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Fun ‘Fashion Shoot’ Makes Residents in a Senior Home Feel 20 Years Younger

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Fun photo shoot for seniors Pat Bishop and Brian Tuffney at Maplewood Court in Maidstone Kent (SWNS)
Fun photo shoot for seniors Pat Bishop and Brian Tuffney at Maplewood Court in Maidstone Kent (SWNS)

Senior home residents were left feeling 20 years younger after posing for a photoshoot wearing high-fashion wigs and colorful clothing.

Residents at Maplewood Court, an hour outside London, were treated to the glam-up session thanks to the facility’s ‘Lifestyle Team’ who were inspired by a video on social media.

Providing an outrageous wardrobe of flower-studded wigs, sunglasses, hats and giant pearls, the photo shoot had the 72 residents abuzz with excitement.

The fun afternoon was the brainchild of employees Laura Taylor and Jo Morgan who kept it a secret, only leaking bits of excitement. “There was such a buzz in the home.”

“We loved the idea of giving our residents the chance not just to dress up but to go over the top and feel fabulous,” Ms. Taylor told SWNS news agency.

Centenarian Hilda Howes said it provided a new lease of life.

“I loved it, they made me look 80, instead of 100! It was so much fun to dress up in all the bright clothes.”

Brain Tuffney, 90, Maplewood Court in Maidstone, England – SWNS

The pair sourced the wigs online, while other employees contributed jewelry, scarves, and sunglasses.

Deb Eve, a care assistant at the Maplewood home in Maidstone, did the ladies’ make-up while Morgan took the photographs with the help of her daughter.

“We were thrilled that everyone was so keen to get dressed up,” Morgan said.

“The whole thing lifted everyone’s mood; it was wonderful to see.”

SWNS / Maplewood Court in Maidstone, England

The team will now print the photos for residents to display in their rooms, and a photo exhibition for the lobby is also in the works.

MORE COOL SENIOR SHOOTS:
• Seniors Recreate Iconic Movie Posters For Calendar – And They’re Amazing
• Nursing Home Recreate Classic Album Covers While in Lockdown – LOOK

One 92-year-old resident, Violet Syers, gushed, “I’ll be able to look at it every day and see how fabulous I looked.”

SHARE THE IDEA ON SOCIAL MEDIA, So Other Senior Homes Can Do the Same…

New AI Glasses for Dementia ‘Sees’ Objects With Labels Projected on Lenses to ‘Significantly’ Improve Lives

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Carole Grieg testing the CrossSense AI glasses – SWNS
Carole Grieg testing the CrossSense AI glasses – SWNS

New AI glasses for people with dementia are able to project visual prompts onto the lenses to help folks live more independently—and they could be available in the UK in 2027.

The latest news comes after the glasses wowed both test patients in their homes and a panel of outside judges.

They can guide people living with early-stage dementia through daily activities by identifying common objects and providing audio commentary or answer questions while projecting visual prompts onto the lenses.

By asking gentle questions, the glasses’ AI companion, called ‘Wispy’, understands and learns a person’s unique way of doing things, with the AI adapting to each user’s needs as their dementia progresses.

Wispy will even talk through what to do when a person cannot remember a particular step in a process.

In test trials, three out of four patients reported a significant improvement to their quality of life, thanks to the glasses and Wispy’s tips developed from UK company CrossSense.

Warning appears on the lenses of the CrossSense AI glasses (GNN screenshot of SWNS/CrossSense video)

Spending over a decade creating and tweaking prototypes of the app and gadget, a team of AI engineers trained the glasses with dozens of everyday activities including getting dressed, managing household chores safely, making a cup of tea and interacting with loved ones.

The specs, which work with people’s prescription lens inserts and hearing aids, also capture the environment of the person living with dementia and the AI interprets that information to help the user to do the things that define independence.

“This includes feeling confident in their own home, taking good care of themselves, planning the day ahead, completing planned activities and hosting friends and family,” said the creators.

Screenshot of Wispy AI in the midst of interacting with user of theCrossSense AI glasses, discussing care of a houseplant (Still from SWNS video)

PREVENTING DEMENTING:
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• Cheese May Help Stave Off Dementia Shows Study of 27k People Followed For 25 Years

With a release date set for early 2027 in the UK, the inventors hope the specs, which weigh less than 3 ounces (75g), will be used by local authorities, care providers, and NHS hospital memory clinics.

Last week, the London-based team behind the technology, CrossSense, won the Longitude Prize on Dementia with its million dollar prize funded by the Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK.

The panel of international expert judges agreed that the winning solution was a genuine breakthrough technology with revolutionary potential for people living with dementia and their families.

CrossSense says the gadget includes a built-in battery that lasts for one hour, but also a portable power bank that can keep the glasses running all day long.

70-year-old Carole Grieg from London (pictured above), who founded a dementia support group called ForgetMeNots, tried the new glasses and is convinced they could help her fellow dementia patients maintain their independence.

“I thought it was an amazing concept, with the potential to provide real, reliable support for people like me, helping to compensate for the cognitive skills we gradually lose as dementia progresses.”

“For many of us, our world slowly becomes smaller as the condition progresses. Innovations like this offer real hope, and I know that as my own circumstances change, I will certainly be relying on them.”

Professor Fiona Carragher, chief research officer at Alzheimer’s Society admires the way the technology can develop its ‘intuitive personal support’.

LATEST ALZHEIMER’S BREAKTHOUGHS:
• Tiny Protein Confirmed to Dismantle the Toxic Clumps Linked to Alzheimer’s
• Compound in Rosemary and Sage was Turned into Alzheimer’s Treatment That Boosted Memory and Cut Amayloid

“By anticipating people’s needs as their condition progresses, easing daily living challenges, and providing reassurance to families, this revolutionary tech will allow people with dementia to maintain their independence for longer, within the familiar environment of home.”

SHARE THE DEMENTIA INNOVATION Projecting Hope On Social Media…

Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of March 21, 2026
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

 

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In 1960, Aries primatologist Jane Goodall arrived in Tanzania to study the social and family lives of chimpanzees. Her intention was to engage in patient, long‑term observation. In subsequent months, she saw the creatures using tools, a skill that scientists had previously believed only humans could do. She also found that “it isn’t only human beings who have personality, who are capable of rational thought and emotions like joy and sorrow.” Her discoveries revolutionized our understanding of animal intelligence. I recommend her approach to you in the coming weeks, Aries. Your diligent, tenacious attention can supplant outmoded assumptions. Let the details and rhythms of what you’re studying reveal their deeper truths. Your affectionate watchfulness will change the story.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Ancient Romans had a household deity called Cardea, goddess of hinges and thresholds. She protected the pivot points, like the places where the inside meets the outside and where one state transforms into another. In the coming weeks, you Tauruses will benefit from befriending a similar deity. I hope you will pay eager attention to the metaphorical hinges in your world: the thresholds, portals, transitions, and in-between times. They may sometimes feel awkward because they lack the certainty you crave. But I guarantee that they are where the best magic congregates.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
You are fluent in the art of fruitful contradiction. While others pursue one-dimensional consistency, you thrive on the fact that the truth is too wild and multifaceted to be captured in a single, simple story. You make spirited use of paradox and enjoy being enchanted by riddles. You can be both serious and playful, committed and curious, strong and receptive. In the coming weeks, Gemini, I hope you will express these superpowers to the max. The world doesn’t need another person who separates everything into neat little categories. Your nimble intelligence and charming multiplicity are the gifts your allies need most.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi celebrates imperfection, impermanence, and the soulfulness that comes with age. A weathered wooden gate may be considered more beautiful than a new one. Its surface has a silvery grain from years of exposure to rain and sun. Its hinges creak from long use by countless passersby. Let’s invoke this lovely concept as we ruminate on your life, Cancerian. In my astrological estimation, it’s important that in the coming months you don’t treat your incompleteness as a deficit requiring correction. Consider the possibility that your supposed blemishes may be among your most interesting features. The idiosyncratic aspects of your character are precisely what make you a source of vitality.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
In medieval Japan, swordsmiths would undertake spiritual purifications before beginning work on a new blade: abstinence, ritual bathing, prayer, and fasting. They believed that the quality of their consciousness influenced the quality of their creation—that the blade would absorb the maker’s mental and spiritual state. I bring this to your attention because you’re in a phase when your inner condition will have extra potent effects on everything you build, develop, or initiate. My advice: Prepare yourself with impeccable care before launching new projects. Purify your motivations. Clarify your vision. The creations you will be generating could serve you well for a long time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Master chess players don’t necessarily calculate more moves ahead than amateurs. Their years of study enable them to perceive the developing trends in a single glance, bypassing complex analysis. What appears to be stellar intuition is actually compressed expertise. You’re in a phase when you can make abundant use of this capacity, Virgo. Again and again, your accumulated experience will crystallize into immediate knowing. So don’t second-guess your first assessments, OK? Trust the pattern recognition that you have cultivated through the years.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The cosmic powers have granted you a triple-strength, extra-long, time-release dose of sweet, fresh certainty. During the grace period that’s beginning, you will be less tempted to indulge in doubt and indecision. A fountain of resolve will rise up in you whenever you need it. Though at first the lucid serenity you feel may seem odd, you could grow accustomed to it—so much so that you could permanently lose up to 20 percent of your chronic tendency to vacillate.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Crows can hold grudges against individual humans for years. But they also remember acts of kindness and bring gifts like shiny objects and buttons to those who’ve helped them. They’re capable of both revenge and gratitude, and they never forget either. I suspect you’re entering a period when you’ll need to decide which of your crow-like qualities to emphasize, Scorpio. You have legitimate grievances worth remembering. You have also received gifts worth honoring. My counsel: Spend 20 percent of your emotional energy on remembering wrongs (enough to protect yourself) and 80 percent on remembering what has helped you thrive. Make gratitude your primary teacher, even as you stay wisely wary.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
More than any other zodiac sign, you Sagittarians can be both a discontented rebel and a sunny celebrant of life. You can see clearly what’s out of alignment and needs adjustment without surrendering your wry, amused tolerance. This double capacity will be especially useful to you in the coming days. You may not find many allies who share this aptitude, though, so you should lean on your own instincts and heed the following suggestions: Be joyfully defiant. Be a generous agitator and an open-hearted critic. Blessings will find their way to you as you subvert the stale status quo with creativity and kindness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Your persistence and endurance are among your greatest gifts to the world. You’re committed to building useful structures that outlast transitory moods and trends. On behalf of all the other signs, I say THANK YOU!, dear Capricorn. You understand that real power comes from showing up consistently and doing unglamorous work, refraining from the temptation to score quick and superficial victories. May you always recognize that your pragmatism is a form of loving faith. Your cautionary care is rooted in generosity. Now here’s my plea: More than ever before, the rest of us need you to express these talents with full vigor.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
One of your power symbols right now is the place where two tributaries blend into a single river. A second is where your favorite tree enters the earth. Here are other images to excite your imagination and stimulate your creativity: the boundary between cloud and sky; the darkness where your friend’s shadow overlaps yours; and the time between when the sun sets and night falls. To sum up, Aquarius, I hope you will access extra inspiration in liminal areas. Seek the vibrant revelations that arise where one mystery coalesces with another.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Poet Mark Doty wrote, “The sea doesn’t reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. We should lie as empty, open, and choiceless as a beach—waiting for gifts from the sea.” This quote captures your Piscean genius when it’s working at its best. Others may exhaust themselves trying to force results, but you know that the best gifts often come to those who are patient, open, and relaxed. This is true right now more than ever before. I hope you will practice intense receptivity. Protect your permeability like the superpower it is. Be as supple and responsive as you dare.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

Good News in History, March 21

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46 years ago today, Pink Floyd’s single, Another Brick in the Wall, hit No.1 on Billboard, beginning an 11-week domination at the top of the charts. From their rock opera album The Wall, written by bassist Roger Waters, it is a protest song against rigid schooling—and features a local elementary school choir. Called (Pt. 2), it became their only No.1 single in the US and UK, and many other countries—and it sold over four million copies worldwide. WATCH the band’s official animated music video… (1980)

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“Spring is far more than just a changing of seasons; it’s a rebirth of the spirit.” – Toni Sorenson

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Credit: Aaron Burden

Quote of the Day: “Spring is far more than just a changing of seasons; it’s a rebirth of the spirit.” – Toni Sorenson

Photo by: Aaron Burden (spring crocus)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Credit: Aaron Burden

 

Pioneer is First to Cross Texas Along His New xTx Trail – 1,500 Miles Devised for Hikers, Cyclists and Horses

By
Andy Corbley
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xTx Founder Charlie Gandy – self portrait
xTx Founder Charlie Gandy – self portrait

This is Charlie Gandy, who’s set to become the first adventurer to complete the Cross-Texas Trail, the xTx, America’s newest long-distance hiking route.

The 67-year-old invented the trail himself, and has so far invested $15,000 to ensure the route could become a destination for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.

Moving westward, he and his two hiking companions are set to arrive at the finish line in El Paso on the border with New Mexico on March 31st—having walked a full 1,500 miles across the Lone Star State.

Launched as a project in August of 2024, the xTx is meant to be traveled in late fall, winter, and early spring, when heat and water conditions aren’t so brutal.

Exactly how does one create the next Appalachian Trial? Well, in 2024, Gandy explained that it came down to the passion of a single man who pioneered the Appalachian Trail, and the same for the Pacific Crest Trail, making the two routes iconic bucket list goals for hikers across the world.

“As a native Texan, I’m a 66-year-old guy who likes to challenge myself to big, hairy goals and adventures—and it seemed to me like it was time for Texas to have its own Pacific Crest-type adventure route,” Gandy told Fox News Digital.

Courtesy of xTx
xTx trail (via ridewithgps.com)

Beyond his own passion and obsession, the endeavor involved gathering sponsors for the creation of an organization to provide all the needed digital and hard-copy literature and publicity to let the nation know the trail exists.

He also had to find people willing to set up water stations in desert areas, and—because 96% of Texas land is privately-owned—people who were willing to allow the route to run through their property.

Gandy and his nonprofit have heard from enthusiastic Texans offering their own opinions of where the route should go—and a few who invited the tXt to run directly through their own land.

Like the Appalachian Trail, the xTx will take years to reach to its full potential. In its current iteration the xTx travels through the heart of rural Texas, weaving together public paved, gravel, and dirt roads, and wanders near or through sections of 17 state parks and 3 national parks.

Real County, Texas; Courtesy of xTx – Credit: Jake Irvin
Devils River, the half-way point of the XTX – Credit, mlhradio, CC 2.0 via Flickr

“We’re establishing a 1,500-mile seasonal late fall through early spring hiking, cycling, and horseback trail through the heart of true Texas. It’s the first of its kind for the state,” Gandy said in a statement from his current position around Toyah, Texas.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Coveted Ranch Near San Francisco to Become Sprawling New Nature Preserve with Hiking Trails

The original working path for the whole route has largely been followed by Gandy on his current trip. You can see his progress and follow along as he nears the finish line on the Ride with GPS website. 

It started on the eastern border of the state near Beaumont before meandering through a number of bayous and piney forests. The route continues, from the hills north of Houston, through a gap between San Antonio and Austin, into a leg above New Braunfels and scenic small towns like Lockhart, Luckenbach, and Kerrville.

Completing the detour, the trail starts to climb slightly north through the desert before plunging down into the gorgeous topography of Big Bend National Park in a large horseshoe curve that eventually leads directly north to the highest peak in the state among the Guadalupe Mountains, and westward to El Paso and the finish line.

SHARE This Incredible Journey From Tip To Tail Across Texas With Hiking Friends You Know… 

Community Dads Raise Thousands to Surprise Beloved School Crossing Guard with a New Car

By
Andy Corbley
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Courtesy of Aaron Stevens Moss Haven Elementary Dad's Club
Courtesy of Aaron Stevens Moss Haven Elementary Dad’s Club

A group of North Texas dads raised money for a new car for a beloved school crossing guard, leaving her and the community in shock.

Ask anyone in the Moss Haven Elementary School community about Ms. Trecia Crawford and you’ll hear the same thing: she is so kind and protective of every child.

A staple of the community, who knows more parents on a first-name basis than most of the school employees, Ms. Crawford has been without wheels for the last 6 months after her car broke down and she lacked the money to repair or replace it.

“I was Lyfting here, and then when I ran out of money, I had to get on the bus,” Crawford told local CBS affiliate KTVT. “But I had to do what I had to do.”

Learning of her predicament, the Moss Haven Dad’s Club pooled their time and expertise to get the beloved Ms. Crawford back behind a wheel.

Marcus Waither is a member of the Dad’s Club who organizes the “Carpool Dads” volunteers, who drop children off to school every morning, saving parents gas and keeping kids safe. It was Waither’s idea to raise money to buy Ms. Crawford a new car.

The club raised an incredible $6,800 in just a few days, and from there, Waither tagged in local dad Adam Tharpe, general manager of Highland Lake Automotive. Tharpe found a white jeep that wouldn’t break his books to sell at an extreme discount. He took care of a few minor outstanding issues and even threw in some free oil change coupons.

DADS AND SCHOOLS: Dozens of ‘Flash Dads’ Cheer On Students Arriving at Schools in Kentucky–For 7 Years Giving High Fives and Support

Car in hand, Tharpe then passed the ball to Jeremy Graves, another dad from the club who took care of the liability insurance on the car on behalf of Ms. Crawford.

Ms. Crawford and some of the dads – credit, Richardson Independent School District

After that, the Jeep and the dads were ready, and on a morning in early March, surprised Ms. Crawford while she was on duty. In a Facebook post by the school district, Crawford can be seen holding her mouth in shock as she got the news.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: High School Students Repair Cars and Give Them to Single Moms: ‘You’re Really Making a Change in the World’

“Community isn’t just a buzzword,” read a blog post from the Richardson Independent School District, where Moss Haven is located. “It’s the action, time, and commitment of the parents, teachers, staff, and all those who show up in the smallest and biggest ways.”

SHARE These Great Dads Helping Out A Local Legend In Need… 

Greek Government Organizes ‘Animal Airlift’ to Evacuate Pets and Owners from the Gulf

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Andy Corbley
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Photo by Iren Liao on Unsplash
Photo by Iren Liao on Unsplash

The Greek government organized an evacuation flight out of the United Arab Emirates specially-chartered for pets and their owners who couldn’t get seats on commercial airlines.

Every nation will have activated different contingencies to advise, protect, and help extract their citizens from the Persian Gulf states since Israel and the US launched their attacks against Iran.

For Greeks, their government paid close attention to one particular aspect of their citizens predicament—how they can flee with their four-legged family members.

On Wednesday, a flight touched down in Athens carrying more than a hundred passengers and their pets—the result of efforts to bypass the difficult process of flying internationally with companion animals.

“Our pets are not luggage, they are part of our families,” said the Greek Interior Ministry’s Special Secretary for the Protection of Companion Animals, Nikos Chrysakis.

The UAE, Qatar, and other nearby countries have been forced to repeatedly close their airspace and cancel thousands of flights over the 20 days of bombings and missile attacks, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers. Attempting to fly with a pet has proven even harder than normal, a Greek cat owner told AP. 

A hub of expatriates of all kinds, drawn by the once glamorous lifestyle, low taxes, and lovely weather, there were no shortage of Greeks that needed help escaping Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

When the special Aegean Air flight full of these expats touched down in Athens, joyous scenes followed; not only of locals seeing their loved ones and relatives return safe and sound, but of stressed pets leaping out of carriers and crates into their arms of their owners.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: 

“It is very, very difficult to fly out of the country with your pets,” said Danai Koukoulomati, who arrived home with her cat, Muay Thai.

Another owner told the AP that returning to Greece safely with her dog Sirkati was “absolutely fantastic.”

According to Chrysakis, the Greek interior and foreign ministries had worked together for days “so we can have this good result, for the animals and people to return home safely.”

BARK About This Great Work On Behalf Of Stranded Citizens To Your Friends…

(UPDATE) DoorDash Adds Thousands to Woman’s Viral Fundraiser for Elderly Delivery Driver

By
Andy Corbley
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Richard climbing Brittany Smith's steps - credit, Smith via GoFundME
Richard climbing Brittany Smith’s steps – credit, Smith via GoFundME

A woman who had a DoorDash order brought to her house was shocked to see an old man on her doorbell camera.

Inspired to help, she set up a GoFundMe, which raised $940,000 to allow the man to retire, and her initiative grabbed the attention of the DoorDash company.

A spokesman told Fox News 17 that their team spoke with Richard, the elderly driver, who said he plans to continue door dashing even after becoming a merely-overnight millionaire, because it “keeps him active and he enjoys it.”

CEO Tony Xu reveled that Richard had completed 6,000 deliveries, and that the company added $20,000 irrespective of the enormity of the GoFundMe success.

GNN reported on March 17th, that It was just another weekday in Manchester, Tennessee, when Brittany Smith heard the doorbell ring.

Switching on her phone’s Ring doorbell camera app, she was surprised to see an elderly man she would later learn was named Richard, ascending to her porch in a red flannel shirt and khakis.
It could have been called a DoorDawdle order, as in his old age he could hardly ‘dash’ up the steps to her front door, and needed the handrailing for support.

“My daughter’s dad is a quadriplegic, so he often has things sent to the house because he can’t physically go get them,” Smith said, explaining why Richard arrived at their house that day. “This poor guy is struggling to get up my stairs to deliver my very capable daughter her Starbucks.”

Calling her daughter’s father, Smith asked to leave a bigger tip, but the father replied the opportunity through the DoorDash app to do so was gone. Meanwhile, she posted the video footage from the Ring camera on TikTok on other social media platforms, wondering if anyone in Manchester knew who the old man was.

A Facebook user recognized him as Richard and got in contact with Smith to reveal his identity and address. Driving over, Smith offered him a $200 tip, which would have made the story beautiful on its own, but it got even sweeter than the Starbucks Richard had delivered.

MORE STORIES JUST LIKE THIS: 81-year-old Waitress Couldn’t Retire, so a Stranger Raised Over $300K for Her

At his house, Richard explained that his wife lost her job and that the two of them quickly lost their savings paying for monthly expenses and a very costly medication she was taking. Richard took the DoorDash gig to try and supplement their income.

That’s when Smith set up the GoFundMe, with the aim of “helping Richard go back into retirement!”

GREAT GOFUNDMES: TikToker Crowdfunds $1.5 Million for 88-yo Army Veteran After Viral Supermarket Moment

With the footage from the Ring camera going viral, the GoFundMe benefited tremendously, and raised almost $1 million from an incredible 32,000 donations.

“I had no idea that I was going to gain that much traction,” Smith told the UK’s Independent. “Richard said he’s not slept in two days because he can’t quit watching the GoFundMe.”

SHARE This Incredibly Successful Gesture For An Old Man In Need…

“Try as you will, you cannot annihilate that eternal relic of the human heart, love.” – Victor Hugo

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Credit: Federica Giacomazzi for Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “Try as you will, you cannot annihilate that eternal relic of the human heart, love.” – Victor Hugo

Photo by: Federica Giacomazzi for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Credit: Federica Giacomazzi for Unsplash+

Good News in History, March 20

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Good News Network
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Entrance to Legoland California - CC 3.0. Coolcaesar BY-SA via Wiki

27 years ago today, Legoland California, the first LEGO theme park outside Europe, opened in Carlsbad. It has over 60 rides, shows, and attractions, plus a water park, an aquarium and two hotels. Key themed areas rely on long-used LEGO set themes, including Dino Valley, Pirate Shores, Castle Hill, Miniland USA, and Adventure Land. Miniland USA is a particularly striking attraction, as it boats 1:20 scale dioramas built in LEGO of famous US places, such as New Orleans, Manhattan island, the National Mall, and the Las Vegas Strip. READ more about this famous theme park… (1999)

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College Freshman Brings a Nostalgic General Store Back to Olde Towne Community in Virginia

By
Andy Corbley
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A riverside view of historic Portsmouth, Virginia - credit, US Navy photo
A riverside view of historic Portsmouth, Virginia – credit, US Navy photo

Despite having her college years ahead of year, and only just obtaining the right to sign her name, a young Virginia woman has joined the ranks of American small business owners with a distinctly rustic flair.

With a childhood spent browsing old-timey general stores among the mountains of North Carolina, Lindsay Goodwin wanted to bring that nostalgic charm to her own town of Portsmouth.

She only graduated from Churchland High School last summer, but had been co-owner of Marketplace and General Store in Olde Towne Portsmouth since 2023.

She’s embarking on her freshman year of college towards a major in Arts at Virginia Wesleyan University, and admits that juggling both will be a challenge, but one she’s excited to undertake.

“Portsmouth is known for its history, and so we wanted to bring back the historical feel, but also the old-fashioned family place for everyone to come,” Goodwin told Kamilah Williams at WTKR News Norfolk.

Lindsay opened the store alongside her father, Tony Goodwin, who has long been a commercial real estate professional. He said that the store was purposefully built to give his daughter a plethora of opportunities: to have another anchor to the community she grew up in, to gain business experience for her university minor, and, of course, the opportunity to make a good living.

MORE SMALL BUSINESSES: San Fran Supervisor Goes After Stifling Regulations After Locals’ Dream of a Cafe Goes Up in Steam

That last point doesn’t always seem immediately obvious. Foot traffic can be substantial during high season, festivals, or holiday periods like Christmas, but sales can and do fall off.

Regardless, customers drawn to the old-fashioned shopping experience frequently remind them the father-daughter duo of why they came up with the idea in the first place.

GREAT LITTLE TOWNS: Arizona Suburb Turned into Mediterranean-style Walking Town Where Temperatures Stay Low

“When they come in, they say, ‘Man, this reminds me of something I grew up on back home,’ and that’s what makes us feel good about what we’ve done,” Mr. Goodwin said. “We’ve created a space that is nostalgic and fits Olde Towne perfectly.”

Beyond his daughter’s future, Mr. Goodwin said he sees the store as part of an effort to revitalize the historic city’s High Street, which has struggled with vacancies over the years.

For Lindsay, the goals are a little bit more immediate—keep up the sales, keep up the vibes, keep up with classes—then let the rest figure itself out.

SHARE This Father-Daughter Team Sprucing Up A Beautiful Historic City… 

Surgeons Perform First-Ever Surgery for Critically-Endangered Monkey Weeks Before She Gave Birth

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Andy Corbley
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Chester Zoo via SWNS
Chester Zoo via SWNS

GNN often stays abreast of births among the Chester Zoo’s incredibly diverse residents of rare and endangered species, but few have ever been cuter or rarer than this Roloway monkey.

Chester Zoo is one of only two places in the UK that Roloway monkeys can be found, a spokesman said, and the breeding population there supports the animal as conservationists ponder what to do to ensure it can survive in its West African home.

The mother is named Masaya, and before the 15-year-old primate gave birth to a daughter named Lagertha, she was the first ever Roloway monkey to undergo surgery in captivity—to remove a golf-ball sized abscess from her foot.

Masaya had to have one toe amputated during the procedure, which was done at the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital.

“Masaya is a very experienced mom and she’s parenting magnificently,” said
Zoe Edwards, primate keeper at Chester Zoo. “The fact Masaya’s foot has healed so well is a huge relief. If she’d had a [full] amputation, we’d have been left with real questions about whether she could hold her offspring or continue with her normal behaviors.”

Roloway monkeys originate from West Africa and are listed as Critically-Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Once common in the lush rainforests of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, the Roloway monkey now survives only in isolated pockets of old-growth forest.

The baby’s name is Lagertha – credit, Chester Zoo via SWNS
Masaya at the Liverpool Vet. Hospital where she underwent surgery – credit, Chester Zoo via SWNS

Chester Zoo witnessed the first birth of a Roloway monkey in captivity in 2020, and Lagertha is the 3rd to be born since then. Edwards said it marked an important moment in the species’ conservation. There are only a few breeding females in zoos in Europe, and only one other in England at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Masaya had experienced recurring problems with her foot since she came to the zoo in 2023. It was determined to be an abscess, and when the swelling worsened in 2025, the decision was made to take Masaya to Liverpool for a CT scan.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Birth of a Rare Sulawesi Monkey–One of World’s Most Endangered Primates is Celebrated

“It’s not every day you take a monkey to vet school,” said Charlotte Bentley, Veterinary Officer at the zoo’s Animal Health Center. “Following the scan, we decided an operation was the way forward.”

According to the New England Primate Conservancy, the Roloway monkey is now considered one of the most urgently threatened primates in the entire world. A big-bodied monkey, they have been hunted to such small populations that, ironically, they’re now considered too uneconomical to pursue anymore, and so have inadvertently gained a short respite from poaching.

WORLD’S RAREST MONKEYS: Rarest Monkeys Now Number Close to 2,000 Thanks to One Man’s Jane Goodall-like Passion

The conservancy admits that the most likely chance for survival is for breeding programs like the one at Chester to continue the propagation of the species until such a time as their native forests in Ghana and the Ivory Coast can be appropriately and reliably protected from poachers and logging.

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Elusive Nightjar Populations Doubled in 5 Years, a ‘Remarkable Comeback’ Conservationists Say

By
Andy Corbley
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A Lesser Nighthawk in Costa Rica - credit, Jerry Oldenettel - originally posted to Flickr, via CC 2.0.
A Lesser Nighthawk in Costa Rica – credit, Jerry Oldenettel – originally posted to Flickr, via CC 2.0.

The population of one of England’s most-elusive birds is flourishing again thanks to conservation efforts in the south of the country.

The nightjar, sometimes called the nighthawk, becomes active at twilight, and they’re famous for their chortling calls and fantastic camouflage.

Their numbers declined some 51% between the 1970s and 2000s after substantial forest loss.

The UK’s South Downs National Park stretches across the areas of Hampshire, West Sussex, and East Sussex, and it’s among the lowland heath and forests that nightjars have staged a remarkable population recovery.

A nightjar survey in the park last year counted more than 70 birds, which is believed to mark a doubling over the last 5 years. The animals migrate 4,000 miles north from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to reside in the UK between April and August. Meanwhile, forest and heathland restoration efforts have raised the number of good nesting habitats to 109 across Britain.

The birds nest on the ground, so conservation work has specifically focused on communication with visitors to places like South Downs. They’re encouraged to keep their dogs on leashes, stay on marked trails, and avoid bushwhacking so as not to disturb or destroy the sensitive nesting areas.

MORE ENGLISH SONGSMITHS: 

“It’s wonderful to hear the nightjars churring away as dusk falls and we’re looking forward to continuing this incredibly positive conservation work alongside local communities and our partners,” South Downs ranger Kirsty Murray told the BBC. 

Murray called good nightjar habitat “as rare as rainforest” in Britain, and thought it was the best thing in the world that the animal was repopulating the park.

The nightjar is an extremely versatile and successful species. They inhabit all continents but Antarctica, and can live at virtually any elevation within reason. They steer clear of extremely arid regions, and can migrate long or short distances.

TWEET About This Beautiful Bird’s Return To Britain… 

Dialing ‘867-5309’ Will Now Connect You with a Professional Cancer Support Line Free of Charge

By
Andy Corbley
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screengrab - credit, Tommy Tutone official YouTube
screengrab – credit, Tommy Tutone official YouTube

If you call 867-5309 these days, Jenny doesn’t answer, but a telemedicine professional will.

After seeing the emotional toll cancer took on some of his friends, the man behind Tommy Tutone’s 1981 smash hit “867-5309/Jenny,” has teamed up with global nonprofit Cancer Support Community to turn the most famous phone number in music into a hotline for people impacted by the disease.

Armed with an ear-worm of a chorus, “867-5309/Jenny” lapped up 1980s radio play until it was one of the most famous phone numbers in the country.

Tommy Heath, the group’s frontman, told People Magazine in an exclusive interview that he hopes “when someone is depressed and confused, they’ll go, ‘Hey, I’ll call 867-5309. Somebody’s waiting there to help me.’ And I hope they smile at that point.”

Heath said that at his age, whether on tour or at home, the effects of cancer are all around.

“I have some family members who are struggling with cancer. I’m out on tour with a lot of bands and suddenly somebody’s not there,” he explains, adding it’s “affecting us all.”

With the help of Cancer Support Community, Heath hopes the fame of his song can offer a route to relief for those struggling with the emotional toll of a diagnosis or chemotherapy battle.

“Anyone impacted by cancer can call CSC-867-5309 [272-867-5309] to receive immediate support, trusted information, and personalized guidance from trained specialists at Cancer Support Community,” said the organization’s CEO Sally Werner.

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Werner says that so far the response to the helpline has been really positive. Callers have felt informed, and less alone.

Heath himself is dealing with a minor case of skin cancer, but it won’t stop him from going on tour this summer, where, yes, he will play “867-5309/Jenny,” and presumably tell the crowd all about exactly who it is that will answer the phone, 45 years after the hit was released.

SHARE This Rockin’ Solution To Cancer Grief With Your Friends… 

They are poor discoverers who think there is no land when they look at nothing but sea. – Francis Bacon

By
Good News Network
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Credit: Naida

Quote of the Day: They are poor discoverers who think there is no land when they look at nothing but sea. – Francis Bacon

Photo by: Naida

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Credit: Naida

 

Good News in History, March 19

By
Good News Network
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peace-arabic-sculpture-night

20 years ago today, the Second World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace took place with 150 Jewish Rabbis and Muslim Imams aiming for Islam and Judaism to become instruments of peace. The goals of the first meeting in 2005 included 1) condemning violence perpetrated in the name of religion 2) the creation of a dialogue and partnership between the two religions 3) facilitation of the development of peaceful solutions to conflict by influential religious leaders 4) a gathering of these leaders before the media to promote a message of peace. READ what happened on the second meeting… (2006)

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Gene from High Altitude Yak Protected and Repaired Myelin Sheath in Early MS Study

By
Andy Corbley
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A wild yak in Tibet - credit, Alexandr Frolov, CC 4.0. via Wiki
A wild yak in Tibet – credit, Alexandr Frolov, CC 4.0. via Wiki

A special gene that helps animals like the yak survive at high altitude could enable new treatments for multiple sclerosis after positive findings from a mouse model.

The genetic mutation that enables yaks to live in environments with much less oxygen, and may hold the key to repairing nerve damage in conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral paralysis, which currently have no cures.

The myelin sheath is a protective tissue layer that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, and protects them while they do their job of communicating through nerve signals with the rest of the body.

MS is a debilitating autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the myelin sheath, causing slow paralysis. Additionally, insufficient oxygen during fetal brain development can damage the layer, leading to conditions such as cerebral paralysis in new-born babies.

Lastly, reduced blood flow to the brain, often associated with aging, can also damage myelin and contribute to conditions such as vascular dementia.

Now, a new study published in the journal Neuron has revealed a naturally existing pathway that promotes regeneration after nerve damage. The discovery could open up new ways for treating diseases such as MS by leveraging molecules that are already present in the human body, say the Chinese scientists behind the discovery.

“Evolution is a great gift from nature, providing a rich diversity of genes that help organisms adapt to different environments,” said study corresponding author Professor Liang Zhang from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

“There is still so much to learn from naturally occurring genetic adaptations.”

According to the authors, previous research has found that animals living on the Tibetan Plateau, which has an average elevation of 14,700 feet above sea level, carry a mutation on a gene called Retsat.

Scientists suspected that the mutation helps animals such as yaks and Tibetan antelopes maintain healthy brain function despite chronically low oxygen levels.

Zhang and his team set out to investigate if the mutation could prevent myelin sheath damage, and started by exposing new-born mice to low-oxygen conditions equivalent to elevations above 13,000 feet for about a week.

“Mice carrying the Retsat mutation performed significantly better in learning, memory, and social behavior tests than those with the standard version of the gene,” he said. “Brain analyses also revealed that the high-altitude gene mice had higher levels of myelin surrounding their nerve fibers.”

The research team then examined whether the Retsat mutation could repair myelin sheath damage similar to that seen in MS, and found that in mice carrying the mutation, the myelin sheath regenerated “much faster and more completely” after injury.

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The injury sites also had more mature oligodendrocytes, a type of cell responsible for producing myelin.

“Further investigation showed that mice with the mutation produced higher levels of ATDR, a metabolite derived from vitamin A, in their brains,” said Professor Zhang.

“The Retsat mutation appeared to increase the enzymatic activity that converts vitamin A into its metabolites, which in turn promotes the production and maturation of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes.”

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When the team gave ATDR to mice with an MS-like disease, the severity decreased, and they showed improved motor function.

Zhang says that treatments for MS currently focus only on suppressing immune activity, and adds that Retsat and ATDR are already biologically produced and could be used to treat diseases related to myelin damage.

YAK About This Really Impressive Genetic Science With Your Friends…

Planned Expansion to Take Latin America’s Largest Solar Plant Beyond 1 Gigawatt Capacity

By
Andy Corbley
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An AI-generated image of the Puerto Peñasco solar complex in its initial stage of operation
An AI-generated image of the Puerto Peñasco solar complex in its initial stage of operation

The state-owned energy utility Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has announced an ambitious expansion of solar energy projects totaling 1.5 gigawatts of production and storage.

Armed with 30 billion Mexican pesos ($1.62 billion), CFE’s flagship project will be a 580 megawatt expansion of the Puerto Peñasco solar complex in the state of Sonora to 1 gigawatt of capacity, cementing its position as the largest solar farm in Latin America.

Sonora is one of Mexico’s sunniest states, receiving on average between 300 and 350 days of dawn-to-dusk sunshine a year.

The expansion will also include battery energy storage that will eventually amount to 30% of total capacity, and all phases of the expansion are slated for completion by the end of 2028.

“We are delivering on a strategic objective: ensuring the country’s energy sovereignty through orderly, clean and sufficient planning,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during the official presentation.

Two additional locations in the state of Coahuila will see another 556 megawatts of solar power loaded onto the national grid: in Rio Escondido with 180MW and Carbón II with 376MW. Each will include 30% battery storage capacity.

Three more renewable energy projects are also being explored for the states of Durango, Quintana Roo, and Guanajuato.

“We are working through tripartite technical committees to review the technical characteristics and the status of prior permitting for each project. This is a binding planning exercise that will allow for an orderly start to development,” explained Emilia Calleja, CEO of CFE at the presentation.

CFE will be working alongside the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and National Infrastructure Fund (FONADIN).

MORE SMART SOLAR STORIES: First Solar Power Plant in Kyrgyzstan Will Save 120,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions Every Year

America and Israel’s renewed war on Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven energy prices up substantially in the last 17 days. The conflict is showing no signs of de-escalation, which will likely lead to sunny states like Mexico seeing the tragedy as the ideal moment to up the ante on an energy transition.

Mexico’s population is expected to climb from 132 million to a peak of 150 million by 2050, at which point some 97% are expected to live in urban areas according to various population trend data.

MEXICAN NOTICIAS: Always Smiling Amphibian Featured on Mexican Money Is So Cute it’s Being Hoarded and Never Spent

A rapidly growing middle-class—now a larger share of the population than the poor—will be demanding ever increasing amounts of energy, and with so much sunshine year ’round and the honor of being the world’s largest producer of silver—a key metal in the production of photovoltaic panels—solar energy presents as an obvious solution to energy needs in times of high oil prices.

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Someone Used This Coin as Bus Fare and Worker Discovers it was Minted by the Phoenicians 2,000 Years Ago

By
Andy Corbley
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Leeds Museums and Galleries
Leeds Museums and Galleries

Struck 2,100 years ago on the coast of Spain by mariners from the Fertile Crescent, a coin bizarrely made its way to the English city of Leeds where someone successfully attempted to use it as bus fare.

It’s an incredible story that reminds us how history—even ancient history—can be found all around us, popping up when we least expect it.

Kat Baxter holding the 2,000-year-old Phoenician coin – credit, Leeds Museums and Galleries

The story was shared by Leeds Museum and Galleries, after they received the coin as a donation from a local.

It first came into the hands of James Edwards, former chief cashier with Leeds City Transport, who gathered fares from bus and tram drivers and counted them at the end of each day.

Part of this job involved plucking out any ineligible, fake, or foreign coins used by dishonest commuters, which Edwards would then take them home as gifts to his young grandson Peter, who kept the precious mementos in a small wooden chest for more than 70 years.

“My grandfather would come across coins which were not British and put them to one side, and when I went to his house, he would hand me a few,” said Peter Edwards, who donated the ancient coin.

“It was not long after the war, so I imagine soldiers returned with coins from countries they had been sent to. Neither of us were coin collectors but we were fascinated by their origin and imagery—to me they were treasure.”

Coin collector or not, Peter and James would have doubtless noticed the antiquity inherent in the 2,100-year-old coin, and it long tickled Peter’s curiosity. His diligent research eventually revealed that his grandfather’s gift came from what was once a Carthaginian settlement on the Spanish coast called Gadir, today’s Cadiz.

Famous enemies of early Rome, Carthage was a city-state with shared cultural origins in a seafaring people known as the Phoenicians. These outcasts from Tyre, modern-day Lebanon, settled in various parts of the Mediterranean coastline, including Carthage, in modern-day Tunisia, and the city that would be called Cadiz, in Spain.

Out of these strongholds they built a trading empire on the back of the first purple pigment in the Western world, which they used to make coveted textiles.

One side of the coin bears the face of their god Melqart, resembling the Greek hero Herakles and wearing his famed lionskin headdress. At that time, some Phoenician coins carried Greek imagery to make them more appealing to traders.

Realizing the coin’s remarkable age and significance, Peter contacted Leeds Museums and Galleries and kindly donated it to the impressive collection of ancient currency held there.

PENNY FOR YOUR NEWS FEED: Name of Unknown Iron Age Ruler Discovered on 2000-Year-old Coin Found in English Field

The coin will now be part of the collection based at Leeds Discovery Center, which includes coins and currency from cultures around the world spanning thousands of years of history.

“It’s incredible to imagine how this tiny piece of history created by an ancient civilization thousands of years ago has somehow made its way to Leeds,” said Salma Arif, a Leeds city councilwoman.

MORE PHOENICIAN FINDS: Divers Recover Ancient Shipwreck Amazingly Preserved for 2,600 Years Beneath Spanish Waters

“Museums like ours are not just about preserving objects, they’re also about telling stories like this one and inspiring visitors to think about the history that’s all around us, sometimes in the most unlikely of places.”

As for James, he believed his grandfather would be proud.

“My grandfather would be proud to know, as I am, that the coin is coming back to Leeds. However, how it got there will always be a mystery.”

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