President Obama has signed the Farm Bill which contains an amendment to legalize hemp production for research purposes. Originally introduced by Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the amendment allows State Agriculture Departments, colleges and universities to grow hemp, defined as the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis, for academic or agricultural research purposes, but it applies only to states where industrial hemp farming is already legal under state law.
Obama Signs Farm Bill Allowing Industrial Hemp Research
City Police Cut Overdose Deaths by 66 Percent With Special Drug
The Quincy Police Department was one of the first law enforcement agencies to distribute a drug called Naloxone, a drug used to reverse opiate overdoses.
Police Lt. Patrick Glynn told NPR that the experimental drug, along with EMT training for every cop and tweaking of the so-called Good Samaritan law to eliminate prosecution for small amounts of drugs in lifesaving emergency situations, has led to a 66 percent reduction in deaths due to heroin and other overdoses.
He said people are seeing the police as helpers rather than simply officials who prosecute any law-breakers.
(LISTEN to the story from NPR’s Weekend Edition or READ the story from WBIR)
Swedish Kids Leave Valentines In Random Places For Anyone to Find
Teacher Karen Swartz Larsson led children in two of her classes (comprised of fourth to seventh-graders), in making valentines for strangers. This Friday, they set out to leave the handmade cards in random public places around Stockholm.
On buses, subway trains, and a hospital, they cards spread uplifting messages like, ‘You are loved,’ and ‘You are perfect the way you are!’
(READ the story in the Huffington Post)
Paris Restaurants Turn Food Scraps into Biogas
A group of Paris restaurants is turning food scraps into biogas and compost ahead of a new law that will force thousands of French food outlets to recycle their organic waste.
Some 80 restaurants, caterers and hotels, including gourmet food company Fauchon and Michelin-starred Taillevent, signed up for a pilot project to collect their food waste, which is used to generate biogas and produce electricity and heat, as well as compost for farms around Paris.
(READ the story from Reuters)
Photo from Suez Environnement
Giant Ivanpah Solar Thermal Plant Opens in Mojave Desert
After years of regulatory and legal tangles ranging from relocating protected tortoises to assessing the impact on Mojave milkweed and other plants, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System formally opened on Thursday as the largest solar power plant of its type in the world.
Part owned by Google Inc., the sprawling plant located in the Mojave Desert with its hundreds of thousands of mirrors can produce nearly 400 megawatts—enough power for 140,000 homes.
At full capacity, the facility’s trio of 450-foot high towers delivers solar electricity to Californians while keeping 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equal to removing 72,000 vehicles off the road.
The Ivanpah project, a joint effort between NRG Solar, Google, and BrightSource Energy, received a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy. The largest thermal solar project in the world, it includes 173,500 mirrors that follow the sun’s trajectory, creating steam to power the generators.
“We see Ivanpah changing the energy landscape by proving that utility-scale solar is not only possible, but incredibly beneficial to both the economy and in how we produce and consume energy,” said Tom Doyle, president of NRG Solar.
(READ the AP story, w/ photo, in the Boston Globe)
UK Floods: Amphibious Car Aids Flood-hit Village
Normally a very impractical vehicle to own, a British man’s amphibious car is turning out to be a help to the flood-stricken village of Wraysbury in the Thames Valley.
The Environment Agency has said the level of the River Thames was expected to rise again on Friday, endangering property in Berkshire and Surrey.
(WATCH the video from BBC News)
Thanks to Andrew N. in England for sending the link!
Warmth Spreads Through Hospital After Son Leaves Message in Snow
For Sharon Hart, the third day after her chemotherapy treatment for her leukemia is always the hardest. But this time, her 14-year-old son told her to look out the window of her Chicago hospital room. His giant message in the newly fallen snow made some of the pain go away.
On top of a 6-story parking garage, her son William stomped out HI MOM with a smiley face inside the “o”.
The message brought cheer to the entire staff of Rush Medical Center and all the patients with a window view.
(WATCH the video below, or READ the story in the Chicago Tribune)
Child Deaths in US Car Crashes Drop 43 Percent Over Decade
Children are dying less often in traffic accidents: Over a decade, the number who died in crashes dropped by 43 percent, according to a new government report.
Health officials say the increased use of car seats and booster seats drove the decline.
(READ the AP story in the Boston Globe)
Twin Sisters Find Each Other, One Raised In America; Other In Europe
Raised 5,000 miles apart and speaking different languages, a chance sighting on YouTube by a friend helped them to discover a lost twin they didn’t know existed.
ABC News talked to the girls and found that they both shared the same laughter, likes and dislikes.
US Olympic Skier Makes Plans to Adopt Stray Sochi Puppies
A day before making his Olympic debut, 22-year-old free-skier Gus Kenworthy found some stray puppies in the Russian city of Sochi and fell in love during his playing with them.
He’s vowed to help them, saying, “I’ve lined up kennels 4 the pups & made vaccination appointments. Doing all I can to bring them home w/ me!”
(READ the story in the Newsday)
Lonely Boy Now Has a Million Friends After Mom Created Facebook Page
A Michigan mom, whose son told her there was “no point” to having a birthday party because he had no friends, has surely altered the course of the boy’s life by created a Facebook page for his 11th birthday asking friends and family to send him positive thoughts.
“Because of Colin’s disabilities, social skills are not easy for him, and he often acts out in school, and the other kids don’t like him,” she wrote on the ‘Colin is Eleven‘ Facebook Page. “I created this page for my amazing, wonderful, challenging son who is about to turn 11 on March 9th.”
She thought she might get 50 responses, if all went well, but — you guessed it — the social media world exploded and after a week, the page had 50,000 fans. Now in its tenth day the page, which is a secret from her son, has 1.1 million likes, and birthday cards have begun arriving in a Post Office Box from all over the world.
Cheryl Green Maynard was one of the commenters who encouraged Colin, saying on the page, “My son has aspergers syndrome and was left out and teased in school… He is now 32 years old, married and with a good job. You too will accomplish whatever you chose to do.”
Colin’s mom Jennifer and sister Ella can’t wait to surprise him on his birthday. Ella says, “He’ll probably scream his pants off.”
Write your own message for Colin here, or send your birthday wishes through the Post Office: PO Box 756 Richland, MI 49083-0756.
Thanks to Kaylene Bell and Gary for posting the story tip on our Facebook Page!
Minnow is First Fish Taken off US Endangered List
A tiny minnow that lives only in Oregon backwaters is set to become the first fish ever taken off U.S. Endangered Species Act protection because it is no longer threatened with extinction.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced early in February that it was proposing to realist the Oregon chub as recovered, 21 years after it went on the endangered species list.
The fish will be monitored to make sure populations continue to grow.
(READ the AP story, w/ photo, via CBS)
Competitors Rescue Farm After Deadly Silo Collapse
A fourth-generation family farm in Washington state was reeling from the worst event in its 102-year history. A silo at the farm’s nearby feed mill collapsed; burying a worker underneath 500 tons of corn.
On top of the obvious human tragedy, the Wilcox Family Farms’ feed supply for nearly one million chickens was abruptly cut off.
That’s when the farming community of Roy, and neighboring regions, pulled together to assist.
Within 24 hours of the collapse, competitors were shipping truckloads of feed to the Wilcox brothers — National, Steibrs, and Briarwood Farms in Rochester were among those who pitched in to help.
(READ the story in My Northwest.com)
Thanks to Judy Ritchie for sending the link!
Sportsmanship Alive and Well at Olympics – Canada Coach Lends Ski to Russian
In true Olympic spirit, Canada’s head cross-country ski coach Justin Wadsworth rushed to help a Russian skier after the athlete crashed in the semi-final of the men’s freestyle sprint and broke one of his skis.
With a new ski in hand, Wadsworth rushed toward the struggling athlete and fixed the new ski to Russian’s ski boot, reports Global News in Canada.
But this could be the ultimate story of “paying it forward” after an incident involving a Canadian skier in 2006.
(READ the story and WATCH the GIF from Sports Illustrated)
Thanks to C. Michael McGinley for submitting the link on our Facebook Page!
Sudan Lifts Ban on Opposition Newspaper
A Sudanese official said in late January the government has lifted a ban on an opposition newspaper, a week after Khartoum announced that it would hold a national dialogue to address freedom of expression. –AP
Deadly Drinking Game Inspires Kindness Video Craze Across Globe
An inspiring adaptation has emerged out of the dangerous “NEK Nomination” craze that has swept through the UK, Australia and elsewhere in recent weeks. These online challenges for friends to shoot videos of themselves binge drinking has claimed the lives of at least four youth in the UK and Ireland. But this month, and during Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb. 9-16), hundreds of youth are taking back the social media stage for sanity’s sake and nominating each other to perform good deeds, instead. Since Feb. 3, hundreds of these heartwarming videos have been posted on Twitter and Facebook.
It all started on Feb. 1 as South African Brent Lindeque decided to break the Nek Nomination cycle, in favor of something that might show the world how powerful social media can be if used for good. He gave a huge sandwich, chocolate and a coke to a panhandler on the street. He filmed it, nominated two people and challenged them to do the same within 24 hours. The next day in Ireland, Jessica Supple saw an article about the idea and the Irish started calling the new craze, “RAK nominating”.
“Nice to see people turning that stupid neknomination into something good!” wrote Derby’s Christine Gillard.
You can start your own RAKNomination by simply recording, or telling about, yourself doing a good deed. Then, challenge two of your friends to do the same within the next day or two, and post the video online with a hashtag #RAKnomination.
WATCH the videos below, including the one that started it all, and see more at Facebook.com/Raknominations.
Little Kids Come to Read Books To Shelter Cats (CUTE)
A Pennsylvania animal shelter has come up with a brilliant program that pairs kids and cats as reading buddies.
More than 20 children in grades 1 to 8 visit the Animal Rescue League in Berks County on a weekly basis, where they read to homeless cats.
The Book Buddies Program in Birdsboro is a win-win for the children, especially those struggling in school, because they get to practice reading aloud with a non-critical listener. They get “book tickets” that can be later traded in for small prizes.
Since the program began last August, the shelter’s cats are getting some much-needed company and socialization and they seem to enjoy the rhythmic sound of a child’s voice.
“One little boy has autism and his mom home schools him,” says Beth Ireland, the shelter’s marketing and communications director, on Facebook. “His mom knows that interaction with animals is helpful and it has been. He’s blossomed while he’s here. It’s so sweet to watch.”
(Read more from Berk’s Animal Rescue League)
New Billboard Promotes Most Effective Medicine: Hugging
During this cold and flu season, The Joy Team of Vancouver, Washington, has erected a billboard in downtown Portland reminding everyone of that ancient holistic prescription that’s not only free, but also effective: hugging.
Just in time for “Random Acts of Kindness Week” (Feb. 9-16) and Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), the fifth in a series of monthly positive messages went up suggesting that onlookers, “Hug someone today”.
“Research has shown that hugging is effective at healing sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress,” the group said in a press release. “It can even lower blood pressure and boost memory.”
Paid for by a grant from Awesome Portland, the bright yellow billboard can be found in Portland, Ore., on MLK Jr Blvd, 100 feet South of Broadway, on the West side of the street facing North.
The first board, with the message “Be Happy” drawn by a child on the Junior Joy Team, was the first up when the campaign started in October.
(SEE two other billboards here, for November, and here, for December.)
The Joy Team, a non-profit 501c3 organization promotes the mission of building community by spreading joy, optimism and inspiration. Other projects include delivering Happy Packets to the staff of organizations serving the community, Chalk the Walks, PB & JOY Project and The Junior Joy Team. Learn more at thejoyteam.org.
Tribal Ski Programs Help to Heal America
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area in New Mexico launched a snow sports outreach in January to benefit the tribal youth of New Mexico and Arizona.
Ski instructors, including former Olympian Suze “Chapstick” Chaffee, taught kids and chaperones of the Laguna, Acoma, Ohkey Owingeh and Pajoaque Pueblos the basics of skiing down their Los Alamos Mountains. The resort also extended a special $25 price to tribal youth, inviting them back.
Ex-Pharmacy Guys Make Medicine Available No Matter Your Finances
Imagine the frustration you’d feel if you were diagnosed with a serious illness requiring a lot of treatment and even though you were covered by insurance, the co-pay costs involved for expensive medications meant you had no money for rent or electricity.
Jeff Spafford, who ran a pharmacy in Orlando, Florida, knew that hundreds of people were in such financial straits, so he co-founded The Assistance Fund with the goal of opening up access to medicine for all.