audit.
Hairstylists hope to help abuse victims
(Jennifer Dugan, ONN-TV) Jeanne Fravel has been in the beauty-salon business for 38 years, and she has no intention of quitting anytime soon. Fravel, who operates Je Ani Salon and Day Spa on the Far East Side, said she derives far too much satisfaction from making people feel good about themselves. Sometimes, that means focusing on a client's appearance; other times, it means going deeper. The former requires a keen eye; the latter, a willing ear. "People open up and talk about problems at the salon," she said. That's why Fravel and her counterparts across Ohio are at the forefront of a program designed to aid domestic-violence victims who don't know where to turn for help or who might be uncomfortable seeking assistance.
Pirate Attack Survivors Make Their Way Home Amid Hugs, Cheers
(Claire Shipman, Jim Sciutto and Sarah Netter, ABC News) From the blaring of "Sweet Home Alabama" on the decks of the USS Bainbridge in Mombasa, Kenya, to the tearful reunion of the crew members and their families in Maryland, the captain and crew who fought off pirates in a hostage standoff last week have gotten closer to the place they've all wanted to be -- home.
Holocaust museum: Sunday's opening in Skokie to have powerful message of hope amid the horrors
(Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune) After the darkness, comes light. That is the first lesson founders of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center hope to impart. Visitors move through shadowy spaces depicting death and destruction until they suddenly encounter a cattle car. Emerging on the other side into brightness, they learn how a single person can make a difference. "Having people walk through a museum and cry and leave is not enough," said J.B. Pritzker, capital campaign chairman, describing its mission to educate youngsters about overcoming hatred and indifference. "People say, 'It's such a depressing topic,' " he said. "It is also incredibly life-affirming."
Donors step up to send high school robot champs, the RoboTigers, to Atlanta robotics competition
(Clare Trapasso, New York Daily News) The city's high school robotics champs - the RoboTigers - are going to Atlanta, thanks in part to some last-minute benefactors. The Long Island City team raised the money it needed and then some for a chance to clinch the national title this week after two donors read a story in the Daily News about the cash-strapped team.
Mass poetry recitation gets Ashrita Furman his 100th simultaneous Guinness World Record
(Clare Trapasso, New York Daily News) Reciting poetry in Zulu may not seem like much of a talent, but it landed Ashrita Furman in the record books - yet again. Furman, 54, of Jamaica, Queens, became the first person to hold 100 Guinness Book of World Records simultaneously Tuesday after assembling a group that recited a poem in 111 languages at City Hall Park.
Central Park Jogger shares story to help others
(Patricia Reaney, Reuters) About six months after Trisha Meili had been brutally beaten and raped while jogging in Central Park in a crime that shocked the nation she received a New York marathon medal in the mail from a man she had never met. She credits that act of kindness and thousands more like it from family, friends and people around the world for her astounding recovery.
Mom gives son a mile of wildflowers for his birthday
(Janet Wilson, Austin American-Statesman) Dorothy Longacre couldn't think of a thing to give her son for his birthday. "He's a successful person and can buy anything he wants," she says of Michael Longacre, her only child, who turned 63 earlier this month. When she read about the Austin American-Statesman's Lady Bird's Legacy campaign to raise money for spreading wildflower seeds throughout Central Texas, she knew she had found the perfect gift. It will be something her son, and her neighbors in Southwest Austin, can enjoy for years to come.
Modern-Day Robin Hood Offers Maersk Crew Free Las Vegas Weekend
(Rick Leventhal, Fox News) He used his blackjack skills to help needy families. Now he wants to share his wealth earned at the gambling tables with the crew that fought off the Somali pirates. The man known in Las Vegas circles as Robin Hood 702 wants to give the crew of the Maersk Alabama and their significant others an all-expense-paid weekend to Sin City. "Maybe they don't need financial help, but I want to recognize them as heroes," said the high roller who wants to remain anonymous to avoid the perception he's doing this for celebrity status.
Jobless in Dallas-Fort Worth find benefits in volunteering
(Bob Moos, Dallas Morning News) When Doug Nickols lost his job as a plant manager last summer, he decided to turn his attention to others worse off. He began volunteering for his favorite charities. The Plano resident has been a camp counselor for underprivileged children, worked at a shelter for hurricane victims and, lately, delivered beds to needy families. "When I worked, I never had enough time to do anything else," he said. "But the past year has allowed me to fill a hole in my life and restore some balance to it."
Boy finally gets into school named for fallen Bravest
(Clare Trapasso, New York Daily News) The proud family of a fallen Sept. 11 firefighter figured getting the hero's 4-year-old nephew into a Queens school named after him would be a piece of cake. It wound up not being so simple.
Passenger lands turboprop plane after pilot dies
(CNN) It's a nightmarish scenario straight out of the movies: A passenger is forced to land a plane after its pilot becomes incapacitated. "Descend and maintain 5,000. Just take your time, we'll set you up for the airport," an air traffic controller says. In a calm voice, a passenger responds: "I need to get my throttle set for this descent. I don't know where to set it at." The reality was playing aboard a plane over Florida on Sunday in what the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called "an Easter miracle."
With dad in Iraq, Dallas boy connects with baseball legend's story
(Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News) When his fifth-grade teacher said they would write essays based on Jackie Robinson's principles, Adam Gaona Jr. figured he had just the subject. He would write about his father.
Austere Times? Perfect
(Matt Richtel, New York Times) Millions of Americans have trimmed expenses because they have had their jobs or hours cut, or fear they will. But a subset of savers are reducing costs not just with purpose, but with relish. These are the gleefully frugal. "I’m enjoying this," said Becky Martin, 52, who has cut up her 10 credit cards, borrows movies from the library instead of renting them, and grows her own fruits and vegetables — even though her family is comfortable.
Spring students get step up on career paths
(Jennifer Radcliffe, Houston Chronicle) Students at Carl Wunsche Senior High School walk the halls of a massive campus that includes a bank, a coffee shop and a research-and-development center. They get hands-on experience as car technicians, child care workers and crime scene investigators. The one thing the campus is lacking: a Texas Education Agency rating.
Lawn help salutes those who serve
(Tom Feran, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Phil Fogarty knows about growing big things from seed. That's his business. But even Fogarty, owner of the Weed Man lawn-care company in Euclid, marvels at how his idea for a service day at Arlington National Cemetery has blossomed over 13 years into an annual event involving 400 landscape and lawn-care workers from 27 states. "It answers some of the intense need I've found in people to say thanks," he said recently. The event, called "Renewal & Remembrance," started in 1996, when Fogarty learned about a tree-care association olunteering for a day at Arlington.
Egg hunt raises about $300 to help families in need
(Nicole Lee, Democrat & Chronicle) The weather was blustery, but families still turned out on Saturday to support an Easter egg hunt fundraiser for Alyssa's Angels, a foundation established in memory of Alyssa Rose Bruno.
For military families, help comes in creative ways
(Meghan Barr, AP) The sky is still dark when David Waun sets out with a brisket-packed trailer to camp out and feed soldiers. After the tents are pitched and the lanterns are lit, he starts trimming and seasoning about 400 pounds of meat. Then the self-described "chief barbecue officer" of this carnivorous caravan settles in for a long, smoky night of grilling. "Barbecue is really something that's cooked low and slow," said Waun, 57, who travels the state barbecuing at pre-deployment and welcome home ceremonies for soldiers.
See that UFO in downtown Phoenix? It's a car
(Heather Hoch, Arizona Republic) If you were in downtown Phoenix on Friday afternoon and saw what looked liked an odd special effect from The Outer Limits, do not be alarmed.' It's actually Marcelo Daluz's solar-powered vehicle "The Power of One," the car that recently broke the world distance record for a solar car when Daluz drove it to the Arctic Circle.
A service nation
(The Economist) In a Manhattan park on March 31st the Unemployment Olympics took place. Participants competed in events such as the "Telephone Toss" and "Pin the Blame on the Bosses". But other unemployed people are looking for charity work to occupy their time. Many non-profit organisations are seeing an increase in people looking to help. Even before the economic crisis, AmeriCorps, a programme which takes young volunteers for a year, was turning away two applicants for every one it accepted.
Church organ from St. Paul's Chapel - damaged in 9/11 attacks - returned in time for Easter
(Joe Kemp and Corky Siemaszko, New York Daily News) For the first time since the 9/11 attacks, historic St. Paul's Chapel will be awash with the sweet sound of church organ music on Good Friday. The 1,680-pipe organ in the historic chapel near Ground Zero has been completely refurbished since it was badly damaged by smoke and dirt churned up by the falling twin towers.
Utah Finds Surprising Benefits In 4-Day Workweek
(Jenny Brundin, NPR) Last summer, amid surging gas prices, Utah became the first state in the nation to mandate a four-day workweek for state employees. A recent assessment of the program by state planners found the expected energy cost savings haven't materialized, but there have been unexpected boosts to productivity and worker satisfaction.
Principal rewards students' achievement by kissing pig
(Emily Gersema, Arizona Republic) This little piggy went to Settler's Point Elementary in Gilbert. Lana Moore, principal of the school, stood on the cafeteria stage Thursday, hoisted up the 3- or 4-week-old piglet, puckered up and planted a kiss on the tip of its pink, pristine porcine snout. Kiss, kiss, kiss.
Island DIY: Kauai residents don't wait for state to repair road
(Mallory Simon, CNN) Their livelihood was being threatened, and they were tired of waiting for government help, so business owners and residents on Hawaii's Kauai island pulled together and completed a $4 million repair job to a state park -- for free.
Nerd Herd spurred on at cheering sendoff to represent city at international robot competition
(Sarah R. Kaufman, New York Daily News) These nerds are Brooklyn's newest rock stars! Nearly 300 St. Edmund's Elementary School students stomped and cheered at the school's sendoff celebration for the so-called Nerd Herd, five child prodigies who will represent the city at an international robot competition.
Texas shows colorful personality with love for bluebonnets
(Eric Aasen, Dallas Morning News) On patches of prairie, in backyard gardens, along quiet roads and all across Texas, brilliant bluebonnets are swaying in a gentle breeze. And like we do every spring, we admire these seas of lush, deep-blue wildflowers. We watch them, stand in them, take pictures of our kids sitting in them, paint them, name festivals for them, read stories about them – we even pick 'em.
Vending machine sells cars
(Straits Times) In the market for a Bentley sports car, a Jean Paul Gaultier dress or a cell phone, but don't feel like dealing with a pesky salesperson? Literally at the touch of a button, visitors to the Mondrian South Beach can buy those items - as well as more prosaic hotel gift-shop staples like toothbrushes - from a new lobby vending machine called a Semi-Automatic.
Woman finds $357,959 cashiers check and returns it
(John Rogers, Associated Press) As she walked from a post office, Talon Curtis thought she'd found one of those gimmicky sweepstakes offers on the ground that scream something like "$357,959.55" in big bold letters and "This is not a real check" in much smaller type. But just as she was about to do her part for a cleaner planet and deliver the paper from the parking lot to a trash can, she noticed it was a real cashier's check with a real signature.
Food bank scrambles to distribute 576,000 donated eggs
(Oren Yaniv, New York Daily News) Did the Easter Bunny go a little overboard in the Bronx Tuesday? Not eggs-actly. Two trucks dropped off a half-million eggs at a warehouse in the Hunts Point Cooperative Market, but they're destined for soup kitchens and food pantries instead of baskets filled with artificial green grass.
Grateful transplant recipient tells harrowing story
(Kirk Mitchell, Denver Post) It took five snowplows, a sympathetic Wyoming trooper and no small amount of determination, but Chuck Forbes got his liver. Forbes, 59, today described the events that led to a race against time and through a blizzard to get into surgery at the University of Colorado hospital where he received a life-saving transplant early Sunday.
Act of kindness might have saved a life
(Dennis McCarthy, Los Angeles Daily News) Her workday was over. The shuttle to take her to her car in the parking lot was quickly filling up. But Cathy Murray wouldn't catch it. Or the next shuttle, or the one after that. She would walk to her parked car alone in the dark three hours later with a tired smile on her face. Julian was back home safely with his parents. That's all that mattered.
Providing a Role to Model: Mentoring Program Has Reduced Bad Behavior, Improved Attitudes at Greenbelt Elementary
(Nelson Hernandez, Washington Post) Nick Covington, 11, sat down with his mentor in a little library room at Greenbelt Elementary School. The conversation was soft, with long pauses and unexpected turns. "What else is going on?" said Solomon Comissiong, Nick's mentor, a University of Maryland employee. "How is your baby brother?"
Newark girl saves stranger in pool
(Simone Sebastian, Columbus Dispatch) Sixteen-year-old Maria DeVito doesn't see herself as a hero. She just knows what it's like to feel as if your life isn't in your own hands. The Newark teenager, who learned she has cystic fibrosis three years ago, became a lifesaver last week during a spring-break trip to Florida. She jumped into a pool on March 29 to save a stranger who had suffered a stroke.
Web site aims to share good news about schools
(Alyson Zepeda, Cronkite News Service) Bernie Sammons of Heartland Ranch Elementary School in Coolidge will kiss a pig if his first-grade class reads and reports on 1,000 books by the end of the school year. And groups advocating for Arizona's public schools want everyone to know about it. Sammons' story is just one of many that are featured online at azschoolsmakeadifference.org, a Web site that education organizations launched last year to feature good news and accomplishments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Banding together: Old instruments to get new life with students
(Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch) Mark Rossi's trombone hasn't been played in 30 years. There are a few dents in it, and the finish has worn off in some places. But the instrument still works, and come next fall, a student in the Westerville City Schools might be playing it.
RoboTigers ready to roar
(Clare Trapasso, New York Daily News) For a Long Island City high school robotics team, fighting its way into a national championship was just half the battle. Now the RoboTigers are trying to raise the final $5,000 needed to make the trip to Atlanta this month.
Group repairs home of injured Green Bay veteran
(AP) A nonprofit group is providing free home repairs to a Green Bay veteran who suffered severe injuries in Iraq.
Uptown neighborhood on an upswing
(Jeffrey Steele, Chicago Tribune) There was a time, in its Roaring '20s heyday, when Uptown lived up to its name in more than one way. Yes, it stood higher than the Loop on the Chicago city map, but it also represented a glamorous step up from much of the rest of the Windy City.
A Motel Becomes Home To A Family in Need
(NPR) Gus Hernandez had just lost his house to foreclosure when he met Siddiqi Hansoti last year. Hernandez and his family had spent a couple of nights in their car before he went looking for a motel in the phone book and found the El Dorado Motel in Salinas, Calif.
Vatican Investigates 'Miracle' Recovery of Man Shot in Head
(Dan Harris, Jen Pereira and Lee Ferran, ABC News) When Jory Aebly was shot in the head, execution-style during a mugging five weeks ago in Cleveland, Ohio, that should have been the end of it. Doctors at the Metro Health Medical Center told his family it was a "non-survivable" injury, according to the hospital's Web site. But Tuesday, a very-much-alive Aebly was wheeled to a press conference before he went home in what some believe is a true "miracle,"
Fiancé Drops Engagement Ring Off Brooklyn Bridge
(Greg Cergol, NBC New York) Imagine saving enough money to buy the love of your life a beautiful diamond ring only to drop it off the Brooklyn Bridge just as she agrees to marry you. A local groom-to-be experienced the horror for himself.
Homeowners Donate House back to Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity
(WSAV) Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity has been the recipient of extraordinary generosity since it first opened its doors in 1990. Large tracts of land have been donated on which eighty houses have been built. First the land for New Hope Village in Bluffton was donated by a paper company. Next the land for Brendan Woods in Bluffton was donated by a local real estate developer, followed by the donation of land for the New Ridge community in Ridgeland by a Jasper County developer.