All News - Page 1235 of 1689 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 1235

Maya Angelou Program Turns Imprisoned Teens Into ‘Scholars’

classroom in juvenile prison - NBCvid

classroom in juvenile prison - NBC video snippetTeenagers who are locked up are still entitled to an education. Near Washington, DC a juvenile program for incarcerated youth has turned itself around, much like some of the inmates, thanks to poet, Maya Angelou.

60 teenagers study at the juvenile correctional center, amid barbed wire and guards, within the gleaming new walls of the “Maya Angelou Academy”. Where there once were shackles and beatings, now there is emotional as well as intellectual growth for the inmates, who are called “scholars”.

(WATCH the video from Rock Center with Chelsea Clinton)

Strangers Hoist Disabled Fan So He Can See Favorite Concert

disabled man gets boost - family photo

disabled man gets boost - family photoTwo strangers became heroes at an Overland Park Blake Shelton concert last Saturday.

Patrick Connelly’s wheelchair kept him from being able to actually see his favorite country singer perform at the outdoor show.

In the sweltering summer heat his mom and sister tried to hold him up but he was too heavy for them.

16-Year-old Wins $10,000 Hero Award for Providing Head-to-Toe Makeovers for Deserving Teen Girls

Threads for Teens founder, Allyson - FB photo

Threads for Teens founder, Allyson - FB photo16-year-old Allyson Ahlstrom of Santa Rosa, Calif., wasn’t satisfied with the idea of underprivileged teen girls settling for wearing used clothing from a thrift shop. At an age when outward pressures can easily threaten a girl’s self esteem, she should be able to look her best and take pride in her appearance.

That’s why Allyson created Threads for Teens, a clothing boutique that gives girls in need a confidence-booster when they walk out the door with two brand new head-to-toe outfits. Girls ages 13-17 visit the store and shop for items they need at no cost.

This month she was named one of 15 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes and awarded $10,000 in cash and a $7,500 educational scholarship for her outstanding work.

16-Year-old Wins $10,000 Hero Award for Providing Head-to-Toe Makeovers for Deserving Teen Girls

Threads for Teens founder, Allyson - FB photo

Threads for Teens founder, Allyson - FB photo16-year-old Allyson Ahlstrom of Santa Rosa, Calif., wasn’t satisfied with the idea of underprivileged teen girls settling for wearing used clothing from a thrift shop. At an age when outward pressures can easily threaten a girl’s self esteem, she should be able to look her best and take pride in her appearance.

That’s why Allyson created Threads for Teens, a clothing boutique that gives girls in need a confidence-booster when they walk out the door with two brand new head-to-toe outfits. Girls ages 13-17 visit the store and shop for items they need at no cost.

This month she was named one of 15 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes and awarded $10,000 in cash and a $7,500 educational scholarship for her outstanding work.

Waldo Canyon: Colorado’s Most Destructive Wildfire Now Fully Contained

forest-fire-partial-jagberg-morguefile

forest-fire-partial-jagberg-morguefileThe Waldo Canyon Fire, the most destructive in Colorado history, is under full containment Tuesday night.

The announcement comes after a helicopter flyover in the Colorado Springs region Tuesday evening.

Fire commander Troy Nelsen was unable to see any smoke in the Blodgett Peak area.

London Raises Bar on Greening the Games

London Olympic stadium flowers

London Olympic stadium flowersA new Olympic Park arose in a once derelict and contaminated industrial area of east London turning neglected waterways into wildlife havens.

Almost 500 acres of land (200 hectares) have been razed and redeveloped for the 2012 Olympic Games, and one-fifth of those have been given over to creating new wildlife habitats for a variety of fauna — including kingfishers, bats, otters and grass snakes — while much of the rest has been left as parkland.

How a 29-Year-old Stockbroker Saved 669 Lives on Nights and Weekends

Winton Sir Nicholas 2005 -Hereford-starlab.co.uk photo

Winton Sir Nicholas 2005 -Hereford-starlab.co.uk photo“I was told that my sister and I were going to be sent to England. I was only 9 and not aware of the situation. A lot of us thought it was an adventure. We didn’t know what was happening.”

Here’s what happened. Milena Grenfell-Baines and 668 other mostly Jewish children were transported from Czechoslovakia to England in order to save their lives before the outbreak of WWII.

The man who made this possible was Sir Nicholas Winton. In 1939, Winton, at the time a 29-year-old stockbroker, spent nights and weekends organizing logistics, raising money and cutting through red tape to get children out of Czechoslavakia.

Winton, an ordinary person who made an extraordinary difference, was given an opportunity to experience the full emotional effect of his actions when he found himself in front of a TV studio audience filled with the people he had helped.

(READ the full article on Brad Aronson’s blog)

RELATED GNN Story: WWII Escapees Retrace Childhood Train Rescue
Hereford-starlab.co.uk photo

Iraq War Vet Writes Music To Heal Comrades — But Says He’s No ‘Hero’

bass player Jonathan Lubner - Warrior Songs Inc.

bass player Jonathan Lubner - Warrior Songs Inc.We call them heroes, but there is a sense among many of today’s vets, and those who deal with them, that the public often has not embraced war veterans in a manner they can bear. Now, one ex-soldier, after having attempted suicide, is reaching out through his original music and making a difference for warriors who’ve returned home.

Iraq War vet Jason Moon rejects the “hero” label, but still considers himself a warrior. So he is using his songwriting and musical talents to look back to see who among his comrades remain in trouble.
One co-founder of a wellness center for veterans explains the healing quality of Moon’s songs like this: “Once (they) know we can hear their suffering, and not judge it, it allows them to heal as human beings, not just veterans.”

The child within is long dead and gone.
Somewhere between lost and alone.
I’m trying to find my way home.  

He released an album and has been performing across the country — sometimes for veterans, other times for civilians. He does it through his small nonprofit, Warrior Songs Inc. located in his suburban Milwaukee home. The title track “Trying to Find My Way Home” is a soothing lament that sounds a bit like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Hear the songs and donate here: www.warriorsongs.org

(Read the AP story via Huffpost)

Record Player Plays Slices of Wood Interpreting Rings as Music (Video)

record player for tree rings

record player for tree ringsThe rings marking the life of a tree have been turned into music, using a record player that plays slices of wood.

The year ring data — analyzed for their strength, thickness and rate of growth — is translated into music using a computer, camera and acrylic glass.

The modified turntable outputs piano music to a scale which is defined by the overall appearance of the wood — and presumably the environmental events in the life of the tree.

Baby Eaglet Miraculously Survives Fire After Nest Burns

juvenile Golden Eagle - Wildlife Rehab Center of No Utah

juvenile Golden Eagle - Wildlife Rehab Center of No UtahWhen a volunteer first saw the flame-scarred nest west of Utah Lake he thought there was no way the eaglet could have survived.

Mr. Keller climbed through the scorched landscape on June 28 to document the loss of the nest and unfledged baby.

“There was not a stick from the nest left — not on the ground or the cliff,” Keller said. “I’ve seen nests burn before, but this is the first year I have seen one burn with young in it. They are usually long gone and flying when fire season starts.”

Baby Eaglet Miraculously Survives Fire After Nest Burns

juvenile Golden Eagle - Wildlife Rehab Center of No Utah

juvenile Golden Eagle - Wildlife Rehab Center of No UtahWhen a volunteer first saw the flame-scarred nest west of Utah Lake he thought there was no way the eaglet could have survived.

Mr. Keller climbed through the scorched landscape on June 28 to document the loss of the nest and unfledged baby.

“There was not a stick from the nest left — not on the ground or the cliff,” Keller said. “I’ve seen nests burn before, but this is the first year I have seen one burn with young in it. They are usually long gone and flying when fire season starts.”

Family Surrenders Pet to be Euthanized But Tearful Goodbye Moves Vet to do Surgery for Free

injured dog file photo UM News

injured dog file photo UM NewsAfter their beloved dog fell on a spike and home remedies were only prolonging her suffering, the family decided to surrender the pet to the SPCA to be put down.

In a final goodbye, the family’s father looked into Kayla’s eyes, apologizing for being too poor to care for her and begged his pet to forgive him for his shortcomings.

After the family began coming to terms with their loss, two weeks later, they received the surprise of a lifetime.

Family Surrenders Pet to be Euthanized But Tearful Goodbye Moves Vet to do Surgery for Free

injured dog file photo UM News

injured dog file photo UM NewsAfter their beloved dog fell on a spike, and home remedies only prolonged its suffering, the family decided to surrender the pet to the SPCA to be put down.

In a final goodbye, the family’s father looked into Kayla’s eyes, apologizing for being too poor to care for her and begged the dog to forgive him for his shortcomings.

After the family began coming to terms with their loss, two weeks later, they received the surprise of a lifetime.

Man Breaks Record Driving Almost 3 Million Miles in His ’66 Volvo

Volvo 196 via Classicroad.com

Volvo 196 via Classicroad.comIrvin Gordon expects his odometer to turn over on three million miles this year as his spiffy 1966 red Volvo — like the Energizer bunny — keeps going, and going.

The retired school teacher from Bay Shore, New York purchased the sporty P1800S when it was new and has since driven as many road miles as it would take to make nearly 1,200 trips around the globe at the Equator.

15-Year-old Wins $10,000 Hero Award for Providing Eyewear to Poor

Eyeglasses charity 15yo CEO - Sight Learning photo

Eyeglasses charity 15yo CEO - Sight Learning photoMost kids with vision problems don’t look past the tip of their own nose when it comes to the issue of prescription eyewear. But not Yash Gupta, a 15-year-old high school junior from Irvine, California. His vision has extended to thousands of people who have benefitted from his nonprofit, Sight Learning, which provides eyewear for students who can’t afford it.

Gupta has been named one of 15 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes and awarded $10,000 in cash and a $7,500 educational scholarship for his outstanding work.

15-Year-old Wins $10,000 Hero Award for Providing Eyewear to Poor

Eyeglasses charity 15yo CEO - Sight Learning photo

Eyeglasses charity 15yo CEO - Sight Learning photoMost kids with vision problems don’t look past the tip of their own nose when it comes to the issue of prescription eyewear. But not Yash Gupta, a 15-year-old high school junior from Irvine, California. His vision has extended to thousands of people who have benefitted from his nonprofit, Sight Learning, which provides eyewear for students who can’t afford it.

Gupta has been named one of 15 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes and awarded $10,000 in cash and a $7,500 educational scholarship for his outstanding work.

Baby Born on the Back Seat of a Honda on Side of Highway

newborn baby (file photo)

newborn baby (file photo)While her husband waited for her to arrive at the hospital, Canadian mom Carolyn Murdoch was in the middle of a dramatic delivery at 4:33 a.m. Sunday in the back seat of her Honda Accord.

The baby, born four weeks early on the shoulder of Highway 400, is doing fine, weighing in at almost 7 pounds.

Some Actual Good News About The Jobs Market

photo of businessmen by Michael Connors via Morguefile

photo by Michael Connors via MorguefileFriday’s non-farm payrolls report overshadowed some relatively good news in other key U.S. employment metrics.

As Goldman Sachs noted last week, many indicators have been pointing to stronger labor markets than the big figure highlighted Friday (80,000 jobs gained for June). And a few new data points confirm this thinking.

Girl’s “Amazing” Graduation Gift From Dad is a 13-year Labor of Love

book is special graduation gift - familyphoto

book is special graduation gift - familyphotoFor 13 years, Bryan Martin kept the book hidden from his daughter, dutifully taking it to her teachers, coaches and school principals every year to have them append it with positive comments and messages.

Finally, on June 8 — the day of her graduation from North Johnston High School in Kenly, N.C. — Brenna Martin received a special copy of the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’’

“At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book,’’ Brenna said. “But then he told me ‘No, open it up.’

Girl’s “Amazing” Graduation Gift From Dad is a 13-year Labor of Love

book is special graduation gift - familyphoto

book is special graduation gift - familyphotoFor 13 years, Bryan Martin kept the book hidden from his daughter, dutifully taking it to her teachers, coaches and school principals every year to have them append it with positive comments and messages.

Finally, on June 8 — the day of her graduation from North Johnston High School in Kenly, N.C. — Brenna Martin received a special copy of the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’’

“At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book,’’ Brenna said. “But then he told me ‘No, open it up.’