Family Finds 300-yo Golden Treasure in Shallow Florida Waters

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Aug 1, 2015

Within days of the anniversary that a Spanish fleet wrecked in a hurricane off the coast of Florida 300 years ago, a family of treasure divers uncovered a million dollars in rare gold coins and artifacts hiding in just 15 feet of water.

1,000 feet off the coast of Fort Pierce, Eric Schmitt and his family rejoiced in the discovery after diving in the area for several years. They will get half the bounty of everything recovered, once the state claims up to 20% if some rarities should be in a museum.

The Florida salvage company who owns the rights to excavate the 300 square-mile underwater area, Queens Jewels, LLC, will get the other half.

The gold was part of a huge bounty of riches aboard eleven ships returning to Spain from the New World. The cargo aboard the Tierra Firme fleet included jewels for the new bride of King Philip V of Spain–but all was lost on July 31, 1715, when all eleven ships sunk in the hurricane.

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Since 2010, crews have scoured the area contracted by the salvage company. Divers this time around recovered 51 gold coins and 40 feet of ornate gold chain, a haul that left the co-founder of Queen Jewels shaking.

“I was blown away,” he told National Geographic.

If any metal detectors owners in the area are interested in searching for treasure, they will need to stay on shore. If any gold coins wash up, they’re up for grabs.

(WATCH the video below, or READ more at Nat’l Geographic) Photo: YouTube – Story tip from Carilyn

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Firefighters Pay it Forward Big Time After Waitress With Heart of Gold Picks Up Tab

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Terry Turner

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Jul 31, 2015

A waitress who did a good deed for a pair of firefighters was overwhelmed when they returned the favor—for her father.

Instead of a bill for their breakfast, Liz Woodward brought a pair of New Jersey firefighters a thank you note. They’d just spent 24 hours battling the blaze at a local warehouse, and the waitress wanted to do something nice for them.

“Your breakfast is on me today,” the note read, along with little drawings of a fire ax and helmet. “Thank you for all that you do.”

Firefighter Tim Young posted the story and a photo of the note to Facebook, urging people to eat at the diner where she worked. But then, he found out the waitress had a GoFundMe campaign that she was using to raise $17,000 to buy her father a wheelchair-accessible van.

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“Turns out, the young lady who gave us a free meal is really the one that could use the help,” Young wrote in another post.

The firefighter’s plea spread like wildfire. His posts were shared thousands of times and 1,000 people donated more than $67,000 — $50,000 above her goal.

“This is just one example of how so many people in this world have incredible hearts and they pay it forward, so the circle keeps on moving,” Woodward told TODAY.

(WATCH the video below from WPVI News)

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Canadians Can Now Use Frequent Flyer Miles To Pay For College

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Terry Turner

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Jul 31, 2015

If you happen to live in Canada, you can take a year off to travel the world before college and use those frequent flyer miles to pay your tuition.

Thanks to a team effort by Air Canada’s frequent flyer program, Aeroplan, and HigherEdPoints, miles can now be converted into education dollars.

Oregon Students To Receive Two Years of Free College With Their Diplomas

Users can cash in 35,000 miles for a $250 certificate accepted by 70 colleges and universities in Canada.

The money can go toward tuition, fees or even paying down student loan debt.

Recent college graduate Charles Bernatchez swapped 210,000 frequent flyer miles he collected from friends and family to pay off $1,500 in student loan debt.

“I have a crap ton of debt that I have to pay off,” Bernatchez told Bloomberg Business. He gets some help from the 150,000 miles a year he runs up by using a credit card offering mileage points.

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The program has been slow to take off, with only about $125,000 in certificates issued since the program started in 2013, but HigherEdPoints hopes to expand into the U.S. soon.

(READ more at Bloomberg) — Photo: Brian, CC; Theivorytower, GNU

11 Species of Chameleon Could Save Rainforest—Bonus: Watch One Pop Bubbles

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 31, 2015

Of course 11 species of color-changing lizards have been hiding in plain sight — they’re masters of disguise.

Now that they’ve officially been discovered, scientists believe the critters could actually help save a rainforest.

Panther chameleons, who are native to Madagascar, were initially thought to be a single species.

Scientist Wants to Name This Cute Octopus Species “Adorabilis”

New DNA tests, however, reveal that there are really 11 different species of panther chameleons living on the island nation.

As it turns out, Chameleons have a “super power” of sorts when it comes to environmental issues — a cuteness factor. Just check out the video here of a chameleon popping soap bubbles.

No really, bear with us a moment.

That kind of cuteness makes chameleons a “charismatic species,” according to conservation biologists.

Like polar bears and pandas, they posses a quality that makes people sympathetic to them; in other words, people are more likely to want to save cute tigers than an endangered and ugly (sorry, guys) fruit fly species.

Rescued Bear Cub Goes Absolutely Bananas Upon Her Return to Forest

Let’s hope those 11 species have enough cuteness among them to help rally support for the rainforests—come on, just look at those faces!

You can donate to rainforest conservation efforts at the World Land Trust, a charity with a 20 year track record of successful environmental projects and Sir David Attenborough as a patron.

(WATCH the Newsy video below) – Photo: Florence Ivy, CC

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After Korean War Monument is Vandalized in NJ, a South Korean Town Donates to Repair it

By

Sheila Key

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Jul 31, 2015

Sixty-two years after the Korean War ended, residents of a South Korean town reached out to veterans in New Jersey to remind them that their sacrifice in the 1950s will never be forgotten.

A refurbished monument that honors local veterans of the Asian conflict was unveiled Monday in Jersey City, after vandals had defaced the circular memorial in October. When word of the vandalism reached the city of Uijeongbu, folks there decided to send $100,000 to pay for the repairs.

The memorial’s lights had been ripped out and scratches marred some of the engraved names lining the interior of the structure. Now, the scratches are gone, and 18 new pictures, depicting scenes from modern-day South Korea and moments from the war, adorn the inner ring of polished granite panels.

CHECK Out More Inspiring Stories About War Veterans on Good News Network

Speaking at Monday’s unveiling ceremony, Hyung Gil Kim, deputy counsel general of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, expressed his deepest gratitude on behalf of all South Koreans.

“The Korean War is not forgotten,” Kim said. “Koreans will never, ever forget the services and sacrifice of your brothers and husbands and your fathers and grandfathers.”

The Jersey Journal reports that new floodlights donated by the Fields Development Group will deter further vandalism.

(READ more at The New Jersey Journal) – Photos via NJ Department of Military & Veterans Affairs

This is the 10th Summer Warren Buffett Has Donated Over $1Bil to Charity

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 31, 2015

Warren Buffett’s summer tradition of giving continued with a gift of $2.8 billion to foundations that work on global health, college scholarships, poverty and opportunities for children, especially girls, around the world.

The billionaire’s latest donation was given in the form of 20.6 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock divided among five foundations.

As it has been for ten years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was among the recipients, along with foundations set up by Buffett’s family that tackle the issues of education, development and poverty.

Lives Changed as Charities Give Away More than 400,000 Hearing Aids

Buffett has promised to give away 99 percent of his fortune and so far has donated $25.5 billion to nonprofit charities.

Buffett and the Gates’ created the “Giving Pledge” to encourage other wealthy families to give their fortunes away before they die. As of today, 132 millionaires and billionaires have joined the pledge.

(READ more at Forbes) — Photo: Mark Hirschey, CC

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How Mervin the Rescue Chihuahua Melted 30,000 Hearts on Instagram

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Good News Network

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Jul 31, 2015

Aside from being absolutely adorable—and the ideal posterboy for #TongueOutTuesday—Mervin is a champion for second chance pups everywhere.

Initially found as a stray and brought to the ASPCA, Mervin, a very special-needs dog, has made a major splash all over social media.

After being properly nourished, undergoing knee surgery, and having all of his teeth removed—it’s soft food for life—he was adopted by Joey, a kind man who works at the ASPCA in New York City.

Now, the five-year-old chihuahua is happy as a clam and hamming it up for the camera, showing us all just how much of a difference a little TLC can make.

Together, Joey and Mervin are on a mission to show support against animal cruelty and to promote the adoption of dogs.

With 30K followers on Instagram alone, we suggest you take a look, if you want to have your entire day made and then some.

For more on Mervin, visit him on Facebook.

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Sassy 5-yo Sets Up Ice Cream Shop So He Can Buy Medicine for Sick Kids

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Good News Network

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Jul 30, 2015

For his fifth birthday, Haylen Astalos’s parents threw him a “five for five party.” They asked guests to bring two $5 dollar bills: one for the birthday boy, and another for him to donate to a charity of his choice.

After buying a tricked-out monster truck for himself, Haylen decided to donate the $100 to Ronald McDonald House—and requested an official tour of the place.

Shortly after taking a look around the facility, he decided to open an ice cream shop. With some help from his family, he built the “ice cream truck” with wood, painted it, loaded it with frozen treats, and welcomed the people of Blackfalds, in Alberta, Canada.

When his mother asked him what he wanted to do with the ice cream money, Haylen replied by saying, “I’m going to give all the money to the Ronald McDonald House. I will fill up my bucket and give it to them, then fill it again and again and keep giving it to them.”

Haylen, who’s favorite flavor is Kit-Kat, sometimes gets help from his three-year-old sister Farah and neighbors who donate ice cream to the stand.

“I just want to help a bunch and bunch and bunch of kids so they can buy medicine,” Haylen told Good News Network.

He says he “doesn’t know” how often he sets up shop (time is an overrated concept, anyway), but when asked where he sets up—specifically, if it’s outside of his house—he responded, “Yes, how would I do it inside? We don’t want strangers inside.”

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Now that he has successfully reached his initial goal of $2,011, Haylen has set a new goal of $3,009—a number that we trust he has a specific plan for.

Additionally, he says, he will switch to hot chocolate once the weather turns cold.

To keep up with “Haylen’s Ice Cream Shop” and it’s fundraising progress, visit them on Facebook.

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Beat This: Watch As Australian Solves Rubik’s Cube in Less than 6 Seconds

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Terry Turner

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Jul 30, 2015

How fast can you solve a Rubik’s Cube? The reigning world champ did it in 5.695 seconds — that’s a decimal point, not a comma.

Feliks Zemdegs took less than six seconds to line up all the colors on all six sides of the classic puzzle during the Rubik’s Cube World Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil, last week.

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It’s the second time the Australian has taken the title and Zemdegs said winning it before prevented him from being as nervous in this year’s competition.

Believe it or not, Zemdegs’ time wasn’t fast enough to set a new record — that’s still 5.25 seconds flat.

(WATCH the video and READ more at the New York Post) – Photo: huangjiahui, CC

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Man Who Donated Son’s Organs Years Ago Gets Same Gift From Recipient’s Mom

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 30, 2015

The gift of life that was given ten years ago is being paid back by a grateful mother to a now-ailing father.

In 2005, Bill Millard and his wife decided to donate their son’s organs when he died in an accident.

That donation saved the life of fellow San Francisco, California resident Janice McKinnon’s son.

Young Woman is Proof That Trusting Your Heart Can Save Your Life

Ten years later, she is returning the favor, donating her own kidney to Mr. Millard who is now in need of a kidney transplant.

“It’s hard for me to wrap my head around it, because 10 years ago we donated my son’s organs and that is actually saving my life now,” Millard said.

The two families became close after the organ donation in 2005, but the odds of a non-relative being a perfect match for a kidney transplant are extremely high — about 1 in 100,000.

Both families are taking the fact that they beat those odds as a sign that the match, and their friendship, was meant to be.

(WATCH the KPIX News video)

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Poem’s Twist Ending Gives Bar Patrons Whole New Perspective on the Words

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 30, 2015

At first read, this poem can be a downer, but the surprise ending will simply change your entire perspective on what you just read.

Ronnie Joice spotted it hanging in a London bar and when he discovered the clever trick the poet used, Joice had to share it on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/q3BReodddw
— Ronnie Joice (@ronniejoice) July 22, 2015

The poem’s been shared more than 3,300 times in the past week, as people discover and delight in the fact that it is really two poems in one.

It was written by Brooklyn, New York, 11th grader Chanie Gorkin, who posted the original at Poetry Nation. No one seems to know how a copy wound up hanging in a bar in London, but when Ronnie Joice shared the poem, it “was a good day.”

(READ more at Some Life) – Photo: Ronnie Joice, Twitter; Terry Turner, CC

Street Sweeper Cared Enough to Avoid Erasing Child’s Chalk Drawing on Road

By

Linda Hernandez

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Jul 30, 2015

A street sweeper was so happy to see a little girl’s roadside chalk drawing that he moved his brushes out of the way to preserve it.

Seven-year-old Brielle Pronick was hard at work on her latest chalk mural outside her home, when she noticed her masterpiece was in jeopardy – a street sweeper was heading right for it.

Wendel Lamb, who’s been cleaning the streets of Courtenay, British Columbia for 16 years, saw what was at stake, lifted his truck’s sweepers over the young girl’s art, and went on his way.

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Brielle’s father just happened to record the sweet gesture.

“The timing was uncanny as my husband was just taking pictures of my daughter’s art when the street sweeper came around the corner,” Kristen Pronick wrote when uploading the video on the city’s Facebook page. “Please pass on my thanks to the driver, he made her day and she still talks about it.”

(READ or watch the full report from Vancouver Island’s CHEK News) – File photo: Wyoming Jackrabbit, CC

Check out what happened recently when City employee Wendel L., operating the street sweeper, came across a chalk art masterpiece. The artist's mom, Kristen Pronick, says, "The timing was uncanny as my husband was just taking pictures of my daughter's art when the street sweeper came around the corner. Please pass on my thanks to the driver, he made her day and she still talks about it." Thanks for sharing this video with us Kristen!
Posted by City of Courtenay on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

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Malawi Chief Annuls Child Marriages, Sends Kids to School

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Sheila Key

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Jul 30, 2015

Child advocates cheered the news in April when Malawi, an African nation with one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, raised the minimum age for marriage to 18.

But what about the legions of underage children who were legally wed before the new law took effect?

Last month, one regional chief—a woman— annulled the marriages of more than 300 youth in her district and sent them back to school.

Further, she fired several village heads who had sanctioned the unions.

“They must go to school,” said Senior Chief Inkosi Kachindamoto, of Dedza District who has terminated 330 marriages, of which 175 were girl-wives and 155 were boy-fathers.

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Malawi’s new Marriage Act still allows children over 16 to marry with parental consent, but human rights activists are pushing to change that.

“Marriage is often the end for girls like me,” Memory Banda, an 18-year-old Malawian, told The Guardian in February. “But if our leaders will invest in us and give us the chance to be educated, we will become women who create a better society for everyone.”

(READ more from Malawi’s Nyasa Times) UN Photo: Emmanuel Tobey

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Kids Pick Perfect Song to Sing for Teacher With Cancer (WATCH The Moving Moment)

By

Sonja Schulken

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Jul 30, 2015

When New York public school teacher Adriana Lopez was diagnosed with breast cancer, her students wanted her to know they ‘had her back’.

So they sat her on the stage and, with pink carnations in hand, sang Martina McBride’s, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” as part of their final class of the year.

For Lopez, who teaches in Staten Island, the heartfelt serenade was overwhelming, hitting just the right note.

“I just felt so supported and from all these little kids, who don’t know what cancer really is,” she told TODAY. “I just couldn’t stop crying.”

Lopez has been a teacher for over thirty years, and said that even though school’s out for summer, people from P.S. 22 have been checking in to see how she’s doing.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from TODAY)

Check Out More Inspiring Stories About Teachers at Good News Network

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It’s On: Tom Cruise Vs. Jimmy Fallon in Epic Lip Sync Battle (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 29, 2015

Tom Cruise has played a jet pilot, a spy, and a teenager engaged in “Risky Business,” but can he trump Mick Jagger?

One of our favorite regular segments on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show is when he asks celebrities to grab a mic and pretend to be singers performing on stage. “Lip Sync Battle” is so popular it was spun off into its own TV game show.

Cruise did not disappoint his fans Monday night. Using choreographed moves and nearly perfect timing, he performed two different songs, including a classic rock number from his high school days in the 70s.

In the finale, the pair teamed up to recreate one of Cruise’s iconic scenes from “Top Gun” — serenading a woman in the audience with the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.”

(WATCH the video below from the Tonight Show) Photo: YouTube

BarkFeed, The “Instagram For Dogs” Is Photographic Fur Therapy

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 29, 2015

Cats may rule in online videos, but dogs now have their own Instagram, writes the Buzzoid Blog.

A new photo-sharing site called BarkFeed is chock full of hundreds of pictures of pooches—and only pooches. The site, which bills itself as the “Instagram of Dogs” features posts from proud pet parents all over the world.

Caution: adjust your “awww” meters, because you’ll be diving into a dogpile of cuteness when you check out the site.

BarkFeed was created by Bark & Company, the people behind BarkBox, a monthly delivery service of goodies and toys for dogs. Bonus: the company spends 10% of BarkBox profits to help shelter dogs get adopted.

“A dog photo should be something that makes you a little bit happier or laugh when you see it,” BarkFeed project manager Jared Smith told NBC’s TODAY.

Mission accomplished with this tennis lovely below.

There’s no mobile app yet, but you can link your Instagram account to BarkFeed and the site will sniff out your dog photos as you post them.

(READ more at TODAY) – Photos: BarkFeed

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Brand New Book by Dr. Seuss–Was Lost–Now Published 55 Years Later

By

Terry Turner

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Jul 29, 2015

Just when you thought you’d found the answers to all of Dr. Seuss’ riddling, rhyming questions, a whole new bookful has been published in his signature funny font.

What Pet Should I Get? was written at the height of Dr. Seuss’ career, but never released until this week.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote the Dr. Seuss books, put the manuscript and illustrations aside more than 50 years ago. The author’s widow, Audrey, found the long-lost pages after his death in 1991—then misplaced them—and found them again in 2013.

‘M’ is for ‘Maria’, Who Will be Missed After Four Decades on Sesame Street

“I think he set it aside, mostly because he’d gotten involved in other things,” Cathy Goldsmith, a collaborator of Dr. Seuss’ told PBS News. “I think this was one he wrote, and moved on almost immediately to ‘One Fish, Two Fish.’”

Goldsmith worked as a designer and art director with Dr. Suess on his last six books. She helped choose the color style of this latest discovery based on other books he’d written around same time in 1960.

“What Pet Should I Get?” is about learning to make difficult decisions. In the book, two children face the task of choosing just one pet, but like all the animals they see and time is running out:

“We have to pick ONE pet
and pick it out soon.
You know Mother told us
to be back by noon.”

Even in an age of tablets and e-readers, Random House Children’s Books never doubted the new book would be popular. They had originally planned for 500,000 copies in their first printing, but expanded it to one million after it became an instant best seller when it went on sale Tuesday.

Mailman Sees Boy Reading Junk Mail for Lack of Books; He Has Books Now!

Dr. Seuss penned 44 books during his lifetime that have sold 650 million copies — 450 million of those since he passed away 24 years ago.

(WATCH the PBS News Hour video and READ more at Fortune) — Photo: PBS video

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Dave Grohl’s Surgeon Invited to Sing With Foo Fighters And Rocked the Stadium

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Good News Network

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Jul 29, 2015

Lead singer Dave Grohl’s surgeon did such a great job on the rocker’s leg after it was broken, that he was invited onstage at Fenway Park stadium in Boston to join the Foo Fighters. But Dr. Lew Schon didn’t just take a bow–he sang an entire rock anthem.

After his strident performance of the masterpiece, Seven Nation Army, some are saying he missed his true calling…

Ozzy Osbourne Sends Big Check to Kids After Seeing Their “Crazy Train” Cover

The Baltimore, Maryland doctor belted out the White Stripes’ cover to an enthusiastic audience, as a fan shot this video of the surprisingly dynamic performance.

Since Grohl broke his leg during a scary tumble on stage in Sweden earlier this summer, he has been performing concerts while seated on a giant throne, which was designed by the rocker while he was recovering on pain medication. (Click to enlarge the photo)

“What seemed like a setback at the time has turned into this beautiful blessing in disguise,” Grohl told Entertainment Weekly. “This throne and these crutches and these audiences make us play longer and harder than we ever have.”

(WATCH the videos below – the interview, and the song)

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Tiny Owl Stops Boulder Law Enforcement Officers In Their Tracks

By

Sheila Key

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Jul 29, 2015

A confrontation of David-and-Goliath proportions ended without incident on Thursday – well, except for going viral on Twitter, after the Boulder County Sheriff’s office tweeted photos of the too-cute standoff between its deputies and a plucky, pint-sized owl.

The deputies had been patrolling near a Colorado campground when they encountered the tiny northern saw-whet owl – standing knee-high to a grasshopper in the middle of the road. Attempts to communicate were met with – what else? – an owlish stare.

Deputies came across this baby. After curious head twisting on both sides, it flew safely away. #DeputiesLoveBabyOwls pic.twitter.com/w5APBgF0Bs
— BoulderCountySheriff (@BldrCOSheriff) July 23, 2015

Although Boulder County Sheriff’s Twitter account called the fluffy bird a baby, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is a wee thing at any age, topping out at about eight inches tall when fully grown.

The brief stare-down ended, deputies said, when the little owl just up and flew away.

(WATCH the video below)

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

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Good News Network

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Jul 29, 2015

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.

Many locals stopped to watch the kindness in action—and the end result, it’s been reported, was flawless.

Photo credit: Downtown Kalamazoo Cops Facebook page – Story tip from Cathie Chansamone Costanzo