Top Ten Good News of the Week (Sept 30-Oct 6, 2006)

By Good News Network Saturday, October 07, 2006

Archives - Week in Review

Here are the Top Ten Good News Stories of the Week -- published every weekend...

1) Amish Parents Forgive Gunman, Befriend his Family - After a man burst into a Pennsylvania schoolhouse and shot five young girls to death, the Amish community who were left to deal with the tragedy expressed a range of emotions, but anger was not one of them. Rita Rose, a local midwife and friend who worked amid the community, told NBC that the mother of one of the victims, a 13 year-old girl, has already forgiven the gunman. They all have... (Inspired! Religion)

2) Court Orders No Drilling in Arctic Wetlands - Thirteen Percent of public land critical to caribou and other wildlife will remain closed to drilling. A federal judge in Alaska last week ordered the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to keep 590,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land in northwest Alaska off-limits to oil and gas drilling. (Earth)

3) Food Illnesses Dramatically Declined in 10 Years - Thanks to better industry controls and inspections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that food in general is safer now than at any other time in the last decade, with illness occurring at record-low rates. (Health)

4) El Niño Tames Hurricane Season, Brings Early End - Hurricane forecasters who predicted another record-breaking year for tropical storms were wildly off the mark as the season winds down with only one more hurricane expected. A welcome relief for storm-weary coastal residents was the unexpected and speedy development of the El Niño warm water phenomenon in the eastern Pacific -- faster than almost anyone had predicted -- bringing an end to hurricane formation in the Atlantic. (Earth)

5) Dell Launches Free Recycling in U.S. - Dell has been hailed as one of the most environmentally-conscious computer gadget makers. Now they are the first manufacturer to offer free computer recycling to anyone owning a Dell -- whether or not you are purchasing a new one. (Business)

6) U.S. Swaps Guatemalan Debt for Forest Protection - "The United States will forgive about 20 percent of the $122 million debt owed by Guatemala so the money can be used to protect threatened plants and wildlife." That's thanks to a 1998 law, the Tropical Forest Conservation Act, "which allows debt owed to the United States to be invested in protecting the environment." $24 million will now serve to protect species and land. (Civics)

7) Infant Saved From Plunge - A Denver woman walking to her car came upon the unimaginable: A crying 8-month-old baby dangling off a balcony three stories above a cement sidewalk, hanging on by one hand. (Home Life)

8) Prisoners Rehabilitate Death-Row Dogs -Having dogs in prison helps reduce violence among inmates. It's like therapy for the men, especially when they're given the job of training homeless dogs for adoption. Since August 2004, the Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program has rescued 1,200 shelter animals destined for an early death -- bringing them to prison for training as pets and moving them on to adopted homes. (Civics)

9) Black Tea Soothes Away Stress- The BBC reports that scientists found evidence behind what many tea drinkers already know - a regular cuppa can help you recover more quickly from everyday life stresses. It helps cut levels of the stress hormone cortisol circulating in the blood. (Health)

10) Veteran Claims $200M Powerball Jackpot - A Gulf War veteran and his wife who works at Wal-Mart were living paycheck-to-paycheck, but this week they stepped forward to claim a $200 million Powerball jackpot. And, they plan to share their good fortune with their families, their church, and their community, Fort Dodge, Iowa. (Home Life)

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