Earthlings Tweet Questions in Cyberspace, Astronaut Answers From Orbit

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Aug 19, 2015

Here’s what we know so far about astronaut Scott Kelly’s “Year in Space” based on the Twitter questions he’s gotten from earth: He can see his house from space, he bathes with a wet towel, and only one question has ever freaked him out.

Kelly is taking questions on Twitter from earthlings who tag their tweets with #YEARINSPACE.

They range from the how astronauts shower in zero gravity:

We use a wet towel. It's amazing what you can get used to. https://t.co/YJnhDg8yss
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 1, 2015

To whether he’s ever seen his house from orbit:

I can see my house (and @NASA_Johnson) from @Space_Station! #Houston #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/OFh1wihvit
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) April 14, 2015

And so far, the only question that’s given him trouble, was from President Obama;

Hey @StationCDRKelly, loving the photos. Do you ever look out the window and just freak out?
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 1, 2015

I don't freak out about anything, Mr. President. Except getting a Twitter question from you. https://t.co/AT0nvUXkq4
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 1, 2015

Kelly is spending a full year in space as commander of the International Space Station. You can ask him questions by including the hashtag #YEARINSPACE with your tweet, or follow the conversation on Twitter hashtag page.

(READ more at NBC ) – Photo: International Space Station, Twitter

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Live in This Hobbit-hole in England on Your Next Family Vacation (LOOK)

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Good News Network

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Aug 19, 2015

If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings, and want to stay at Bag End on your next holiday, you’ll want to rent this English cottage, pronto.

Inspired by the stories of English author JRR Tolkien, a new cottage nestled in a hillside in the North York Moors National Park, has been completed–and its style is definitely by the book.

Golden Hill Farm owners Carol Hopkinson and Karl Wragg created the underground hobbit hole with green, round, porthole doors, stained glass windows, and grass grassy roofs. It sleeps six and features a fenced garden with views across open countryside to the sea.

The Potts Corner cottage includes cooking facilities, a log burner, and beds equipped with luxury organic wool mattresses. It’ll run you £650 for three nights or £850 for seven nights.

The couple is already employing four apprentice hobbits to help run the growing business on their six-acre farm in Liverton. They plan to transform their land by recreating the fabled Hobbiton setting, a first on UK soil, building more Hobbit-holes this year.

Guests can also take a short drive to the coast where villages such as Staithes and Runswick Bay offer fossil hunting and foreshore foraging, art galleries, and Bram Stoker’s Whitby, the place where he became inspired to write Dracula.

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This Dog is the Perfect Nanny for Spunky Exotic Zoo Animal Orphans

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Terry Turner

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Aug 19, 2015

Everyone has a favorite animal at the zoo – lions or chimps or giraffes – but in Ohio, the animals have a favorite… the little dog that raised them.

The Australian Shepherd lives in the Cincinnati Zoo’s nursery, where he teaches baby animals how to socialize and exercise. Blakely also helps them calm down when they’re anxious or excited.

Right now, his teacher’s pet is a six-week old goat-antelope species known as a takin (rhymes with “walkin’”).

Wild Baby Kangaroo Still Comes Home to Hug His Teddy Bear After Release

The takin, who was abandoned by its mother, learns the finer points of animal etiquette by going on walks and rough-housing with Blakely, which will prepare him to rejoin his herd without embarrassing himself around the watering hole.

Blakely, who has the patience of a Saint – Bernard, that is – is easy-going and tolerates baby animals who bite and chew on his ears and legs. He doesn’t much care for the takin’s head-butts, though.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from the Cincinnati Enquirer) — Photos: Enquirer video

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Dad Recycles Old Crayons Into New Ones for Schools, Hospitals and Art Programs

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Sheila Key

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Aug 19, 2015

No young artist can resist the crisp, new box of crayons that back-to-school season so often brings, but not every little artist has access to them.

When Bryan Ware learned that 25 to 35 tons of discarded crayons end up in the landfill each year—where they are terribly slow to biodegrade—he got cooking. Literally.

He now extends their useful life through his nonprofit startup, The Crayon Initiative, boiling them down and repurposing them into new boxes of crayons for kids in need.

It’s changing the shape of the crayons themselves, too, making them easier for special-needs children to hold.

It all started about four years ago, when the Danville, California dad was out to eat with his family one evening, and the waitress brought crayons for the kids.

“He was fiddling with a crayon and said, ‘I wonder what happens to these when we leave,’” his wife, Marissa Ware, told Contra Costa Times.

Chances are, they go straight into the trash. Restaurants often dump crayons after a single use, because they harbor germs. For that same reason, they can’t be collected up and donated, say, to hospitals.

But collecting and donating them to a guy like Ware, and you’ll help The Crayon Initiative donate fresh boxes to hospitals, schools, and art programs.

Adults Are Using Coloring Books to Combat Stress

More than 100,000 boxes, donated from all over the U.S., have already been transformed into 800,000 thicker, triangular-bodied crayons, while towering bags of old crayons, sorted by color still await their turn in the melting pot.

Bryan Ware estimates he has invested nearly $30,000 of his own money into the startup. He partnered with a physical therapist to create the new crayons’ easy-grip design, then arranged for the manufacture of the metal molds needed to transform old crayons into the new shape.

With the old crayons piling up in his garage, what he needs now is the corporate funding to scale up and move the operation out of his family’s home and into a proper production facility, complete with warehouse.

But for now, with or without other family members’ help, he’ll go on spending 30 to 40 hours a week at the kitchen stove, stirring two big stainless-steel pots full of melting crayons.

“We think it’s massive and we’re just scratching the surface of it,” he said.

To learn more or to donate to the Crayon Initiative, go to thecrayoninitiative.org. Old crayons can be sent to 540 Glasgow Circle, Danville, CA, 94526.

(READ more, w/photos, at Contra Costa Times) Photos: The Crayon Initiative, Facebook — Story tip from Mike McGinley

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She Sold Late Husband’s Lamborghini, Raised $500K for Suicide Prevention

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Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

A California widow has parted with one of the last tangible reminders of her husband, who took his own life, so she might help save the lives of others.

Over the weekend, Susan Futterman sold her late husband’s prized Lamborghini at auction for $522,500 and gave the proceeds to an Oakland-based charity that works to prevent suicide.

Futterman believes her husband, Frederic Paroutaud, would still be alive if there were better access to and knowledge about mental health services. His death in 2012 followed a sudden psychotic episode two months earlier.

Trending Tattoo Movement A Symbol of Hope for People With Mental Illness

Paroutaud wrote music for television, stage, and movies including “Murder, She Wrote” and adaptations of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

1967_Lamborghini_400_GT-42-RELEASED-GOODINGandCompany — Photo courtesy of Gooding & Company

He bought the car from it’s original owner when he was still an unknown musician in 1989, two years before the couple met. Futterman has been writing a book about their experiences, and says the sports car plays a prominent role throughout their time together. That helped her decide it would be best if the car helped others facing the same mental health issues as her husband did.

The Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 is one of only 250 of its kind. It was auctioned at the annual Pebble Beach car show, which attracts collectors from around the world. Comedian and car collector Jay Leno personally presented the car for auction, after having years ago met the couple through Paroutaud’s online Lamborghini club.

101-Year-Old Woman Rappels Down Skyscrapers for Charity (WATCH)

“She’s creating a legacy for a really creative and beautiful person,” said Frances Raeside, program director of the nonprofit recipient, La Cheim Behavioral Health Services. “It’s a great act of courage on Susan’s part, letting go of the car that’s sitting in her garage and was a constant reminder of her husband.”

(READ more at the Contra Costa Times) — Photo: Rex Gray, CC

Five Fun, Creative Ways To Get Your Veggies In

By

Tammy Shames

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Aug 18, 2015

If you know you need to eat more vegetables but struggle to make it happen because it seems to too hard—or boring—try these five easy veggie fixes that will also save you from packing on extra weight…

1. Use lettuce as a wrap instead of bread

Make sandwiches, pizzas, and wraps with lettuce instead of using the heavy carbs. By using Swiss chard, collards or lettuce wraps, you get a great crunch, packed with nutrients and fiber but for only several calories versus 100 calories per slice of bread.

You can also make sandwiches with cucumber or eggplant slices instead of bread.

If you must have bread, use Nori: one large Nori sheet is just 10 calories, while a wrap or two slices of bread are 200-300 calories.

2. Try cauliflower disguised as a guilt-free comfort food: mashed potatoes

This dish pleases the pickiest of palates because it tastes like the rich, creamy, real deal. Simply steam a head of cauliflower until tender when poked with a fork. Add skim milk, garlic, pepper and a couple of teaspoons of butter (if desired) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place mixture in a small baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika, if you want added flavor. Pair this with a protein like chicken, fish or seafood and thanks to the cauliflowers’ high Vitamin C content, it will enhance the absorption of iron in the meat.

This version of “mashed potatoes” saves at least 170 calories per cup and packs in the fiber.

3. Stir fry mushrooms, onions, peppers and your favorite veggies into marinara sauce

Use the sauce to top baked potatoes, fish, chicken and pasta.

Don’t worry about cooking the tomatoes too long or using sauce from a jar—there’s four times the disease fighting lycopene in tomato sauce than in fresh tomatoes. Cancer-fighting beta carotene is more readily available in cooked tomatoes, as well.

4. Add vegetables to your favorite soup.

Adding ready-to-cook vegetables will boost the nutrients and fiber of your soup and make it more satisfying.

Use thawed frozen vegetables to save time rather than having to chop for an hour.

Surprising fact: by using frozen vegetables, you may be getting more nutrients than when using fresh vegetables.

Raw vegetables are picked and frozen immediately, nutrients intact, while fresh vegetables lose nutrients during shipping when exposed to heat, light and air.

5. Try this super easy spinach pomodoro

Defrost a box of frozen spinach, mix in 3/4 cup of marinara sauce and a few teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese—and voila!

Spinach is a great source of potassium to counterbalance sodium and the damage it causes by helping to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Potassium also helps to flush sodium out of the body and keep your blood vessels more elastic and pliable. Interestingly, new research shows that a spinach extract shows potential to reduce hunger and help you to lose weight. A weight loss supplement is being developed based around this.

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos, The Nutrition Twins, are nationally recognized registered dietitians and personal trainers with more than 15 years of experience. They have helped thousands of people boost their energy naturally, get healthier, happier and into tip-top shape.

Photos: Ano Lobb, Liz West, Mary Helen Leonard, Karen, CC

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Prince Harry Grows A Beard, Hunts Down Rhino Poachers in Africa

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Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

Britain’s Prince Harry left the Army and is going after poachers threatening rhinos and elephants in southern Africa.

Just a few weeks out of the Army, Prince Harry (wearing his cap above) visited Khulula Care for Wild in South Africa where he got to spend time with three adolescent rhinos, Mia, Manje, and Venus, before helping with mud baths for two of the center’s largest rhinos.

The royal is sporting a new look, a beard — the first he’s grown since he joined a wounded warrior expedition to the South Pole two years ago.

Prince William Makes History by Taking a Job– AND Donating His Full Salary

“He is working actively with the anti-poaching units inside the Park,” Martin Bornman of Care for Wild Africa told People. “That is why he has got the beard and everything. He had literally just come out of the bush.”

His work is part of a three-month conservation project aimed at protecting black rhinos and desert elephants in Africa from poachers. He’s shadowing conservationists in Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana.

(READ more at People) — Photos: Charmain Swarts/Khulula Care for Wild/African Conservation Experience, FB

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Woman Leaves $20 Bills All Over Her Community For Her Birthday

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Shasta Townsend

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Aug 18, 2015

Imagine coming out of the grocery store and finding a white envelope with a hand written note on the front that says, “This is a sign that you are loved!” – and a $20 bill inside.

Or what if you were walking along a forest trail, and saw something attached to that rocky outcropping ahead and picked up an envelope with $20 inside and a note that read, “More good things are coming your way!”

Imagine amongst that stack of bills in your mailbox is one lone envelope that says, “You are being taken care of!” and a $20 bill inside.

How would you feel?

I have been imagining the faces of people who discover the tiny gifts of love and support left all over my community. Since July – my birthday month – I have anonymously dropped over $300 (a small amount, really) into white envelopes with special notes and left them around Durham Region, the area where I live just outside Toronto, Canada.

I have told no one… until now.

Little Girl With No Party Guests Is Surprised By 300 Strangers

I don’t want kudos or recognition. In fact, I really deliberated ever sharing this; not even my husband knew about this. I did NOT do it to get anything in return–at all.

That was actually my point.

I have studied law of attraction, manifestation, and creation for over 15 years, and I sometimes felt a tone of “if you do something good, you will get what you want” in some of the teachings. I don’t want to bargain with the universe over my karma. I don’t want to say, “Hey universe, I am a good person. I do good things. Where is my payout?” So I challenged myself to just give with NO expectation at all.

Well that, and because it made me freaking happy – like gleefully, I-just-ate-all-the-cake, happy.

We ARE happiness, we ARE joy, we ARE abundance, we ARE Divine, and all those things we want are just a mirror of what is ALREADY THERE!

The idea struck me during the week of my birthday in July. I was in a bookstore and I snuck $5 into three different books and put them back on the shelf. I was giggling as I walked out of the store imagining someone picking up a book and five bucks falling out. Then I thought, “Let’s take this further.” I went home and wrote out my envelopes with tiny messages and started dropping $20 bills all over the place. It was so fun!

No, I did NOT win the lottery. No uncle left me a fortune. I did not receive a visit from Ed McMahon – I was HAPPY!

And that’s the point. Don’t you think of all we do in this life; to experience a semblance of joy, and for a moment to make another smile is the best? We are here to experience our truth: that we are happy, radiant, worthy beings NOW.

I don’t know who picked up my white envelopes. I don’t know whose mailbox I dropped envelopes in to, whose windshield I bombed, or whose favorite park bench held a surprise, but now my secret is revealed. I hope it does not take away from the magic, but adds to it instead. I plan to keep doing this, and much more to keep the circle of giving full and to feed the field with surprise, delight, magic, and wonder.

CHECK Out These Anonymous Kindness Stories on Good News Network

Wishing you many happy, white, anonymous envelope moments!

Photo Credit (top): Flood, CC

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UPDATE: City Police Have Brought 109 Addicts to Rehab, Instead of Jail

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

More than 100 people have taken advantage of a Massachusetts police department’s offer of rehabilitation, instead of arrest, for turning in their heroin.

Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello launched the program in June and, by last week, 109 addicts had walked into his police station seeking help — 16 of them from out of state.

14 Years After Decriminalizing Heroin, Here’s What Portugal Looks Like

The department is using money seized from drug dealers to fund rehab for the addicts, and has spent $5,000 on drug treatment for people they once would have locked up simply for using heroin.

Gloucester police have also been working with local pharmacies to provide discounted naloxone, a drug that can save lives if given to an overdose patient immediately.

Other cities are looking at the new approach Campanello calls “the next logical step in the so-called war on drugs.”

Former Addict Cuts Homeless People’s Hair and Spreads Joy of Rehab

A new nonprofit group has been created in Gloucester to export the local model to other police departments around the country, and some Seattle police officers have also been given the authority to choose drug treatment over arrest and jail for low-level drug users.

(READ more at the Associated Press) — Photo: Gloucester Police Department

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2 Ex-Presidents Urge Wounded Vet to Propose Marriage in Front of Them (WATCH)

By

Linda Hernandez

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Aug 18, 2015

Guerin Public Relations Tyler Jeffries proposal — Tyler Jeffries, one of ten veterans featured in the book "Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed," proposes to Lauren Lilly during a visit with Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and First Ladies Barbara Bush and Laura Bush at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. President Bush 41 wrote the foreword for "Unbreakable Bonds" and had invited the wounded warriors, their moms, and the book's authors, Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris, to visit with the family on Aug. 10, 2015. (PRNewsFoto/Guerin Public Relations)

Retired Army Specialist Tyler Jeffries took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with some gentle nudging from two former presidents.

Jeffries and other injured veterans met the Bush family last week after being featured in the book, “Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed.” Former President George H.W. Bush wrote the book’s forward and invited the service members to his family’s compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Adorable: Bride Has 89-year-old Grandmother as One of Her Bridesmaids

During the visit, the 26-year-old unveiled his plans to propose to his girlfriend, Lauren, later that night — but was encouraged to do it right there at the Bush family home.

So upon her arrival, Jeffries presented her with a ring, as both Presidents George H.W. and George W. watched. Later the couple also got another treat — in the form of a tweet from the elder Bush, congratulating them on their engagement:

http://twitter.com/GeorgeHWBush/status/630813872341921792/photo/1

“It’s pretty amazing to have a former president know my and her names and wishing us the best,” Jeffries told Today. “They’re just fantastic people, and they have nothing but love for the military.”

Jeffries said they haven’t made any wedding arrangements just yet, but they were reminded to add the Bush family to the guest list.

(WATCH video here or READ more at Today) — Photos: PRNewsFoto/Guerin Public Relations

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8 Stories of Cops Being Absolutely Awesome in 2015

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Good News Network

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Aug 18, 2015

From coaching little league to handing out gift cards to strangers in need, these officers made us freeze, put our hands above our heads, and applaud their acts of kindness.

Police Find Family in a Car, Tuck Them In At a Motel

Tired from days on the road and trying to save money, Robert Wood’s family prepared for another night of sleeping in their car. But a Eugene, Oregon police lieutenant wouldn’t let them stay in the city park. He paid for a room at a motel instead. (Read more)

On His Last Day, Police Officer Gives Out Gift Cards Instead of Tickets

Being stopped by a cop can normally induce panic—but a number of lucky people were all smiles when this officer approached them. As he walked the streets of his 14-year patrol route one final time, Commander Brian Peters, a retiring Minnesota policeman, sought out citizens who could use some extra money for groceries or school supplies and handed them gift cards. (Read more)

How A Police Officer Made My Autistic 6-Year-Old Son’s Dream Come True

My son Brock was diagnosed in 2014 with Autism-SPD-impulsivity control issues. He has severe anxiety which makes it difficult to communicate with strangers. This past school year, he has overcame so many challenges, however this left him exhausted and angry at the start of the summer. But everything changed when we go to meet a few officers from the police department. (Read more)

Officers Manicure Lawn for Man in Wheelchair Who Was Trying to Mow

When Officer Joe Hutson spotted a man in a wheelchair trying to mow his lawn, he and his partner, Officer John Khillah, decided to take over the job. After sending Officer Khillah to pick up a mower, weed trimmer and leaf blower from the Kalamazoo Public Safety station, the two got to work helping the Michigan man achieve grassy greatness. (Read more)

Police Officer Pulls Over to Give Girl at Lemonade Stand Special Gift

Nine-year-old Gabrielle Garcar wanted an iPad more than anything. Because her family is struggling financially, she set up a lemonade stand outside of her grandmother’s Ohio condo in hopes of raising the money herself.

When 22-year-old sheriff’s deputy Zak Ropos stopped by for a cup of the sweet stuff and learned what the little girl wanted to do with the money—use the device for schoolwork, and to play games on—he pulled her mother over and told her he’d check to see if the old iPad he had at home was still useable. It wasn’t—so guess what he did? (Read more)

Freeze: It’s Circle Time! Cop Pulls Over to Sit With Tots

The kids at Amber Watt’s Gigglez and Grinz Daycare in Murrayville always get super excited whenever they see the police drive by–and even more excited when they can get a wave out of them. Imagine their elation when one officer got out of his squad car and sat down on the ground beside them. (Read more)

Cops Buy Them a Car Seat Instead of Slapping Family With a Ticket

When two Michigan policemen were notified that a woman parked at a local McDonald’s was holding a baby in her lap, they came ready to issue a citation. But after spending a few minutes with mom, they decided to donate a car seat instead. (Read more)

Police Fight Crime in Chicago by Coaching Youth Baseball

In one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods, police are dropping their guns and batons and picking up bats and balls in an effort to reach at-risk kids through America’s favorite pastime. Police officers like Angela Wormley are stepping up to the plate to coach boys and girls as part of the Englewood Police Youth Baseball League.

The program was started for kids 9-12 years old on Chicago’s south side – an area notorious for gang violence – to gain the trust of children who are often suspicious of police. (Read more)

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UPDATE: “Sidewalk Scholar” Boy Gets Education Paid Through College

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

A little boy in the Philippines who didn’t even have a light to study by at night now has enough scholarship money to see him all the way through college. Fast food chain McDonald’s is the latest to offer him help to pay for his education — and it’s launching a new reading program for his school.

A picture of nine-year-old Daniel Cabrera studying beneath a street light went viral last month, triggering a flood of donations for him and his family. A local politician secured a scholarship for him back in July and McDonald’s announced a new one this month.

The new scholarship will cover Daniel’s school supplies, uniforms, and other expenses until he graduates high school. Along with the other donations and scholarships, he’ll have enough to cover all his educational needs until he graduates from college 13 years from now.

Young Sisters Raise $650,000 Folding Origami to Build Wells Across World

McDonald’s got involved because a sign for one of their restaurants appeared in the viral photos — and reporters used that clue to track down the little boy and tell his story.

I got inspired by a kid ❤️
Posted by Joyce Gilos Torrefranca on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The restaurant chain is also setting up a reading program for 400 first graders in the neighborhood. Daniel’s little brother, Gabriel, is one of the students who’ll take part.

”As Filipinos, we are proud to meet a boy so determined to succeed in life,” Kenneth Yang, McDonald’s Philippines president and CEO said in a statement. “It is with an open heart that we grant him a scholarship to help him achieve his goals.”

Chick-fil-A Owner Stuns Employees, Pays Them During 5 Month Shutdown

Daniel wants to be a policeman, “to help the Philippines,” he said last month. After receiving the latest scholarship, he says he’ll have to study even harder.

(READ more at ABS-CBN News) — Photo: Joyce Gilos Torrefranca, Facebook

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School Police Officer Adopts 6-yo Boy Who Seemed ‘Unadoptable’

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Good News Network

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Aug 17, 2015

Students in this South Carolina school district are taught from an early age that police officers are their friends, thanks to a resource-officer program that brings cops into classrooms.

For a lucky foster kid, one policeman turned into more than just a friend.

Master Deputy Mike Gibson went from working at the District 6 Child Development Center while off duty to working as the school’s full-time resource officer. As he spent more time with the children, one little boy went from calling him Officer Mike to Officer Dad.

“He was searching. He was definitely a child in need,” Gibson told WYFF. “He was in need of parents, that’s what he wanted.”

The six-year-old had already been in eight different foster homes.

Gisbon, who works for the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, said that adopting the child was the first thing in his career that he really felt “called” to do.

Browse More Good-Police Stories at Good News Network

After months of filing papers and obtaining certifications, that little boy will now get to call Officer Gibson “dad.”

(WATCH the video below or READ more at WYFF) Photos via WYFF video

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Teenage Girl Turns Plastic Trash Into Million-Dollar Biofuel

By

Terry Turner

-

Aug 17, 2015

An Egyptian teenager has discovered an inexpensive way to turn plastic trash into fuel — and it could be worth tens of millions of dollars a year.

Azza Faiad’s ideas attracted the attention of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute. The institute gave the teen access to a lab and its researchers in order to help refine her trash to fuel formula.

CHECK Out: In Indonesia People Can Trade Trash for Free Health Care

Faiad discovered a cheap and plentiful catalyst called aluminisilicate that drastically reduces the cost of converting plastic waste into gases like methane and propane, which can be turned into ethanol, what some scientists are calling “biofuel” because the organic chemicals from plastic polymers she extracts, are the same chemicals extracted from vegetation to create ethanol biofuel.

The process releases other chemicals that can also be recycled and sold.

Egypt produces a million tons of plastic trash every year, and it’s estimated Faiad’s process could convert that much trash into fuel worth $78 million every year.

In fact, she believes it could raise the total return to $163 million each year from Egypt’s plastic trash.

The European Union Contest for Young Scientists has already honored Faiad with a prize for her work and she is now working on a patent for her trash to fuel process.

(WATCH the CNN video) – Photo: CNN video

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WATCH: Emotional Reunion for Family Dog Found Alive Years Later

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Good News Network

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Aug 17, 2015

For years, the Harworth family of Lacey, Washington believed that their dog, Zeus, had died while they were away overseas.

Imagine their surprise when the military family’s microchip company called and told them that Zeus was actually roaming the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, and had been found—very much alive—by a good samaritan.

“There are simply no words to describe what we felt when we got that phone call. We were in complete disbelief. Once that brief second had passed, we were all crying,” said Melody Harworth. “We were frantic with excitement and gratitude.”

Kitten Survives 3000-Mile Trip From Egypt to UK Locked in a Box

Banfield Pet Hospital made special arrangements to transport Zeus back to Washington on Friday, and his journey was documented on social media under the tag #GetZeusHome.

Check Your Chip Day was Saturday, August 15^th, but it’s never too late for families to update their contact information through a microchip company just in case they need to be reunited with a lost pet.

(WATCH) the video below to see their emotional reunion.

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Great Fetch: Watch How This Black Lab Helps Two Dogs Adrift in Canoe

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 17, 2015

Plenty of dogs fetch balls or sticks from the ocean.

This one fetched a boatload of other dogs.

Robbie the Labrador, from Springdale, Arkansas, leapt into action when he heard the barks and whimpers of a pair of his pack mates adrift in a stiff river current.

The other dogs, belonging to Deborah McAlister Faddis, were launched in the canoe upstream to give Robbie some practice with real-life rescues.

Bernese Mountain Dog Rescues Two Swimmers Caught in Riptide (Video)

In this round of “canoe fetching”, the lab jumped in, fought a swift current and reached the boat to pull it ashore.

If you watch closely, you’ll see one of the dogs on the boat give Robbie the line to pull them in once he reaches the boat.

(WATCH the YouTube video)

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Millions of “Shade Balls” Added to Calif Reservoirs to Stop Evaporation -Video

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Good News Network

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Aug 17, 2015

It’s a whole new ballgame in California, where cities are trying any idea they can think of to conserve water during the state’s historic drought.

In Los Angeles, the city’s main reservoir is now covered in 96 million black plastic balls. The “shade balls” are weighted down with ballast inside to keep them from blowing away. They float just at the surface, absorbing sunlight and keeping the water below from evaporating.

MIT Creates Way to Make Salt Water Drinkable

The city’s Water and Power Department figures the balls will save about 300 million gallons of precious water every year for the city. Shielded by the floating spheres, the water is also less susceptible to algae, bacterial growth, and chemical reactions in the chlorine.

“This is a blend of how engineering really meets common sense,” Marcie Edwards, the department’s general manager said at a news conference before the release.

California Residents Slash Water Use, Exceeding All Expectations

California officials have been testing the innovative tactic for several years now, using the plastic balls on other reservoirs in the central and southern parts of the state. Probably not the ball pits your kids would prefer, but helping put a dent in California’s long dry spell.

(WATCH the video below from CBS or READ more from the Wash. Post)

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Wild Baby Kangaroo Still Comes Home to Hug His Teddy Bear After Release

By

Sheila Key

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Aug 17, 2015

After they leave the nest, parents always hope their kids will come back and visit. Even when that kid is a kangaroo.

Australian mom and wildlife rehabilitator Gillian Abbot rescued this baby roo when it was two months old and raised the orphan, giving it a teddy bear to cuddle with.

Now almost fully grown, Doodlebug, as he was named, is making another life transition, what animal-rescue folks call a “soft return” to the wild.

He comes and goes as he pleases now, and every time the eastern gray kangaroo returns to his homestead, he empties the food bowl and hugs his teddy– just like old times.

The family shared a photo of the young marsupial holding tight to the teddy bear, which has been thoughtfully tied up to dangle at a huggable height.

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Abbot is a licensed ‘wildlife carer’ in New South Wales and a member of the rescue organization WIRES.

(READ more, w/ photos, from the Daily Mail) – Photos by Gillian Abbott and Tim Beshara, via @Tim_Beshara

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LeBron James Pays for College Scholarships For 1,100 Students

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 17, 2015

Thousands of school kids will score a full, four-year college scholarship with an assist from basketball superstar LeBron James.

James announced he’s giving the academic scholarships to all 1,100 kids currently in his “I Promise” program — another 1,200 students are expected to be eligible when the scholarships take effect.

Every single kid who finish my program will go to college for FREE! #Tryingtomakeadifference @LJFamFoundation
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 13, 2015

His foundation will start covering tuition costs for students entering the University of Akron in Ohio in 2021 — when this year’s seventh graders have graduated high school. The cost for four years at the university is about $34,000 per student.

Kids will have to maintain academic and attendance standards set by the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise Program. James has been sponsoring the program for five years to promote academics and physical fitness for young people.

(WATCH the video below from TODAY) — Photo: NBC News

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Africa Celebrates One Year Without A Single New Case of Polio

By

Good News Network

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Aug 16, 2015

August 11 marked one year since the last wild polio case was detected anywhere on the entire continent of Africa.

Although it does not yet merit an official polio-free certification, the milestone reminds everyone at the United Nations and the Kick Polio Out of Africa Campaign of the important progress toward eradication.

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“Globally, we are on the verge of totally eradicating a disease for only the second time in history,” remarked Peter Crowley, the head of the UN Children Fund’s (UNICEF) Polio unit, on his blog. “As we approach the General Assembly’s endorsement of the Sustainable Development Goals, what a wonderful time to be able to encourage the global community to set ambitious goals and to know that such goals can be met – if we believe.”

A polio-free Africa would leave only 2 countries where polio transmission is still endemic and uninterrupted: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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Polio is a virus transmitted by person-to-person contact and spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by contaminated water or food, and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

(READ more from the UN)