If anything happened in the news over the last few days that might put a smile on your face, you will probably find it on this list. For the weirder stuff that is likely to bemuse or astound you, check the offbeat list as well.

We have quite a few touching animal stories this week. There’s talk of a hero pit bull, an elusive black leopard, and the adorable pairing of a beagle and a possum. Then there’s also the oldest-known wild bird in the world which became a mom for the 30-something time.

10 Happy Little Impersonators

Texas students organized a Bob Ross flash mob to pay homage to the late art instructor and television host.

Ross started presenting The Joy of Painting in 1983. The show ran for 11 years on PBS, and its host became well-known for his Afro, his calm and soothing voice, and his overall friendly demeanor. It was a far cry from the two decades that Ross had spent in the Air Force as a mean sergeant who screamed at cadets to “scrub the latrine.”

Bob Ross died in 1995. He has experienced a resurgence in popularity over the last few years as the Internet made his show easily accessible and a new generation was exposed to his wholesomeness.

That’s how art teacher Brady Sloane from Madison Middle School in Abilene, Texas, got the idea for a Bob Ross flash mob to reward Advanced Placement students who were stressed out over grades and projects.

Around 50 kids donned wigs and button-down blue shirts and grabbed their palettes of paint to create some “happy little accidents.”^[1]

9 The Pit Bull Protector

Sadie the 11-year-old pit bull escaped her home and brought police back to her house where they detected a gas leak.

One afternoon, residents of a quiet neighborhood in Westchester County, New York, were disturbed by a commotion caused by one dog roaming the streets and barking loudly. Eventually, someone called the authorities. When police showed up, Sadie took off.

Making sure they were still following her, the dog led officers through several streets all the way back to the house where she lives with Serena Costello and her four-year-old daughter. There, police were quickly able to smell gas. They called in the fire department who detected a leak in the basement.^[2]

According to authorities, the leak could have caused an explosion. Sadie’s early detection likely saved her and her family. This was the first time in 11 years that the pit bull had run away from home, and the inside of the house showed signs of her determination. There were bloody claw marks as Sadie had to dig out a blocker under a sliding glass door to make her exit.

8 A Greener Earth

A new study from Boston University published in the journal Nature Sustainability used data from NASA to show that the planet is greener now than it was 20 years ago.

Most environmental news seems to be doom and gloom, so it’s good to learn about something positive every now and then. Research showed that the Earth has seen a 5 percent increase of green leaf areas compared to the early 2000s, or roughly 5.18 million square kilometers (2 million mi²) of added greening per year.^[3]

This insight comes to us courtesy of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). It is a NASA instrument which has been aboard two satellites orbiting our planet since the mid-1990s. It can provide information regarding Earth’s vegetation down to a level of 500 meters (1,600 ft) on the ground.

Perhaps even more surprising are the main sources for the greening of the planet: China and India. Both countries have seen significant increases in vegetation thanks to ambitious foresting programs and intensive agriculture.

7 Back In Black

A wildlife photographer snatched a photo of the exceedingly rare wild black leopard, possibly for the first time in over 100 years.

British shutterbug Will Burrard-Lucas traveled to the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya after hearing reports of sightings of the elusive creature. Such tales are not unheard-of throughout Africa, but the last time someone managed to obtain confirmed photographic evidence was in 1909 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The chances of Burrard-Lucas being the one to obtain a new snapshot were remote, to say the least.

Nevertheless, the wildlife photographer went to Africa and set up his camera traps. The first few days yielded no results. But one morning, he was scrolling through photos taken the previous night and saw a pair of eyes surrounded by darkness.^[4] He had managed to capture multiple images of a leopard whose coat is sooty black due to a pigment adaptation called melanism.

Around the same time, a team of researchers from San Diego Zoo Global traveled to the wilderness camp and managed to capture video footage of a black leopard. Their study discusses both their findings and Burrard-Lucas’s photos.

The claims that these images are the first in over a century have been controversial. A Kenyan newspaper photographed a black leopard in 2013. But study lead author Dr. Nicholas Pilfold says that the animal was not wild and was brought from America as a cub. Another picture from 2007 has recently resurfaced in light of recent events. If genuine, it would predate them all.

6 A Dedicated Mother

The world’s oldest-known wild bird has become a mother again at age 68. Wisdom the Laysan albatross laid an egg back in December, and it hatched earlier this month.

Laysan albatrosses mate for life and only lay one egg per year at most. Since 2006, Wisdom and her partner, Akeakamai, have visited the wildlife refuge center on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean during mating season.^[5]

According to US Fish and Wildlife, she has raised at least 31 chicks and now has No. 32 to look after. The baby albatross will spend five to six more months in the care of mom and dad before flying out to sea, where it will spend most of its life.

The average life span of the Laysan albatross is 50 years, but Wisdom is at least 68 years old. She was banded in 1956 when she first came to the breeding site on Midway Atoll. As she was ready to mate, scientists estimated that Wisdom was five to six years old. But she could have been older.

5 Mobility Mucus Marks Mind-Blowing Milestone

There have been many notable discoveries in recent times, but scientists are currently excited over a trail of mucus. That’s because this trail is around 2.1 billion years old and represents the oldest-known evidence of mobility.

Researchers made the discovery in the Franceville basin in Gabon. The area is a black shale province and contains remarkably preserved fossils. A few years back, scientists found there what they believed to be the earliest signs of multicellular life informally referred to as the “Gabonionta.” Now they have uncovered fossilized tracks which show how these primitive marine life-forms moved through the mud.^[6]

The tricky part was examining the fossils without destroying them as the tracks were only a few millimeters wide. Scientists used X-rays to image them and then recreated them in 3-D.

They were surprised to find that the tracks were both horizontal and vertical. The horizontal ones were to be expected as the ancient creatures pushed themselves through sediment. However, vertical tracks suggest that the Gabonionta had a more complex system of mobility than expected.

4 Logan’s Little Library

Some kids set up lemonade stands in their yards, while others might prefer tree houses. Logan Brinson opened a library.

Logan is just five years old, but he loves to read. Unfortunately, his tiny village of Alpha, Illinois, did not have a library, so he decided to start one himself. Last summer, he and his parents met with town officials and proposed to organize a lending library.

That’s how Logan’s Little Library came to be.^[7] Installed in front of the Brinsons’ home, the library is a small, wooden, green-painted house which contains a few dozen books. They are available to readers of all ages as long as they only check out one book at a time.

Logan’s initiative proved to be quite popular with the residents of Alpha. They are now planning to open a second lending library near the gazebo in the town center.

3 Molly And Poss

An animal odd couple won over the hearts of Australians after Molly the beagle adopted a baby possum named Poss.

Molly was feeling distraught after losing her litter of puppies during birth, but a new friend jumped into her life. The little marsupial hopped onto the beagle’s back and made herself at home. Molly was a heartbroken mother without her pups, while Poss was a baby most likely abandoned by her own mom. They found each other at the perfect time and formed a symbiotic relationship.

At the moment, the pair is inseparable, which is particularly tricky as Poss is nocturnal. Whenever she feels like a midday nap, Molly stays close by, waiting patiently for her adopted baby to wake up. The beagle’s owners, Elle and Sara Moyle, announced that they have also adopted Poss and will look after the possum for as long as she wants to stay with Molly.^[8]

2 Lost Memories

Eighty-two-year-old Martha Ina Ingham was recently reunited with something she undoubtedly never expected to see again: her old handbag from high school. Among other items were letters which told the story of two boys who both wanted to take Marty to the prom.

Back in 1954, Marty was a student at Jeffersonville High School in Clark County, Indiana. The school was closed down in 1971 but was only recently marked for demolition.

Construction workers were removing cabinets from one of the science classrooms when they found the handbag. Inside were items you would expect a teenage girl to carry, such as lipstick and ID cards. There was also a letter from a boy asking Marty to the prom in case she hadn’t already said “yes” to another boy named Paul.^[9]

School officials enlisted the power of social media to see if they could track down the former student and return her handbag. Fortunately, Jeffersonville is not a big city. Two days later, they announced triumphantly that Marty had been found. Now all we’re waiting for is an update to let us know whom she took to the prom.

1 A Rose For Valentine’s Day

For the past eight years, Seth Stewart and his friends have spent Valentine’s Day delivering roses to widows, military wives, and single women around Spokane, Washington, so they wouldn’t feel lonely.

It all started when Seth and one of his brothers bought two dozen roses to give to their single friends on Valentine’s Day. The community heard of their small act of kindness, and the next year, they received requests.

The tradition got bigger and bigger over the years. In 2019, Stewart hired a group of drivers to deliver more than 550 roses. Now there is a dedicated “Rose Rush” Facebook page to send requests. All roses are free of charge, and every requested recipient gets one. People can even include a personalized message.^[10]

No matter how big the operation gets, Stewart has his own personal list of women who have had an impact on his life. He delivers flowers to them personally, and his first four customers are always the same: his mom and his sisters.

Far too often, the media focuses on negative events while positive news items take a back seat. That’s not the case here as this list covers only stories that inspire, amuse, and uplift. If weirdness is more your thing, you can check out the offbeat list, too.

There are several stories this week of elderly people who prove that age is nothing but a number. A neighborhood bands together to help a deaf girl while a hockey ref fights against Alzheimer’s with a little support from AC/DC.

10 The Senior Junior Ranger

A centenarian became a junior ranger of the Grand Canyon National Park to encourage newer generations to protect and learn about the great outdoors.

Rose Torphy made her first trip to the Grand Canyon back in 1985. Now, on her second visit, she heard about the junior ranger program and wanted to be a part of it. Her parents taught her to care for the land, and in turn, she desires to do the same for other kids.

Although the junior program is intended for children, it is available to everyone from ages four and up. Therefore, Rose was able to enlist even though the 103-year-old is actually older than the national park she has sworn to protect. On February 26, the Grand Canyon will be celebrating 100 years since its designation as a national park.^[1]

9 An Unlikely Savior

A Florida inmate used his criminal expertise for good to rescue a baby trapped inside a locked car.

It all started when the father of the child strapped his one-year-old daughter in the safety seat in the back of his Chevy Tahoe and threw the keys in the front seat. He then exited the SUV and instinctively closed the door. Only then did he realize that he had just locked himself out of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, a group of low-level offenders was repairing medians nearby under the supervision of Pasco County deputies. They heard the commotion and rushed to help. One of them used a coat hanger to jimmy the lock and open the door of the car. The whole thing took about five minutes, and the baby was completely safe.

Her mother, Shadow Lantry, filmed the whole thing and then posted it on social media. She was grateful to the men who had dashed to her rescue, saying that she respects them all.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco admitted that such opportunities are rare where a criminal breaks into a car for the right reasons. However, he also extended his appreciation toward the inmates by claiming that they are individuals who have made mistakes but want to “do the right thing in life.”^[2]

8 Rowing Seniors Claim World Record

Two English grandfathers in their early sixties became the oldest duo to row across the Atlantic Ocean while simultaneously raising money for veterans’ charities.

Neil Young and Peter Ketley have the combined age of 123. Despite this, the two former paratroopers were able to row 4,828 kilometers (3,000 mi) from the Canary Islands to Antigua in just 63 days. Moreover, they had no previous rowing experience apart from a year-long training regimen they underwent before departing in December 2018.

Ketley and Young took part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Started in 1997 by Sir Chay Blyth as the Atlantic Rowing Race, this endurance event touts itself as the “world’s toughest row.” The aging duo managed to raise over £30,000 to support charities such as Dreams Come True, Support Our Paras, and the Royal British Legion Industries.^[3]

7 It Takes A Village

All the people of a neighborhood in Newton, Massachusetts, have begun learning sign language so that they can communicate with their deaf two-year-old neighbor.

Samantha Savitz is just like many young kids her age: She’s happy, outgoing, and loves to chat up people. There is just one problem, though. Sam is deaf. She knows sign language, but that is not a skill many other people have. Therefore, her attempts at social engagement often go unanswered. Sam is left visibly frustrated, even sad, when she is unable to communicate.

Her neighbors have noticed this and decided to do something about it. They got together, hired a teacher, and began taking American Sign Language classes. The instructor, Rhys McGovern, has been impressed with the kinship and care shown in this community.

Rhys remarked that, in other cases, not even the parents of a deaf child bother learning sign language, let alone the neighbors. Sam’s mother, Glenda Savitz, already sees a difference in her daughter’s behavior and is still looking for a way to express her gratitude for her neighborhood’s “shocking and beautiful” gesture.^[4]

6 One Good Deed Deserves Another

An amateur Canadian hockey ref has been doing marathon skate sessions to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. This year’s session came with a surprise donation from his favorite rocker, Angus Young from AC/DC.

Steve McNeil has been skating for charity since 2012 in honor of his mother who died from Alzheimer’s. She was born in 1926, so McNeil skates for 19 hours and 26 minutes in every Canadian city that has an NHL team. Since he started, McNeil has raised over C$40,000, which he donates to the local chapters of the Alzheimer Society.^[5]

Sometimes, it gets really cold and tiresome on the ice. When that happens, Steve has two things to keep him going. He thinks of his mother’s home cooking, and he cranks up AC/DC on his headphones. He has always been a massive fan of the band, but they’ve been on his mind more in recent years after Malcolm Young died of dementia.

Word of Steve McNeil’s efforts reached Malcolm’s brother, AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young. To show his approval, the rocker donated C$19,260 to the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. The money will be distributed to support music programs for people with dementia across Canada.

5 Remembrance Of Things Past

An antique dealer found a letter from World War I among a stack of old papers she bought for a dollar. It was a “thank you” from Canadian soldier Earl Sorel to the sister of another fighter who had sacrificed his life to save Sorel at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Amanda Kehler owns a cafe and antique shop in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. She was going through a bunch of recently purchased documents when she found the letter from Sorel, a soldier with the 78th Battalion. It was postmarked May 1917.

The letter detailed the heroics of Sergeant Gorden. He was in charge of a platoon at the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. They had pushed for about 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) when Sorel heard a loud “bang” and felt a sharp burning in his back and left arm. He had been shot, but Gorden carried him to a shell hole.

Sorel was eventually taken to a dressing station and survived his injuries. He found out the next day that Gorden had been killed in the charge. However, Sorel wanted the sergeant’s sister to know that her brother “died a hero, along with many others that day.”^[6]

4 Grateful Like Gary

Celebrities and veterans banded together this week to create a heartwarming video thanking actor Gary Sinise for all the charity work he has done to benefit military families and first responders.

Titled #GratefulLikeGary, the video was made to surprise Sinise after the release of his book Grateful American: A Journey From Self To Service. Jay Leno, Rob Lowe, Robert De Niro, and Steve Buscemi are just a few of the actors who appeared in the clip alongside many firefighters and soldiers.

Sinise became involved with charity work for veterans after starring as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, which is celebrating 25 years since its release later this year. He founded the Gary Sinise Foundation which raises around $30 million a year for veterans.

He also built dozens of smart homes for soldiers with disabilities and organized over 400 benefit concerts. He is even part of a cover group called the Lt. Dan Band which does USO shows.

Fittingly, the tribute video ends with his Forrest Gump costar Tom Hanks saying simply, “Thanks, Lt. Dan.”^[7]

3 Back From Extinction

It has been a good week for large species of animals thought to be extinct. The world’s biggest bee has been found alive in Indonesia, and a giant Galapagos tortoise was sighted for the first time in over 100 years.

Megachile pluto is also known as Wallace’s giant bee, named after Alfred Russel Wallace who first collected and described it in 1858. The female can reach a length of 3.8 centimeters (1.5 in) with a wingspan over 6 centimeters (2.5 in) long.

It was considered extinct in modern times until scientists found a few specimens in the Indonesian Bacan Islands in 1981. Then the species was not seen again and was feared extinct once more.

This January, however, a team of wildlife experts journeyed to the North Moluccas islands and caught sight of Wallace’s giant bee once again. They only found one female, but it was enough to give them hope that the insect is still thriving in areas left alone by man.

On the Galapagos island of Fernandina, a scientific expedition found a tortoise species not seen since 1906. According to the Ecuadorian government, researchers found an adult female Fernandina giant tortoise believed to be over a century old.

Moreover, they also discovered tracks and scents which suggest that she is not the only one of her species still around. Conservationists are hoping to find other tortoises, including males, to start a breeding program.^[8]

2 The Crochet Whiz Kid

An 11-year-old kid from La Crosse, Wisconsin, has won over the online world thanks to his mad skills at crochet.

It’s not exactly a typical pastime for young boys, but Jonah Larson’s newfound fame has turned him into an ambassador of the crochet world. He started learning when he was five years old by watching YouTube videos. Jonah quickly discovered that he had a knack for it, and now he gives his own online lessons.

The young man also started selling his creations through his own crochet business called Jonah’s Hands. His story went viral after being recently featured in a local paper, and Jonah had to temporarily stop taking requests to fulfill a backlog of over 2,500 orders. He also makes sure to give back to the community and regularly donates money and goods to the Ethiopian orphanage from which he was adopted.

Right now, Jonah is happy with his role of introducing new generations to crochet. His ambition, however, is to put his skillful hands to a different use in the future as he wants to become a surgeon.^[9]

1 Flyby For Fallen Soldiers

The story of one man’s dedication led to 10,000 people attending a flyby over Endcliffe Park, Sheffield, to honor 10 American airmen who died there in 1944.

It all began in early January when BBC presenter Dan Walker was walking his dog and ran into octogenarian Tony Foulds. The latter was tending to a memorial dedicated to the crew of US bomber Mi Amigo. On February 22, 1944, the plane was coming back from a bombing run. It crashed into the woodlands of Endcliffe Park, and all 10 men aboard died.

Foulds was there that day. He was an eight-year-old boy playing with his mates in the open field. He feels guilty about the crash because he believes the pilot wanted to land in the field but veered at the last moment to avoid smashing into the children. Since then, Foulds has spent decades looking after the memorial.

Walker told Tony’s story and began campaigning for a flyby to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the crash. Word spread on social media, and the campaign was a success. On Friday, Foulds was joined by around 10,000 people who gathered to witness American and British aircraft take off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and do a flyby over the park.^[10]

March is here, and we want to start you off on a happy note. That’s why this list has some of the more inspiring and amusing stories that happened over the last few days. If you would also like to read about bizarre and outlandish occurrences, check out the offbeat list right here.

This week is about extremes as we cover stories about people at the opposite ends of the age spectrum. One pensioner spends his days scouring the streets for coins to donate, and a centenarian grandmother goes skydiving.

Meanwhile, a teenager becomes the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion, a record-breaking preemie goes home, and a 12-year-old budding reporter displays the kind of doggedness you want to see in that line of work. There are also dogs and a fat rat.

10 The Penny-Pincher

A Canadian pensioner has a unique way of spending his free time: He scours the streets of Montreal looking for spare change to collect and donate.

Young S. New has a simple philosophy taught by his father back in Korea: Respect the penny. Therefore, after he retired, he started a new hobby. He would walk the streets of his neighborhood in the west end of the city looking for discarded change. He considered it good exercise, plus it helped him do his good deed for the day.

New has been doing this for 12 years. Other people started joining in, and he even started his own club called the Montreal Hainneville Collectors (MHC). For the first several years, the collected money would be split between New’s church and the Gazette Christmas Fund. Nowadays, he prefers to give the money directly to the homeless.^[1]

9 Jackson’s Laboratory

An American teenager and nuclear engineering hobbyist might have become the youngest-known person in the world to achieve nuclear fusion.

Despite being only 14 years old, Jackson Oswalt from Memphis, Tennessee, is a regular contributor to the forum of the Open Source Fusor Research Consortium. Using about $10,000 worth of equipment bought on eBay, he converted an old playroom in his parents’ house into a nuclear laboratory.^[2]

According to posts on the forum, Jackson successfully managed to heat up deuterium gas and fuse the nuclei to release energy, thus creating a nuclear reaction. He did this in early January 2018 when he was just 12 years old.

While the hobbyist research consortium acknowledges Oswalt’s achievement, it would have to be verified by an official organization and published in an academic journal before being accepted by the scientific community. If this happens, then Jackson will become the youngest recognized individual to attain nuclear fusion, surpassing previous record holder Taylor Wilson who did it when he was 14 years old.

8 Bad Person Doing A Nice Thing?

A stranger did his good deed for the day when he walked up to a Girl Scout troop selling cookies and bought their entire supply so that they could get out of the cold.

Last Friday, Troop 1574 from Greenville, South Carolina, was dutifully selling Girl Scout cookies even though it was 1 degree Celsius (34 °F) outside. Kayla Dillard, one of the girls’ mothers, was with them to act as “cookie manager.”

A Good Samaritan walked up to their table. First, he bought seven packs of treats and paid $40, telling the girls to keep the change. He then changed his mind, came back, and purchased the rest of the cookies so the scouts could pack up and leave early. He spent another $540 on cookies.^[3]

The troop sold over 220 cookie packages that night. Most of them went to the stranger, who didn’t even give his name, although he did pose for a picture with two of the scouts.

This story took an unexpected turn this week. After his photo went viral, the man later identified as Detric McGowan was arrested in a DEA bust on multiple federal drug charges.

7 Firefighters Mount Rodent Rescue

German firefighters from the town of Bensheim received an unusual request for help this week. A chubby rat didn’t quite get rid of all her extra winter weight and got stuck in the hole of a manhole cover.

The first to spot the distressed rodent was a little girl. She contacted animal rescuer Michael Sehr. When he couldn’t get the animal out on his own, he got in touch with the fire department. Eight volunteer firefighters turned up to save the day, although truth be told, most of them sat around watching or filming the bizarre rescue operation.

The trick wasn’t really getting the rat out of the hole but doing it in such a way that neither the rat nor the firefighters were injured. One of them secured the animal in place while others lifted the manhole cover and propped it up with wedges. Sehr then popped the rotund rodent out of the hole and released her back into the sewer.^[4]

Some wondered why anyone would go to all this effort just to save a rat, although the fire department’s Facebook page also attracted hundreds of comments praising the work of the firefighters. As for Michael Sehr, he got his thanks in the form of a hand-drawn picture of the rat surrounded by hearts, courtesy of the little girl who first found the trapped animal.

6 Grandma Takes To The Skies

A new centenarian celebrated her 100th birthday by going skydiving for the first time.

Jane Haynes is not your average pensioner. Her daughter, Patricia, says that “[Jane’s] life began at 60.”^[5] That is when Jane decided to live out her remaining years to the fullest and started going on one adventure after another. She went hiking in the Grand Canyon, explored the Mayan ruins of Guatemala, and went whitewater rafting in Alaska.

Recently, Jane had her sights set on a new challenge—skydiving. She had wanted to try it ever since she saw her granddaughter do it. What better opportunity for this than her 100th birthday?

Jane visited Skydive Arizona in Eloy and did a tandem jump from 4,000 meters (13,000 ft). She landed safely and is probably already thinking of the next thing to try.

5 Sully’s New Gig

Sully, the former service dog of President George H.W. Bush, has found a new job with the US Navy helping veterans at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The yellow Labrador received his training and certification as a service dog from a nonprofit organization named America’s VetDogs. Following the death of Barbara Bush in April 2018, Sully became the companion of George Bush Sr. After Bush also died in November 2018, his dog gained international fame after an image of Sully resting beside his master’s coffin went viral.

Now Sully will work at the medical center alongside other service dogs. His duties will include interacting with both staff and patients to reduce stress and increase their well-being.

The Labrador was appointed to the rank of hospital corpsman second class in a ceremony where he also received his new “military uniform” in the form of a vest. His personalized oath of enlistment stated that Sully will “comfort and cure warriors and their families, active and retired” and will do so freely “without any promise of treats or tummy rubs.”^[6]

4 Open For Business

Staff from a grocery store in Canada accidentally left the supermarket completely unattended with the doors unlocked. You might think this would be a recipe for chaos, but it turned out to be a stunning display of honesty.

February 18 was Family Day in Canada. In honor of the holiday, the Food Basics supermarket in Kingston, Ontario, was supposed to be closed. No employees showed up for work, but the doors had been left unlocked. Customers soon started appearing and entered the store to do some shopping. Before long, they realized that they were completely unattended.

For dishonest people, this could have been the perfect opportunity to get a few weeks’ worth of shopping done for free. That’s not what happened here. Customers left confused, perhaps a bit annoyed, but empty-handed.

According to one eyewitness, he saw a guy exiting the supermarket and carrying two packages of cherry tomatoes. He approached the man asking if he was just planning to take the tomatoes, to which the other shopper replied that he had left $5 on the counter.^[7]

The police were called, and they contacted store management. Staffers arrived in the afternoon and did a quick inventory check. They confirmed that a few other customers had followed the lead of the aforementioned shopper. They wrote lists with the groceries they took and left money on the counters.

3 Tiny Baby Boy Goes Home

A premature baby has become the smallest boy on record to be successfully treated and leave the hospital in good health.

In August, the baby was born at only 24 weeks by emergency C-section at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. He weighed only 268 grams (9.45 oz), 6 grams (0.2 oz) less than the previous record holder.

Survival rates for babies under 300 grams (10.6 oz) are not good, and the odds go down further for boys. Doctors are not sure why, but they believe that it has to do with slower lung development.

The boy spent the first five months of his life in the hospital, but against all odds, he survived. After being treated in the intensive care unit, the infant now weighs 3.2 kilograms (7 lbs) and is feeding normally. He was finally able to go home with his family last week.^[8]

2 Fighting For The Fourth Estate

A town in Arizona issued a formal apology to an intrepid 12-year-old reporter after a marshal violated her First Amendment rights.

Hilde Lysiak is not like most girls her age. She has great journalistic ambitions and has started pursuing her dream from a young age. She is already a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

She has her own online newspaper called the Orange Street News where she edits and posts news items from her town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. In 2016, Hilde, then nine years old, made the headlines after she covered a murder in her neighborhood, getting an exclusive out hours before other media outlets.

Hilde was recently in Patagonia, Arizona, and she was running down a lead. Town marshal Joseph Patterson approached her. When the young girl identified herself as a reporter, the officer allegedly told her not to give him “any of that freedom of the press stuff.” He then threatened to arrest her and throw her in juvie.^[9]

This would scare off most kids, but Hilde just saw it as a new development. She approached the marshal again and this time caught the meeting on video. He lied to her on camera, saying that it was illegal for her to post the clip online.

The interaction caused a bit of a brouhaha. Following a town council meeting, Patagonia Mayor Andrea Wood apologized to Hilde Lysiak. The girl accepted, glad that she could move forward and get back to covering the news.

1 The Life Of Cuddles

Raised to be a vicious warrior, she was rescued from a fighting ring only to be sentenced to death. She earned a reprieve and did a stint in prison where she earned her PhD. Now she has finally found love and a forever home with a former veteran and retired firefighter. This is the story of Cuddles the pit bull.

In 2015, Cuddles and 20 other pit bulls were recovered when police busted a dog fighting ring in Ontario, Canada. However, an animal behavior expert from the SPCA recommended that all the dogs be put down because they were too aggressive to be re-homed.

The pit bulls became known as the Ontario 21. Animal rights groups protested the death sentence and took the battle to court. After two years, they got a third-party evaluator to come in and do a reassessment of the animals’ behavior. He cleared all but two dogs for retraining.

Cuddles ended up in the care of a nonprofit organization from Florida called the Pit Sisters.^[10] They placed the dog in the Teaching Animals and Inmates Life Skills (TAILS) prison program. Cuddles responded very well to the initiative and graduated with a PhD from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and a Canine Good Citizen certification from the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Late last year, the prison pooch finally found a forever home in New York with Billy Brauer. The 73-year-old former firefighter was looking for companionship after suffering a stroke, and the two hit it off immediately.

If the week has got you down, this list might help lift your spirits. We looked at all the positive, inspiring, and amusing stories that made the headlines over the last few days and put them all into one list. It goes well with a side of quirkiness from our offbeat stories list.

This week comes with a varied panoply of positive tales. There’s a lonely dog that finds a home, two teachers who encourage reading in their own ways, and four teens who help out a sickly neighbor. There is good news from Chichen Itza and a promising development regarding HIV. Two conjoined twins return home, while astronauts prepare for the first all-female spacewalk.

10 A Home For Hector

A two-year-old pooch which was once billed as “Britain’s loneliest dog” has finally found a home.

Hector the lurcher was rescued by the RSPCA back in 2017 over welfare concerns. He went to the Little Valley Animal Shelter in Exeter. That is where he spent the next 500+ days of his life. In the process, Hector became the shelter’s longest-staying resident and also earned the reputation of being the loneliest dog in the country.

This February, staff at the shelter decided to become more proactive to find a home for Hector. They launched a social media campaign. It soon went viral, and hundreds of offers came in from people willing to take in the lovable dog.

Then came the process of going through candidates and finding the right person. The shelter believed that Hector would best benefit from a household with no kids, no other pets, and an owner who can give him plenty of attention.

As it turns out, there was at least one such candidate. Although the shelter did not reveal that person’s identity, it did confirm that Hector now has a “forever home.”^[1]

9 Reading The Fine Print

A 59-year-old teacher earned a nice $10,000 retirement bonus and a few charitable donations all because she read the terms and conditions of her insurance policy.

Donelan Andrews bought a $400 Tin Leg travel policy from Squaremouth, an insurance company based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Andrews describes herself as an “unapologetic nerd,” and she is in the habit of doing something that we all say we do but really don’t. She reads the terms of service of all agreements. Therefore, she printed out her policy and started reviewing it.

On page seven, she noticed something curious. Sandwiched between legal mumbo jumbo was a small section titled “Pays to Read.” It detailed a contest meant to highlight the importance of reading the documents we sign. It also provided instructions on how to claim a grand prize of $10,000. Donelan quickly emailed the company. The next day, she was contacted by a Squaremouth employee who confirmed that she had won the money.^[2]

The company intended to run the contest for a whole year. They didn’t actually expect anyone to win it and were planning to give the money to charity at the end. The contest only lasted for 23 hours.

Even so, 73 other people bought the same kind of policy and could have claimed the prize before Andrews, but none of them read the terms and conditions. To celebrate the teacher’s dedication, Squaremouth also donated $5,000 to each of the two schools where she works and another $10,000 to children’s literacy charity Reading Is Fundamental.

8 Culinary Calamity Creates Cornbread Comeback

Two years ago at the Charleston Wine + Food festival, Stefan DeArmon was a homeless veteran looking for a job with one of the restaurants. At this year’s edition, he is one of the headlining teachers with his own cornbread company.

When DeArmon retired from the US Coast Guard, he wanted to return to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, to help out his elderly parents. However, he didn’t have a lot of money so he was placed in a homeless shelter called One80 Place. DeArmon took advantage of the shelter’s recent partnership with the Charleston Wine + Food festival and found work with a barbecue restaurant called Smoke.

DeArmon started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to food preparation. His black chef coat and white undershirt earned him the nickname “Reverend.” One day, he was making a batch of cornbread when he mistakenly poured heavy cream in the batter instead of buttermilk. He feared he might get fired, but his boss, Roland Feldman, told him to bake it anyway.^[3]

The result was a delicious accident which prompted Feldman to start a new business called the Reverend Cornbread Company with DeArmon as his partner.

At the 2019 Charleston Wine + Food festival which took place this week, Reverend taught a baking class. He also makes sure to give back by schooling students at the One80 culinary program and by having his food truck deliver meals to the shelter multiple times a month.

7 Two People Become HIV-Free

A man in London became the second person in the world to be free of HIV following a bone marrow stem cell transplant.

Over 10 years ago, Timothy Brown became the first person to get rid of the virus. In both patients, the “cure” for HIV was incidental. Like Brown, the unidentified London man received a stem cell transplant to treat a form of immune cell cancer. As it happened, both their donors had a rare genetic mutation of the CCR5 gene. This made them HIV-resistant, and even when Brown stopped taking his antiretroviral drugs, he was still able to suppress the virus.^[4]

The same thing happened to the London patient who has been HIV-free for 18 months without medication. Unfortunately, the technique is not viable as a large-scale cure. Even so, Anton Pozniak, president of the International AIDS Society, sees it as critical proof of concept that shows that HIV is curable.

Just a few days after the initial announcement, there was mention of a third cured person at a conference in Seattle. The “Dusseldorf patient” has shown no signs of HIV following three months off antiviral drugs.

6 New Treasure Trove At Chichen Itza

Despite being one of the most famous pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, Chichen Itza still has secrets. Researchers recently found an untouched cave full of hundreds of Mayan artifacts.

The cave is located about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 mi) east of the famed El Castillo step pyramid. Local farmers actually first found it back in 1966. They told archaeologist Victor Segovia Pinto. He had the cave sealed and wrote a report about it which was promptly forgotten.

It wasn’t until recently that locals reminded scientists once more about the cave and the treasure trove that rests inside. This time, researchers investigated the site with a bit more aplomb.

The cave contains seven chambers full of small artifacts which the Maya left as offerings to Tlaloc, the god of rain. They include ceramic incense burners, bones, and clay vessels. The archaeological team plans to inspect and leave the artifacts in situ out of respect for local customs.^[5]

Team leader Guillermo de Anda is actually happy that Pinto decided to seal off the cave decades ago without removing any items. This way, de Anda believes that researchers will be able to learn more about the cultural exchanges that took place between the Maya and other civilizations.

5 Tucked-In Tuesdays

An elementary school principal is being praised for starting “Tucked-In Tuesdays” where she reads bedtime stories to her students over Facebook Live.

Dr. Belinda George is still in her first year as principal of Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, Texas. Over the Christmas break, she realized she was going to miss her students (whom she calls “scholars”). So she looked for a way to reach out to them even when school is out.

That is where “Tucked-In Tuesdays” came in. Every Tuesday night at 7:30 PM, the principal reads bedtime stories from her living room which anyone can listen to using Facebook. She believes it is important to love and nurture children if you want them to trust you. She sees this as an extra step which can help her build stronger relationships with her students and their families.^[6]

As far as the parents are concerned, they love that George spends time with the children outside of regular hours. Already, the school has seen improvements in its literacy and reading comprehension scores, which many have attributed to “Tucked-In Tuesdays.”

4 Good Neighbors

Four teens met up at 4:30 AM to shovel a neighbor’s driveway so she could go to her dialysis treatment.

The township of Parsippany-Troy Hills in Morris County, New Jersey, has been hit by snowstorms over the last few days. This is a serious problem for Natalie Blair who relies on dialysis treatments because her kidneys are failing.

Fortunately for her, the Lanigans are good neighbors. Normally, Brian Lanigan shoveled her driveway so that Natalie could leave her home. However, when the community was hit by over 20 centimeters (8 in) of snow, Brian was at his job as an EMT.

That is when little brother Patrick stepped in. He called his friends and had a sleepover so they would be ready to shovel her driveway early in the morning. The four of them worked together and cleared the snow in less than 30 minutes. The rest of the world found out about their kindness when proud father Peter Lanigan tweeted a picture of his son whom he described as a “small kid with a big heart.”^[7]

3 Happy Ending For Conjoined Twins

Two conjoined twins from Bhutan arrived back home this week after traveling to Australia to be surgically separated.

Nima and Dawa Pelden were born in 2017 attached at the stomach. They were always facing each other and unable to move independently. The girls and their mother, Bhumchu, were flown to Melbourne in October 2018 after a charity called the Children First Foundation raised the $180,000 necessary to cover the costs of their medical treatment.

A team of 25 doctors, nurses, and anesthetists operated for six hours and managed to successfully separate Nima and Dawa. They were kept under observation during the following months and were finally able to go back home to Bhutan this week.

According to staff at the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital, the girls might be separated but they still like being close to each other. Nurses tried to keep them apart, but the sisters would shuffle toward each other and intertwine their legs.^[8]

2 A Historic Spacewalk

March 1 kicked off Women’s History Month. The celebration will end with a notable first as two NASA astronauts will perform the inaugural all-female spacewalk on the International Space Station.

Anne McClain and Christina Koch are scheduled for a spacewalk on March 29. They will be assisted by Lead Flight Director Mary Lawrence and Lead EVA Flight Controller Jackie Kagey who will be providing ground support from NASA’s Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It is estimated that the spacewalk will last around seven hours, although NASA has not disclosed what tasks the astronauts will perform.^[9]

The event is the result of serendipitous timing rather than any kind of purposeful planning. It will be the second of three spacewalks planned as part of Expedition 59. McClain has been aboard the ISS since December 2018 and will have her first spacewalk on March 22 alongside astronaut Nick Hague. Koch is due to arrive on the ISS on March 14, marking her first trip into space.

1 Sisters Safe And Sound

The story of two young sisters lost in the California woods had a happy ending. After almost two days in the forest, eight-year-old Leia Carrico and her five-year-old sister, Caroline, were found safe by search-and-rescue teams.

Last Friday afternoon, the sisters went for a walk near their rural home in Garberville, Humboldt County. Even though they spend a lot of time outdoors, they became lost in the woods with no food or water. A search team with the Piercy Volunteer Fire Department found them on Sunday about 2.3 kilometers (1.4 mi) away from home. The girls were hungry and cold but uninjured and in fairly good spirits.^[10]

In a later interview, mother Misty Carrico partly credited their survival to the wilderness training they received as part of the 4-H program. The girls were able to find shelter under a fallen branch and drank water from huckleberry leaves. They stayed in the same place knowing that this would increase the chances of them being found.

If you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, we’ve got the solution. This list focuses only on positive, inspirational, and amusing stories from the last few days, which ensure that you won’t end the week on a sour note. Click here if you also want to read up on the weird happenings.

This week, we have two tales of dogs in the mountains, although one is about a heartwarming rescue while the other shows off one pooch’s steely determination. We also have a few positive accounts from the world of heavy metal. Lastly, we examine some notable feats: a record-breaking row across the Atlantic, the longest calculation of pi, and a viral challenge that’s actually worth doing.

10 A Transcontinental Row

A former Royal Marine with only one leg smashed the record for the fastest unsupported solo row across the Atlantic Ocean while also raising tens of thousands of dollars for veterans’ charities.

Lee Spencer lost his limb in an accident but was adamant about proving that “no-one should be defined by disability.” The 49-year-old father of two from Horrabridge, Devon, made the 6,115-kilometer (3,800 mi) journey from mainland Europe to South America in just 60 days. This not only made him the first disabled person to row from continent to continent, but he also beat the able-bodied record for that route by 36 days.^[1]

During his journey, Spencer slept only two hours per day. He also had to contend with waves over 12 meters (40 ft) high and a bout of gastroenteritis. He set off from Portugal and arrived in Cayenne, French Guiana, on Monday. His trip actually had a slight detour, as Spencer had to stop in the Canary Islands to fix his navigation system.

Back in 2016, Spencer and three other former servicemen became the first team of amputees to cross the Atlantic. This time, his record-setting journey also helped raise over £55,000 ($72,000) for charities near and dear to Spencer’s heart, such as the Royal Marines Charity and the Endeavour Fund.

9 Billy’s Donuts Becomes Big Hit

The power of social media turned a man’s new doughnut shop into a success following a tweet from his son that went viral.

Last Saturday was the grand opening of Billy’s Donuts in Missouri City, Texas. There was only one problem: No one showed up. This left the owner feeling a little down. Trying to drum up some interest, his son, Billy By, posted a few photos on Twitter of his sad dad and his empty doughnut shop.^[2]

Those images resonated with the online community, and the post garnered over a million likes and shares in just a few days. Moreover, customers came in droves to Billy’s Donuts, and the shop has sold out multiple days in a row. Suffice to say that the store has turned into an overnight hit, and Billy’s dad isn’t so sad anymore.

8 A Dedicated Canine Companion

A stray dog named Mera might have accidentally recorded the highest climb for a canine after befriending a mountaineering expedition and scaling almost 7,130 meters (23,390 ft) to the top of Baruntse in Nepal.

Dogs are a pretty common sight at the Everest Base Camp, 5,360 meters (17,600 ft) up. They will even climb to Camp II, which is 6,500 meters (21,300 ft) high. However, Billi Bierling of the Himalayan Database believes this to be the highest recorded climb of a dog according to expedition documents.^[3]

Mera is a 20-kilogram (45 lb) stray who appears to be a cross between a Himalayan sheepdog and a Tibetan mastiff. She joined the expedition when it was already almost 5,200 meters (17,000 ft) up and formed a bond with Don Wargowsky from Seattle, who shared his tent and food with her.

The Sherpas said they have never seen a dog like Mera before, and some even came to believe she was blessed. Clearly, this wasn’t her first climb. She seemed unfazed by the altitude and the precipices and still had energy to play and run even after reaching the summit.

7 The Kazoo Party

Heavy metal vocalist Randy Blythe led a kazoo “counter-party” to drown out a protest by the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC).

The WBC is a controversial church which has often been described as a hate group. It first gained infamy for protesting military funerals with inflammatory slogans such as “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates f—s.” Since then, they have protested pretty much anything that would gain them some attention.

Recently, they intended to stage a protest against Danica Roem, the first transgender person elected to the Virginia State Assembly. This didn’t sit well with Randy Blythe, a resident of Virginia and Roem’s friend. He is best known as the singer for heavy metal band Lamb of God.

Blythe reached out to his followers on social media and invited them to a counter-protest to show the members of the WBC their “famous Southern hospitality.”^[4] He stressed that their gathering would be full of colorful outfits and loud kazoos, their strategy being to simply drown out the protest. He advised attendees not to engage with the WBC in any way, knowing that they are looking for disputes, even fights, because that is when they attract the most publicity.

6 Rescue And Reunion For Family Pet

A helicopter crew with the Inverness Coastguard mounted a daring rescue of a dog that became stranded in the Cairngorms in Scotland.

Ben is a Bichon Frise/Cavalier King Charles mix who went on a trip with his family near Lake Avon. On Monday, he ran away and became lost as snow and storms engulfed the region.

On Wednesday, a team from the Coastguard was doing winter training at nearby Stag Rocks. Crew members spotted Ben stuck on a ridge above a 60-meter (200 ft) vertical drop.^[5] In a moment of serendipity, the weather cleared just in time to organize a rescue.

One of the Coastguard members was lowered from the helicopter, picked up the pooch, and lifted him up to safety. Ben was scared and cold, as his fur was caked in snow, but uninjured. A vet gave him a quick checkup before reuniting him with his family.

5 Happy Birthday, Billboard Dad

A 62-year-old man from New Jersey has received tens of thousands of birthday greetings after his sons put up a billboard asking strangers to wish him a happy birthday.

Michael and Chris Ferry are in Florida right now and couldn’t be with their father, Chris Sr., in Linwood, New Jersey, to celebrate his birthday. Even so, they decided they would give him one to remember. They rented a billboard with their dad’s face and phone number on it and simply asked people to wish him a happy birthday.

Chris first got wind of his sons’ plan when he received a greeting from a man named Nick. When asked how he knew Chris’s birthday was coming up, the stranger replied that he saw it on a billboard. Since then, tens of thousands of people from all over the world have called or texted Chris Ferry to commemorate his birthday. Some of them shared anecdotes about their own fathers or mentioned persons who shared Chris’s birthday. He even got recognized in public a few times by people who call him the “billboard dad.”^[6]

The sons were completely blown away by the response, as they thought only a few locals might take them up on their request. They said the idea originated from a prank they pulled when they were kids. Their dad would take them to restaurants after their hockey games, and they would say it was his birthday so that the waiter would bring him free cake. They already suggested that next year, they might rent a larger billboard.

4 The Biggest Slice Of Pi

This Thursday was Pi Day. Fittingly, a Japanese Google employee broke the world record for the length of the value of Pi by calculating the number to 31 trillion digits. This is nine trillion more than the previous record.

Pi is a special number. It is an irrational number which has been used in mathematics for thousands of years. Nowadays, it still plays a vital role in engineering, physics, and space exploration, among others.

Most of us know it as 3.14, but pi has an infinite number of digits. However, calculating the series of digits in pi is difficult because they don’t follow a set pattern. This has become a favored pastime of mathematicians, who see it as a challenge. Up until recently, the record for longest calculation of pi was 22 trillion digits. However, Emma Haruka Iwao extended it to 31.4 trillion digits.^[7] The number is so long that it would take 332,064 years to say it aloud.

As a Google employee, Emma made use of the company’s resources. It took 25 machines 121 days and 170 terabytes of data to calculate the latest pi. Already, she hopes to expand the number even further in the future.

3 Death Metal Fans Are Nice People

A new study published in the Royal Society’s Open Science journal indicates that death metal music does not incite violence, nor does it desensitize its listeners.

Professor Bill Thompson from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, has been investigating the emotional effects of music for decades. His latest experiment shows that fans of death metal “are nice people” and unlikely to hurt others due to the music they listen to.

The test was based on a phenomenon called “binocular rivalry.”^[8] Eighty people took part: 32 death metal fans and 48 non-fans. They had to look at pairs of images (one for each eye) while listening to music. One image was neutral, while the other one was violent. A normal response focuses more on the violent representation because the brain deems it a threat.

The other part of the test involved listening to music to see if death metal actively changed the subconscious response. First, participants heard the cannibalism-themed track “Eaten” by Bloodbath, a good representation of the genre. Then, they listened to something deemed the complete opposite—“Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

Death metal fans displayed the same bias as regular people. This shows that they still share the same sensitivity to violence as everyone else.

2 Greta Garners Nobel Nomination

On Friday, tens of thousands of students walked out of school and staged protests in over 100 countries to challenge politicians to become more proactive when it comes to climate change. This youth movement started with just one Swedish girl, who has now been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old girl from Stockholm. Back in August of last year, she began a solo demonstration which has since evolved into a global phenomenon. She continued her protest at the UN climate change summit last December and at the 2019 economic conference in Davos.

Greta’s nomination came courtesy of three Norwegian members of parliament.^[9] Under normal circumstances, the names of the nominees and nominators are kept secret for 50 years. Greta is just one of 301 candidates who will be in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. The winners will be announced in October and receive their awards in December.

1 The #TrashTag Challenge

There is a new Internet challenge that has gone viral. Most such trends are often stupid, dangerous, or, at the very least, pointless. But this new movement actually does some good. It is called the #TrashTag Challenge and encourages people to clean up public areas.

The way it works is pretty simple. Participants must clear the litter and garbage from a public spot or a natural space. They must show their work by posting before and after photos, and then they can nominate someone else to clean another space.

The #trashtag idea was actually part of a 2015 campaign developed by outdoors gear retailer UCO.^[10] However, the concept recently picked up global steam after a Reddit thread went viral. Already, there have been tens of thousands of online posts using the #trashtag hashtag which show people cleaning up public areas as part of the challenge.

To help you end the week on a positive note, we have gathered all the news that might lift your spirits into one list. This is where you’ll find a nice mix of feel-good stories combined with significant achievements and tales of true togetherness. If you’d also like something weird and wacky, check out the offbeat stories list as well.

This week, we celebrate people, both young and old, who achieve great things. There is also a notable milestone and a man who does something kind to help out two complete strangers. There are some inspirational tales about a fireman, a police officer, and a veteran, and we also make a quick note of the International Day of Happiness.

10 Defibrillator Saves Firefighter’s Life

A New York firefighter was saved by the same defibrillator he requested to have installed a few months prior.

Bill Staudt has worked for the FDNY for almost four decades. Last year, the 63-year-old submitted a request with the department’s management team to install an automated external defibrillator (AED) in his Queens fire station. There was no particular reason for this—it was “just in case.”^[1]

A few months after the station got its AED, Bill was working at his desk when he felt a burning sensation in his chest and collapsed. He had gone into cardiac arrest. Fortunately for him, his colleagues were able to use the defibrillator to regulate Bill’s heartbeat and stabilize him until the ambulance arrived. He made a full recovery and now has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in his chest which monitors his heart nonstop.

9 Going Out Of Your Way For A Stranger

This week’s random act of kindness comes to us courtesy of Dean Moore from North Ormesby, North Yorkshire, England. He drove over 640 kilometers (400 mi) out of his way to help a stranger pay a last visit to her dying mother.

Last Sunday, Ron and Sharleen Gillies were driving from Edinburgh to Cambridge because Mrs. Gillies’s mother was terminally ill and did not have long left. They had a small accident on the way near the town of Stockton-on-Tees. Although nobody was injured, the couple was left with no car and with little time to spare.

Fortunately for them, Dean Moore saw them by the side of the road and stopped to see if he could help. Upon hearing their story, he drove the couple 320 kilometers (200 mi) to their destination and then turned around and made the return trip. He refused to take any money, and the couple arrived in time to say goodbye.^[2]

8 Running For A Good Cause

Back in 2016, then 93-year-old Ernie Andrus became the oldest person to run across the United States. He made the trip from San Diego, California, to St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now he has set off in the opposite direction to beat his record and raise money for a war memorial.

For his first run, Ernie set off when he turned 90 back in 2013. It took him a little under 1,000 hours to complete the 4,235-kilometer (2,631 mi) course. He did it in 429 individual legs over a period of three years, averaging almost 30 kilometers (18.5 mi) per week. Now that he is a little older, Ernie estimates that his average will go down to about 21 kilometers (13 mi) per week, thus finishing the run when he is 100 years old.^[3]

A former World War II Navy veteran, Ernie’s dream is to raise enough money to take the USS LST-325 back to Normandy for a D-Day Memorial. The tank landing ship is a vessel like the one Andrus crewed in his heyday and remains the only ship in its class that is still operational.

7 Recognition For Female Mathematician

Karen Uhlenbeck has become the first woman in history to win the Abel Prize for mathematics.

She taught at the University of Texas at Austin for over three decades and is now the visiting senior research scholar at Princeton University as well as visiting associate at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS).

According to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Uhlenbeck is the 2019 Abel Prize laureate “for her pioneering achievements in geometric partial differential equations, gauge theory and integrable systems, and for the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics.”^[4] She studied and advanced our understanding of “minimal surfaces” such as soap bubbles.

The Abel Prize is considered by many as the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was first proposed over a century ago by Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie to complement the Nobel Prizes.

King Oscar II wanted to establish the award, but the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden put a stop to it. It wasn’t until 2003 that the inaugural Abel Prize was awarded to Jean-Pierre Serre. The distinction also comes with a monetary prize of 6 million Norwegian kroner (approx. $700,000).

6 Dogs Help Blind Man Run Marathon

Last Sunday, a blind man finished the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon thanks to his trusted guides: three Labrador retrievers named Waffle, Westley, and Gus.

People who are visually impaired have taken part in the marathon before, but Thomas Panek is the first person to complete it with the help of dogs instead of human guides. He clocked in at just a little over two hours and 20 minutes. The dogs helped Panek make his way through the course in turns. Each one ran between 5–8 kilometers (3–5 mi) out of the total 21.1-kilometer (13.1 mi) track.

In 2015, Panek developed the Running Guides program which trains dogs to run long distances alongside people who are visually impaired. His race also helped to raise funds and awareness for his nonprofit called Guiding Eyes for the Blind which provides these kinds of specially trained pooches free of charge to people in need.^[5]

5 Teddy Bear Search And Rescue

A New Jersey police officer answered the plea of a boy with autism who called 911 to help rescue his teddy bear.

Twelve-year-old Ryan Paul from Woodbridge misplaced his friend, a pocket-sized stuffed toy named Freddy. He did what he was taught to do in an event that he deemed an emergency: He dialed 911. The boy only spoke briefly to the dispatcher before hanging up, but he made mention of a “rescue.”

Officer Khari Manzini paid a visit to the Paul household to make sure everything was all right. By this point, Ryan’s father, a firefighter named Bob, had found out that his son had called 911 and was expecting a visit from the Woodbridge Police Department.^[6]

As it happened, Officer Manzini had received special training in autism recognition and response. Instead of bidding them a good day and leaving, he helped Ryan find Freddy. The two posed for a picture together and went on their merry way.

Later, Bob took to social media to thank Officer Manzini for his “kindness and understanding,” although he joked that he was a little offended that his son enlisted the help of a policeman for his teddy bear rescue when there was a firefighter in the house.

4 Better Late Than Never

A Vietnam veteran from Oklahoma received the Medal of Valor for courage and heroism he displayed during his service more than 50 years ago.

Today is Johnny Marler’s 68th birthday. He had barely turned 18 when he was deployed to Vietnam as an army medic. One day, Marler and his unit came under enemy fire. One of his comrades was shot. Instead of running away, Marler charged into the hail of fire, performed emergency aid on the spot, and dragged his ally to safety. For this, he earned the Medal of Valor, but he never received it.^[7]

Fast-forward to this week, and his son Jeremy received a call from an army official. He was going through recently declassified files and found Johnny’s award letter that had been left undelivered by mistake. On Thursday, Senator Jim Inhofe presented Marler with his long-overdue Medal of Valor.

3 Young Refugee Becomes Chess Prodigy

An eight-year-old homeless refugee from Nigeria is one step closer to his goal of becoming a chess grand master after winning the New York State championship in his age bracket.

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, who goes by “Tani,” competed in the 52nd New York State Scholastic Championships and went undefeated in the tournament. His group contained players from kindergarten up to the third grade and included many participants from elite schools who benefited from the tutelage of private teachers.

Tani’s family fled Nigeria in 2017 to avoid persecution by the Boko Haram. The family has been living in a shelter ever since. Tani only started playing chess a little over a year ago and soon revealed himself to be a prodigy.

He only has the opportunity to practice a few times a week, but his teacher, Shawn Martinez, says that Tani is already 10 times more adept at chess puzzles than your average player. Martinez believes that the boy is on pace to accomplish his goal of becoming a grand master in as little as two years.^[8]

It is likely that the Adewumi family won’t remain homeless for long. A fundraiser for them gained over $200,000 in less than a week. Tani’s story resonated with many people, including former US President Bill Clinton who shared it on Twitter and helped raise awareness.

2 Happy International Day Of Happiness!

Wednesday, March 20, was the International Day of Happiness. The celebration was commemorated by people around the globe by doing and saying the things that make them (and those around them) happy.

The international day was established in 2012 after the resolution was passed by consensus of all 193 member states of the United Nations. On the official website, visitors can see the 10 steps recommended to celebrate it. They include sharing your happiness with everyone else, pledging to create more joy in the world, and doing what you can to advance global goals such as eliminating hunger and poverty and reducing inequality.^[9]

The UN also published the World Happiness Report which has become chiefly known for ranking countries by their happiness level. For the second year in a row, Finland claimed first place, followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands.

According to coeditor John Helliwell, professor emeritus of economics at the University of British Columbia, the report considered six variables when establishing the rankings: freedom, trust, income, generosity, social support, and healthy life expectancy. Finns are happy because “they pay high taxes for a social safety net, they trust their government, they live in freedom, and they are generous with each other. [ . . . ] That’s the kind of place people want to live.”

1 Hardened Criminal Taken Into Custody

Police entered the Stokeleigh Care Home in Bristol, England, and arrested centenarian Anne Brokenbrow. The charge was “being an upstanding citizen for the last 104 years.” No, they hadn’t gone mad. They were fulfilling the wish of a woman who had never done anything wrong in her life and wanted to see what it was like to be on the wrong side of the law.

Anne was handcuffed, taken outside, and placed inside the back of a waiting police car. The vehicle drove off with sirens and blue lights blazing. The care home said that Anne enjoyed every minute of it.

The wish was granted with the help of Alive Activities, a UK charity that seeks to enrich the lives of the elderly by organizing fun and unique ventures. They found out about Anne’s request through an initiative called the Wishing Washing Line.^[10]

Care home residents simply write their wish and contact details on a piece of paper and leave it clipped to the washing line. The wish can be claimed by anyone with the means and desire to fulfill it.

This list aims to counter the doom and gloom which is too prevalent in the media. We take a look at 10 stories meant to lift your spirits and inspire. Of course, if you also want a dose of peculiar with your positive tales, check out the offbeat list, too.

This week, we find out who the teacher of the year was and we discover something cool about sun bears. We have two Picasso stories, an Alien play, a pothole-fixing pothead, and an octogenarian DJ.

10 Teacher Of The Year

An educator from a small village in Kenya has won this year’s Global Teacher Prize which also comes with a $1 million award courtesy of the Varkey Foundation.

Peter Tabichi was deemed the most dedicated and inspiring teacher from a pool of 10,000 candidates from 179 different countries. He gives lessons in math and physics at Keriko Secondary School in Pwani Village in a remote part of Kenya’s Rift Valley. A Franciscan friar, Tabichi gives away 80 percent of his salary to help the poorest students at his school afford books and supplies.

To say that the school operates in suboptimal conditions would be an understatement. Over 90 percent of the pupils come from families with low income. The school only has one outdated computer with a slow Internet connection. Students regularly have to walk 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) to reach the school using roads which can become impassable during the rainy seasons.

Despite those challenges, Tabichi started a “talent nurturing club.” His gifted students have already taken part in multiple international science competitions. They even won an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for a science project in which they used local plant life to generate electricity.

Tabichi received his prize at a ceremony held in Dubai that was hosted by actor Hugh Jackman.^[1]

9 A Canine Companion For A Canine Companion

An elderly blind golden retriever named Charlie got his own “seeing eye dog”: a four-month-old puppy named Maverick.

In 2016, Charlie lost an eye due to glaucoma. He lost the other one a year later. His family, Adam and Chelsea Stipe from North Carolina, thought that their beloved pooch could use some help, so they introduced him to Maverick this January.^[2]

At first, Charlie was a bit reluctant to accept the pup as his new playmate, but it wasn’t long until the two became best friends. Now Maverick helps out his elderly companion by bringing him his toys when he misplaces them and guiding him around by pulling his leash. This new friendship also helped reinvigorate the 11-year-old Charlie who now has a bit more pep in his step.

8 Own A Picasso For A Day

An unusual competition titled #myprivatepicasso will give Swiss art lovers the chance at a once-in-a-lifetime experience: They will own for a day a painting by master artist Pablo Picasso.

Not everyone can say that they have an original Picasso hanging in their living room, but the winner of the contest can . . . at least for 24 hours. As a prize, they get to host the Spanish painter’s Bust of Woman with Hat (Dora), a 1939 portrait of Picasso’s muse, Dora Marr.

To enter the competition, participants must live in Switzerland. They have to submit an online statement detailing how they would spend their day in the presence of the Picasso, including what events they would organize and how they would stage the painting. Participants will be able to vote on the submissions they like best starting on April 2. The best 20 entrants will be judged by a committee, and a final winner will be named on April 10.^[3]

Even while it is loaned out, the painting, which is worth several million dollars, will be monitored carefully using a state-of-the-art “smart frame” which tracks its location, temperature, and environment to make sure it is safe.

7 Sun Bears Like To Make Faces

Animal researchers were excited to discover that sun bears exhibit a social skill typically associated with humans and other higher primates: facial mimicry.

Sun bears live in the forests of Southeast Asia and are the smallest species of bear on the planet. More importantly, they are solitary creatures that spend most of their time in the wild alone. Therefore, scientists were hugely surprised when they saw that the animals mimicked each other’s faces during play fighting sessions.

Researchers studied 22 bears from the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Malaysia. They recorded 372 playful bouts over a two-year period. They observed numerous instances when one bear would make a facial expression while the partner was looking at them and the other bear would reciprocate with the exact same expression moments later.^[4]

This kind of behavior is common in great apes and even in dogs, but both represent groups of highly social animals. This new revelation has made researchers consider the possibility that facial mimicry could be a valuable communication tool pervasive among mammals.

6 Alien: The Play

A school play based on the classic sci-fi movie Alien has earned rave reviews and plenty of attention from Hollywood.

Drama club teacher Perfecto Cuervo from North Bergen High School in New Jersey is a big fan of the Alien franchise. He decided to adapt the screenplay of the first film for the stage. The production ran for two nights on March 19 and 22. It garnered a lot of praise for how a tiny, underfunded drama club managed to tackle the complex sets, costumes, and effects present in the sci-fi epic.

The students made the majority of the props using mostly recycled materials. Among their most ambitious projects were the space jockey, the alien costume, and the recreation of the infamous chest-burster scene.^[5]

Clips from the production made their way online and even elicited a few impressed nods from Hollywood. Both Alien star Sigourney Weaver and director Ridley Scott commended the drama club’s dedication and resourcefulness. North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco announced that his foundation will fund encore performances of Alien: The Play.

5 The Pothole Initiative

A man from Stellarton, Nova Scotia, took it upon himself to fix the potholes that plague Westville Road. In return, grateful drivers have rewarded him with cash, coffee, and cannabis.

For the last few days, 22-year-old John McCue has been out shoveling gravel from ditches to patch up potholes. He got the idea after reading a story a few weeks back about a car hitting a hole so big that it broke the axle clean off.

Authorities were not too pleased with McCue’s initiative. Town police stopped by and warned the young man to leave the repairs to the professionals because he was impeding traffic.

On the other hand, motorists have been far more appreciative. Most of them gave a grateful honk as they passed by, but some stopped to give McCue cash, coffee, or even some joints. The man admits that he is probably going to use the money to buy more weed.^[6]

4 DJ Wika In Da House

At first glance, 80-year-old Wirginia Szmyt from Poland looks like your typical, friendly, little old lady. But at night, she dons her party outfit, puts on a pair of headphones, and jumps behind the turntables where she performs in front of packed clubs as DJ Wika.

Over the past two decades, Wika has been DJ-ing mostly for Polish retirees to share with them the rejuvenating power of music. Nowadays, she performs at the Hula Kula Club in Warsaw every Monday night where around 1,000 people gather to hear her set. A former special educational teacher, Wika is a self-taught DJ. Her playlists typically include a bit of everything from rock to disco to samba.^[7]

Wika’s life philosophy is all about age being just a number and going against the stereotypes of elderly people. She wants to show the world that your life does not end when you reach 70.

3 Cookies For Veterans

Girl Scouts from Colorado delivered 12,000 boxes of cookies to the patients, family members, and staff of a veteran’s medical center.

The girls collected all those treats as part of the Hometown Heroes/Gift of Caring program. Customers who wanted to support the Girl Scouts and veterans without actually eating cookies could buy boxes and donate them.

On Thursday, scouts, parents, and troop leaders brought 12,000 boxes to the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Then they handed them out to all the people in the hospital and across the campus. Some of the remaining cookies will be stored so that patients can enjoy them throughout the year. The rest of the cookies will go to other VA centers across the state.^[8]

2 Indiana Jones Strikes Again

Dutch art investigator Arthur Brand has been in the headlines quite often in recent times. Last year, he made the news after recovering a Byzantine mosaic. Then, at the start of 2019, we mentioned how he found a pair of stolen seventh-century Visigoth reliefs that had been sitting in someone’s garden for 15 years. Now the man dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the art world” is in the news again after recovering a stolen Picasso.

The painting is known as Buste de Femme (Dora Maar). Picasso painted it in 1938, depicting his muse and lover Dora Maar. The artist held on to the artwork until his death in 1973. It was stolen in 1999 from the yacht of a Saudi sheikh.^[9]

Brand first heard whispers of a “Picasso stolen from a ship” back in 2015. He looked into it. Once he identified the painting in question, he put out the word to people who might have bought it.

He was contacted by representatives of an unnamed Dutch businessman who had thought the purchase was legitimate. The painting, which is valued at $28 million, is now with an insurance company that will decide what to do with it next.

1 The Marathon Man

A paralyzed man took part in the Los Angeles Marathon and managed to walk over 27.7 kilometers (17.2 mi) in about 28 hours.

Thirteen years ago, Adam Gorlitsky from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was involved in a car accident and sustained a severe spinal cord injury which left him unable to walk. Three years ago, he was fitted with a ReWalk Exoskeleton. It is a bionic device mounted to the legs which allows paraplegics to stand upright, walk, and even climb stairs. Soon afterward, he competed in the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, South Carolina, and became the first paralyzed man to finish it.

Since then, Gorlitsky has taken part in over 30 other races across the country. They brought attention to his charity, “I Got Legs,” which helps other people with walking disabilities.

Last weekend, he set his sights on his most ambitious goal yet: a full-length, 42.2-kilometer (26.2 mi) marathon. He estimated that it would take him around 36 hours to complete the course, so he received a waiver from the organizers to start two days early.

In the end, Gorlitsky wasn’t quite able to reach his goal. Hand and wrist pain and sleep deprivation stopped him 14.5 kilometers (9 mi) before the finish line. However, he took it as a valuable learning experience and is already planning to take part in another marathon.^[10]

If the rest of the week has got you down a little, perhaps this list can cheer you. Here, we only talk about stories that are positive, amusing, or inspirational. Meanwhile, you can also check the Saturday offbeat list for a glimpse at some of the strangest news items that made the headlines.

This week, we have two stories about awesome grandmas. There are also a few heartwarming tales about children fighting to overcome adversities and the people in their lives who are helping them to achieve their goals.

10 One Good Deed Deserves Another

After receiving an electric bike as a gift from various veterans organizations, a former soldier set off on a 64-kilometer (40 mi) ride to help raise money for her benefactors.

Che Orr enlisted when she turned 18, upholding her family’s tradition of military service. She served for 12 years, but an injury during Desert Storm left her unable to drive due to seizures. Now multiple veterans organizations like the American Legion Auxiliary, AMVETS, and the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary along with private donors raised $1,500 and purchased for her an electric bike.

Keen to repay this kindness, Orr organized a bike ride between several Florida posts of the American Legion to raise awareness and funds for the veterans community. She set off from East Naples and finished in Fort Myers. The event raised over $2,500, and Orr plans to make it an annual tradition.^[1]

9 The Skyrim Grandma

Shirley Curry has found online fame in her eighties by posting videos on YouTube of herself playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Now, following a fan petition with over 50,000 signatures, she will be immortalized as a character in the next game in the franchise.

At first, Shirley posted a few videos for fun. One day, they made their way to Reddit, and the grandmother of nine was startled the next morning to find over 11,000 emails from fans in her inbox. Now, Shirley has over half a million subscribers and has embraced her new persona of “Skyrim Grandma.”^[2]

Her fans launched a petition to get Shirley included in Elder Scrolls VI. The franchise recently marked its 25th anniversary, and the company behind it, Bethesda, announced Curry’s inclusion during a celebratory stream.

8 Serving The Community

Sheriffs from Polk County, Florida, surprised a 13-year-old leukemia patient with a new bike after his previous one got stolen.

Teenager Daylin Campbell from Lake Wales, Florida, got a mountain bike for Christmas. It even had custom stickers on the sides that said “Daylin strong.” However, he never got to take it out for a spin. At the time, he was too weak from his battle with leukemia. Before he could build up his strength, someone stole the bike.

Officers from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office decided to do something to cheer up Daylin while they are looking for the thief. They showed up at his home with a brand-new bicycle complete with lock and helmet. In a Facebook update, the sheriff’s office confirmed that the boy is now in remission. They hope that the bike will “help him enjoy being a kid again.”^[3]

7 Happy Birthday, Mr. Haze!

March 27 was Haze Mabry’s 80th birthday, and he expected it to be a day like any other. He would walk into Pike County Elementary School in Georgia where he works as a janitor and keeps the place clean. Instead, he found almost 800 students lining the hallways to sing “Happy Birthday” to him and give him handmade greeting cards.

Mabry walked the school corridors as children chanted “Mr. Haze” and occasionally stepped out of line for a hug. In the end, he had so many birthday cards that the students helped him collect them into several buckets.

Lori Gilreath, a teacher who helped organize the surprise celebration, believes that Haze is the “most loved person in [this] whole building.” In an interview, Mabry said he felt like the “old lady in the shoe” and the students were his children. He spent the weekend going through all the birthday cards because he wanted to make sure he read each one.^[4]

6 A Remarkable Act Of Compassion

One selfless act of a grandmother from Zimbabwe has earned her a huge reward courtesy of one of the country’s richest people.

Cyclone Idai devastated Africa last month. One of the countries that was hit the hardest was Zimbabwe, which suffered from flash floods that killed hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.

When she heard about the damage, Plaxedes Dilon wanted to help. She filled a bag with kitchen supplies and clothes and headed for the disaster relief center at the Highlands Presbyterian Church.

There was one more problem, though. The center was 16 kilometers (10 mi) away, and Dilon didn’t have money for a bus ticket. Even though she is in her seventies, the great-grandmother walked the whole way while carrying the bag on her head.

Word of Dilon’s determination and herculean effort reached Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa who described it as “one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen.” He pledged to reward her kindness by building her a house anywhere she wants in Zimbabwe and giving her a $1,000 monthly allowance for life.^[5]

5 The Last Plastic Straw

A simple letter from a seven-year-old sea turtle enthusiast persuaded a major retailer to ditch plastic straws and use a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Benjamin Ball visited the flagship L.L.Bean store in Freeport, Maine. The young boy bought a lemonade inside the store’s cafe. He asked for a paper straw, only to discover that the shop stocked just plastic ones.

Benjamin might only be seven years old, but he is a passionate animal lover and knows that plastics do a lot of harm to ocean life. When he got back to his home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he wrote a letter to Steve Smith, president and CEO of L.L.Bean. The boy had a simple request: to use paper straws instead of plastic.

In 24 hours, Benjamin received a reply from Smith. The businessman found his letter to be “articulate, well-reasoned, polite, yet passionate” and promised to do something about it. Since then, L.L.Bean has announced that its cafeterias and retail affiliates will only use 100 percent corn biodegradable straws.^[6]

4 Overdue Recognition For Female Archaeologists

Online sleuths put their thinking caps on and tentatively identified four female archaeologists who helped excavate Skara Brae and were simply dismissed as visitors or tourists.

Back in 1850, a huge storm devastated Scotland. On the positive side, it also unearthed Skara Brae, a Neolithic village that goes back over 5,000 years. However, it wasn’t until the 1920s that the site was thoroughly investigated by a team under the leadership of Professor V. Gordon Childe from the University of Edinburgh.

Some photographs from that time recently made their way online courtesy of the Orkney Library and Archive. Four women who appear in the images have been categorized as “visitors” in a book about the dig.

However, closer inspection of the photos suggests that they were more than that. The women have muddy shoes, and one of them can be seen holding a trowel. The back of one of the original photographs identifies Professor Childe and “4 of his lady students.”^[7]

Unfortunately, women in science having their contributions minimized, even ignored, has been a common problem throughout history. On this occasion, though, armchair detectives got to work to identify four archaeologists who helped excavate the most complete Neolithic village in Europe. Although this isn’t definitive, they have been recognized as Margaret Simpson, Margaret Mitchell, Mary Kennedy, and Margaret Cole.

3 Romeo And JulietThe Amphibian Version

Romeo, once dubbed the “world’s loneliest frog,” had his first date with Juliet, and it went so well that the pair have already been moved in together.

Back in January, we talked about Romeo the Sehuencas water frog. For 10 years, he was believed to be the last of his species because scientists were unable to find a female for him.^[8]

However, a recent expedition had finally turned up five new frogs. One of the females was named Juliet and was paired with Romeo in the hopes that sparks would fly between them.

It would seem that sparks did, indeed, fly. The couple had their first date on March 1, and conservationists were there to film every moment of it. Since it went well, researchers were quick to put them in the same aquarium. As herpetologist Teresa Camacho Badani said: “When the fate of an entire species is on the line, there’s really no time for taking it slow.”

Romeo has begun calling again, signaling that he is ready to mate. He also follows Juliet around the tank and shares his worm meals with her. Unfortunately, he might be a little rusty as he is struggling to get into the right breeding position (amplexus). Scientists are hopeful that the couple will produce baby Sehuencas water frogs in the near future.

2 Reach For The Stars

It was a hell of a week for 13-year-old cancer patient Benjamin Lepage from Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Quebec, Canada. A trip to the NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas, allowed him to live his dream. On Monday, a third round of chemotherapy proved successful.

Benjamin was diagnosed with extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. He had undergone chemo, but the first two attempts were ineffective. His mother reached out to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada to see if they could help with his ambition of becoming an astronomer. They arranged for a visit to the space center last week.

Benjamin and his family first saw the Rocket Park with astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Stan Love showed them around the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory while Canadian astronaut Jennifer Sidey gave them a tour of space station training mock-ups.

They visited the Mission Control Center where Benjamin talked with fellow Quebecois David Saint-Jacques, currently aboard the International Space Station. Lastly, the boy got to control the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, also known as the Canadarm.^[9]

Despite Benjamin’s trip, the best was yet to come as a new, more aggressive session of chemotherapy proved successful on Monday, right on his 14th birthday.

1 Riding In Style

A high school robotics team built a customized toy car for a two-year-old who cannot walk.

Cillian Jackson from Farmington, Minnesota, was born with a genetic condition that left him immobile. His parents found out about a program called Go Baby Go. It provided modified toy cars for kids with limited mobility so it would be easier for them to get around. Unfortunately, the organization did not have a chapter anywhere near the Jacksons’ home.

The robotics team from Farmington High School stepped in. They took a Power Wheels toy car and modified it so Cillian could use it. They had to take out the electronics and redo the wiring.

The seat needed to be replaced with one that fit the young boy. Also, the students had to write new code so that the motor would respond to one multidirectional joystick instead of the two joysticks originally fitted on the car.^[10]

The robotics students presented Cillian with his new ride back in December. They reunited last week after the boy had a bit of time to get used to the controls.

The car has been a success. Cillian’s mother, Krissy Jackson, believes that the ability to make his own choices helped her son rediscover his curiosity. It is also good practice for when he grows up and his insurance will cover a motorized wheelchair.

If the rest of the week has got you down a little, perhaps this list can cheer you up. Here, we only talk about stories that are positive, amusing, or inspirational. Meanwhile, you can also check the Saturday offbeat list for a glimpse at some of the strangest news items that made the headlines.

This time, we learn about a few inspiring individuals, both human and animal, who will not let their disabilities define them. There is also a pooch who went journeying solo through Ireland, an amazing discovery at the bottom of the ocean, and a chance to spend an unforgettable night with the Mona Lisa.

10 Hamish’s Wild Ride

Hamish the dog was reunited with his family after being taken into care by Irish Rail staff following a solo train ride through Ireland.

Last Wednesday, commuters traveling from Sallins to Dublin alerted staff members that a lone dog had boarded the train. Unable to find his owner, they took in the friendly pooch and named him Hamish.

Initially, the dog spent his time at the office, with various Irish Rail staff taking turns to look after him and feed him their packed sandwiches. Employee Ted Maher then took him to My Lovely Horse Rescue, a farm for horses where he volunteers.^[1] Meanwhile, he also reached out to social media to see if they could find the dog’s family.

Maher was successful a few days later. Hamish, real name Tyson, was reunited with his owners and his sister, Pebbles. He has also been microchipped to make it easier to find him should he leave on a solo adventure again.

9 Riding In Style

A hospital from Modesto, California, has found an interesting way of easing the anxiety of children who have to go in for surgery: they drive there in toy racing cars.

The Doctors Medical Center recently acquired a miniature black Mercedes and pink Volkswagen Beetle so that their young patients can cruise into surgery in style. The goal is “to reduce anxiety and stress, and make the experience less scary for everyone involved.”^[2] So far, the sweet rides have had a calming effect not only on the children but also on their parents as well.

The initiative was the idea of nurse Kimberly Martinez. The hospital purchased the Mercedes, while the Beetle was a donation from an employee and her family. Both cars have opening doors, working headlights, and dashboard lights and come equipped with a stereo and MP3 player.

8 The Inadvertent Car Thief

A Canadian man is trying to find the owner of a car he mistakenly stole over two decades ago in order to apologize.

Back in 1998, Kevin Freedman was a teenage lifeguard and swim instructor in Winnipeg, Manitoba. One hot August day, he had to drive downtown to pay a parking ticket. However, his own car was in the shop, so a colleague let him borrow her car. It was a white Ford Taurus, a common car at the time. Freedman went out to the parking lot, found a white Ford Taurus with its doors unlocked, and climbed inside. Although he had some difficulty, Freedman eventually got the car started and drove off.

He went to the police station and took care of the ticket. When Freedman tried to leave, he couldn’t unlock the door. A passing police officer helped him because he had the same kind of vehicle. Again, the lifeguard struggled to get the engine started, but he put it down to his own incompetence. He drove back to work and parked the car in the same spot.

It wasn’t until the next day that Freedman found out he had inadvertently stolen someone else’s Ford Taurus.^[3] When police arrived and discovered the car in the same place, with no damage and nothing stolen, they may have assumed someone took it for a joyride. Perhaps they thought the owner was lying. After 21 years, Freedman is trying to locate that person and apologize, as well as find out their side of the story.

7 Granite Heart With Iron Will

A chicken with only one good leg is learning to walk for the first time after being fitted with a custom wheelchair.

Granite Heart is a bantam chicken which was born with a tendon disease in one of her legs. As a result, she could only get around by hopping or flying short distances. To make matters worse, she was attacked by a weasel last year. The plucky bird managed to fight off the predator but was left with serious injuries.

Her story reached Walkin’ Pets, an organization based in New Hampshire which makes walking devices for dogs and other pets with disabilities. They had never made such an implement for a chicken before but decided to give it a try. Thus, the Walkin’ Wheels Chicken Wheelchair was born.^[4] It is designed to fit Granite Heart comfortably, and now, for the first time in her life, the bird can stand up on her own. Walkin’ Pets plan to keep working on the device until they have a perfect design which can be used on other chickens in the future.

6 Magic In The Ocean

An amazing video of an optical illusion involving hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean caused even experienced scientists to marvel with awe.

An expedition from the Schmidt Ocean Institute sent a robotic submersible named SuBastian to explore the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California. Two thousand meters (6,560 ft) beneath the sea, it examined a 30-meter-tall (100 ft) hydrothermal vent called the “Big Pagoda” and recorded an optical illusion caused by the intense heat.

At first glance, it appeared that the underside of a rocky overhang, called a flange, was a perfectly smooth and level surface, so reflective that it resembled a mirror. However, one angle change, and the shiny, smooth surface disappeared, leaving behind a dark, hollowed out arc of glittering minerals.^[5]

The vanishing mirror might appear to be a magic trick, but it is due to the heat caused by hydrothermal vents. The water in this region can reach 366 degrees Celsius (690 °F) without boiling. Most of it rises and mixes with the rest of the ocean water, but some of it fills out the concave undersides of the flanges. The temperature difference between the hot liquid in these areas compared to the cool water around them is so great that it causes light to slow down and creates the mirror-like false surface.

As for the tiny specks that sparkled in the dark concavity, scientists believe they are minerals like pyrite or pyrrhotite but won’t be sure until they examine a sample in the lab.

5 Food For Fines

This week was National Library Week in the United States, and this year’s theme was “Libraries=Strong Communities.” Also back is the annual Food for Fines program, which allows library patrons to pay overdue fees with canned goods that will be donated to local food banks.

The libraries that take part in this initiative will accept unopened, nonperishable pantry foods in lieu of monetary payment. Typically, one item means $1 worth of waived fines, and some libraries even accept pet food that will be donated to animal shelters.^[6]

Numerous libraries throughout the country are taking part in the Food for Fines program. Some of them only participated throughout National Library Week, but the rest will still be accepting food donations until the end of the month.

4 Slumber Party At The Louvre

The Louvre is giving art lovers the chance at a once-in-a-lifetime experience: spend the night inside the museum.

The Louvre is one of the most popular museums in the world. Millions of tourists visit the historic institution every year. Sure, many of them flock to see the Mona Lisa and then leave, but they still create huge crowds and long lines that make seeing the museum a chore.

That will not be the case for one lucky competition winner and a guest of their choosing. They will be flown to Paris and will be able to enjoy a slumber party unlike any other. First, they will be given a private tour followed up by a “cosy Renaissance inspired aperitif” served at a lounge set up right in front of the Mona Lisa. Then comes dinner in front of the Venus de Milo, and the night is capped off by an “intimate acoustic concert” in the living quarters of Napoleon III.^[7] When it is bedtime, visitors will sleep in a miniature glass pyramid reminiscent of the one sitting outside in the Louvre courtyard.

The competition was set up by Airbnb. In order to be eligible, contestants must send in an 800-character reply to the question “Why would you be the Mona Lisa’s perfect guest?”

3 Shoplifter Given A Second Chance

A convenience store owner in Toledo, Ohio, has been praised for how he handled a young shoplifter. Instead of turning him over to the authorities, he talked with him and gave him enough food to feed himself and his starving brother.

Last Saturday night, Jitendra “Jay” Singh noticed a teenager in his 7-Eleven store stuffing candies in his pocket. He had an employee call 911 while he confronted the shoplifter. Singh told the young man to empty his pockets on the counter and then simply asked him why he was stealing. The shoplifter replied that it was for him and his hungry brother.

At this point, the easiest thing for Singh would have been to have the police come in and arrest the teenage thief. But he thought that this way, the teen would have a record, would never get a good job, and won’t be able to do anything with his life.^[8] Instead, he told his employee to hang up the phone. He said to the young man to ask for food from now on rather than steal it. Singh also filled a bag with chicken drumsticks, hot dogs, pizza, and a bottle of Cola so that the hungry teenager would not leave empty-handed.

2 The Eco-Friendly Adventures Of Trash Girl

On Friday, a teenager who was once bullied for being “Trash Girl” received the Points of Light Award from British prime minister Theresa May for helping to clean up the environment in Norfolk.

People first heard of Nadia Sparkes’s exploits back in 2017. She would leave for school an hour early so that she could pick up litter on her way and would do the same thing on the trip back home. Doing this, she collected more than 1,100 liters (290 gal) of garbage. For her efforts, Nadia was ridiculed at school and nicknamed “Trash Girl.”

Instead of letting the bullies get to her, Nadia embraced her new moniker and kept on working as before. She said the nickname made her feel “like a superhero.” Many others agreed. Since then, Nadia has been published in the local Eastern Daily Press newspaper, and Trash Girl was featured in a portrait by mud artist Ruddy Muddy. Her new persona was also used in a cartoon by Creative Nation. Now, Nadia’s environmental work has been recognized by the British government, as she received the Points of Light Award for “saving the planet.”^[9]

1 Roman’s Journey

A two-year-old boy from Kansas with spina bifida defied the odds and is now able to walk and even run without crutches.

Roman Dinkel first captured the hearts of the online world back in August 2018. Millions viewed a video of him using his crutches to walk for the first time and gleefully showing off in front of the family pooch, Maggie. In the months since then, Roman has pushed his training hard and is now able to get around on his own and even pick up the pace at a running speed.^[10]

Roman was born with spina bifida, which is a birth defect that impedes the normal development of the spinal cord. He also had hydrocephalus, extra fluid around the brain. He needed three surgeries on his brain and spine before his first birthday. His parents were not expecting him to make such tremendous headway so soon. They recently celebrated with a trip to Disneyland. The family has also been documenting Roman’s progress on Facebook in order to raise awareness of the rare spinal disease.

A new week is on the way, and we want to help you start it off on a happy note. That’s why this list has some of the most positive stories that happened over the last few days. If you would like to read about bizarre and outlandish occurrences instead, check out the offbeat list right here.

We have a few inspiring animal tales this week involving a unicorn sheep, good news about the rising population of kakapo, and a dog rescue in the middle of the ocean. There are also stories that praise human tenacity, such as saving someone’s life on top of Everest or running an entire marathon in heels. Lastly, we look at some of the positive stories to come out of the fire that ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral.

10 The Marathon Mutt

The Marathon des Sables took place last week. Touted as the “toughest foot race on Earth,” it is an ultimate endurance challenge that sees competitors travel 226 kilometers (140 mi) over a six-day period in Southern Morocco through the unforgiving Sahara Desert. Without a doubt, this year’s breakout star was a dog who enthusiastically joined the race and ended up becoming the first canine to run the marathon.

Runners named the pooch Cactus. Technically, he did not complete the Marathon des Sables because he joined halfway through Day Two. However, everyone seemed happy to overlook this minor issue. Fan interest in Cactus reached a point where the organizers gave him his own race number (“000”) and a collar with his own GPS tracker so that people could monitor his progress at will.

The dog made short work of the “long stage,” the hardest part of the marathon that requires runners to finish a 75-kilometer (47 mi) stretch in less than 31 hours. Cactus did it in 11 hours.^[1] He has been well-cared for throughout the race, being provided with food, water, and belly rubs at all checkpoints. The medical team also checked up on him at the campsites to ensure that he was healthy. At the finish, Cactus was presented with his own special medal.

9 Helping The Community

A 12-year-old boy from Michigan received a citation from the mayor for his diligent work to fix the potholes in his neighborhood.

One day, Trinell Scott and her son, Monte, were driving through their hometown of Muskegon Heights, trying to avoid all the potholes that littered the road. Inevitably, they hit one which was so deep that it took out their car’s tire and axle.

Monte did not want this to happen to anyone else, so he took it upon himself to fill the potholes. As his mother taught him, he had a responsibility of helping his community.^[2] Trinell did not know about her son’s plan. She found out when a video of Monte’s good deed showed up in her Facebook feed.

Both of them were recently commended by Mayor Kimberley Sims. Trinell was honored for her parenting, while Monte was cited for his roadwork.

8 Joey The Unicorn Sheep

An Australian man traded two cases of beer to save a “unicorn sheep” named Joey.

Last February, stock agent Michael Foster was at the farm of one of his clients near Hallett, South Australia. There, he saw a sheep unlike any other. Instead of two horns, he had a single horn coming out of the top of his head like a unicorn.

Foster wanted the animal and offered to purchase it from the farmer. The latter told him he could have the ram in exchange for beer, so Foster traded him for two cases of Great Northern. Just in time, too, as the sheep was destined for the feedlot.

Back home, the stock agent’s two daughters immediately fell in love with the unique animal and named him Joey.^[3] The plan is to keep him as a pet but also to bring Joey to pageants and agricultural shows so that other people can see the “unicorn sheep.”

7 Paint Your Heart Out

Firefighters from Florida wanted to give back to the community, so they spent last weekend painting the house of a blind World War II veteran.

It had been 17 years since 89-year-old William Velez last painted his house. He wanted to give it a new coat of paint but was unable due to his impairment. Fortunately for him, dozens of members from the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and their families volunteered to help him out. They painted his home and, as a bonus, installed new smoke detectors inside.^[4]

The initiative was organized by Paint Your Heart Out Tampa, a volunteer organization that aims to “enrich lives and renew our community . . . one paint brush at a time” by giving snazzy makeovers to the homes of veterans, seniors, and disabled people.

6 Rescue Mission At 10,000 Feet

A mountain climber abandoned his ascent of Mount Everest to rescue an injured Sherpa he encountered along the way.

Like most climbers, Neal Kushwaha from Saskatoon, Canada, dreamed about one day conquering the world’s highest peak. As he was scaling the mountain, he saw a Sherpa in need of medical attention. He was bleeding from the head after being hit with a rock. Unfortunately, the sight of bodies is common in the Himalayas, so other climbers simply passed him by. However, Kushwaha realized that the man, named Chhering Dorje, was still alive.

In that oxygen-deprived environment, just taking a few steps can be physically exhausting. Somehow, Kushwaha was able to carry Dorje on his back while another man carried his pack. Later, they encountered two other climbers who were willing to help. Together, they brought Dorje to a wide, flat plateau where they could radio for a rescue helicopter.^[5]

This is the point where most people would call it a day, but Kushwaha actually started climbing again after a quick break. By evening, he had reached his team’s camp. The next day was clear and sunny, and the crew successfully reached the summit. When he climbed down to base camp, Kushwaha found Chhering’s brother waiting for him with hot tea and news that the injured Sherpa survived and was convalescing in the hospital.

5 Kakapo Population On The Rise

There is good news for the kakapo, as the bird has experienced a record breeding season, and scientists are hopeful that this could signal a reversal of fortune for the critically endangered animal.

Endemic to New Zealand, there are only 147 adult kakapo in the world. They were actually thought to have gone completely extinct until a small population was found on Stewart Island in the 1970s. Since then, the world’s fattest parrot has been subjected to one of the most intensive breeding programs on the planet.

It seems that the efforts of conservationists have paid off. This year, 76 kakapo chicks have hatched as 49 of 50 adult females laid eggs.^[6] Around 60 birds are expected to make it to adulthood, which is a huge increase over the previous record of 37 fledglings set in 2016.

The secret to this success has been an abundant food supply. Conservationists have seeded the New Zealand bush with Rimu trees that produce the fruit most favored by kakapo. The eventual goal is to reintroduce the parrot to mainland New Zealand, but scientists want a population of at least 500 before considering this step.

4 Saving Boonrod

When you work on an oil rig over 217 kilometers (135 mi) from the shore, there are some things that you do not expect to see. A swimming dog is one of them. And yet, that is exactly the sight that greeted workers on an offshore platform in Southern Thailand.

The pooch swam toward the oil rig and clung to the beams beneath the platform. With the animal partially submerged in water and the sea getting rougher, workers knew they only had a brief window if they wanted to save the dog. In about 15 minutes, they managed to lower a rope, secure the animal, and pull him up to safety.

They named the dog Boonrod.^[7] At first, he was exhausted and in a state of shock, but some fresh water and pieces of meat helped him regain his strength. The workers set him up with a kennel. After a day and a half, Boonrod was happy and playful and had already become the most popular member of the crew.

Nobody is really sure how the pooch ended up there in the first place, although some have speculated that he fell or jumped off a fishing boat. Boonrod has since been taken to land, and one of the workers announced that he intends to adopt him permanently when he returns from the rig.

3 World Record Set In Style

A French woman ran the Paris Marathon while wearing high heels and broke the world record by almost an hour and a half.

The race took place last Sunday. Among the runners was Christelle Doyhambehere, a 34-year-old nursing assistant from the city of Pau. She got the idea of doing the marathon in heels after her partner mentioned it jokingly. She looked it up and discovered that the world record of 7:27:53 was set by American Irene Sewell back in 2017.

Christelle started training five to six times a week. When race day arrived, she was wearing a pair of salsa pumps with 7.6-centimeter (3 in) heels, fitted over taped ankles, running socks, and calf compression sleeves. Other than a few minor setbacks, the race went smoothly, and she finished with a time of 6:04:07.^[8]

Christelle’s bizarre feat of endurance had a second purpose besides setting a new record. She also raised money for Koala, a charity which entertains children in hospitals, including the one in Pau where she works.

2 Cupcakes And Cardio

World War II veteran Fred Lawrence turned 98 years old this week. He planned on spending it like any other Wednesday by working out at the gym. However, club employees were ready with a surprise birthday celebration to honor their oldest, most dedicated member.

Despite his age, Fred works out three times a week and has been going to the 24 Hour Fitness Club in Gladstone, Oregon, for the last five or six years. He serves as an inspiration to other regulars like Jeramy Ybarra, who appreciates his perseverance and his gratitude for life.

This week, when Fred entered through the doors of the gym, he saw that the whole place had been decorated with balloons and signs. Employees had made Fred his favorite treat, vanilla bean cupcakes, and also presented him with an oversized birthday card signed by everyone there.^[9] The retired Marine enjoyed his surprise party and afterward proceeded with his regular 90-minute workout.

1 Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

At the start of the week, the world stood stunned as it watched the Notre Dame Cathedral burn. The fire devastated the 12th-century structure, causing tremendous damage to the roof and leading to the collapse of the spire. However, this is the kind of list that looks at the positives, even in tragedies.

Notre Dame will be rebuilt. Already, companies and private citizens have donated around $1 billion for its reconstruction. Conveniently, just a few years ago, a team led by Professor Andrew Tallon from Vassar College used laser scans to create a 3-D map of the cathedral that is accurate within 5 millimeters. That is, of course, if they plan to rebuild it as it was. French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced a challenge to the world’s architects to design a new spire.

Most of the priceless treasures inside the cathedral survived the fire. The trio of 800-year-old Rose windows has been saved. The Great Organ which still contained pipes from the Middle Ages was also safe. One heroic priest named Jean-Marc Fournier rushed into the blazing building to save the Crown of Thorns, one of Notre Dame’s most cherished relics.

Perhaps the story that resonated most with people was that of American tourist Brooke Windsor. Just an hour before the fire broke out, she snapped a photo of a father and daughter playing carefree in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The image soon went viral, although nobody knew who the mystery duo were. On Thursday, Windsor confirmed that the father contacted her, thanking her for a beautiful photograph and assuring her that they “will find a special place for it.”^[10]