Positive News ~ Feb. 16

This series is to spotlight the Light and Love inside humanity, and the wonder and miracles that can be found around us. Please click on the headline to read the full article. ~ESA

MIRACLES/WONDERS:

- God still performs miracles Alexandra and Eric Fischer had tried unsuccessfully for six years to have a baby. Now, one of their pastors wanted to host a baby shower for Alexandra — even though she wasn’t pregnant and they hadn’t started an adoption process. Who has a baby shower with no baby? It would take an act of faith.
- Mother and newborn miracle survive rare condition The mortality rate for a ruptured splenic artery is 75% for the mother, and 95% for the baby.
- Doctors ‘freeze' baby to save newborn with supraventricular tachycardia heart disorder "It was really strange highs and lows because he was doing extremely poorly," Ives said. "But, oh, thank God! It worked."
- Miracle operation for baby Sergio The dad of brave Sergio O’Connor yesterday told how a miracle treatment has given his boy a chance at life.
- 'I'm breathing again, and that's a miracle' A 59-year-old machinist from Wyoming is able to breathe deeply and is looking forward to attending his daughter’s college graduation after undergoing the first lung transplant in West Michigan.
- Hamilton High teen's crash recovery considered a miracle A 17-year-old high school teen who was injured in a car accident in November is defying the odds through what family and doctors are calling a miraculous recovery.
- Natalie’s pregnancy double-miracle The 24-year-old from Roberttown, found out she was pregnant with a rare form of twins just days after being given the devastating news that she would never have children again.
- In Search Of One Tiny Miracle A tiny baby from Bangor has a lot of fight.
- Vatican scrutinizing reported miracle, could lead to canonization of John Paul II If the Congregation eventually concludes that the unexplained healing was a miracle, attributable to the intercession of the late Pontiff, it would fulfill the requirement for his canonization.

HEROS:

- 6-year-old boy playing X-Box saves family from fire Seven people were inside a 100-year-old house on Windrow Road in Brownsville when fire broke out. The family inside made it out alive thanks to a 6-year-old boy.
- Girl, 10, grabs wheel when mom blacks out A 10-year-old Australian girl is being hailed as a heroine for taking the wheel of a car and steering it to safety after her mother blacked out while driving.
- 'Perfect storm' saves life of retired Red Wing pastor When Phil McNairy suffered a heart attack on Jan. 16, seconds after finishing his workout at the Red Wing YMCA, it appeared likely a tragedy would unfold in a very public place.
- Miracle crash survivor says thanks to rescuers Helen Chesser believes it's a miracle her son Mitchell Carter is alive today. The mother of seven was told her son only had a 30% chance of survival after a car accident.
- Humble hero meets baby’s parents The man who plucked a toddler still strapped in her car seat from the middle of the road and reunited her with her distraught mother, met the child’s parents for the first time.
- “Miracle Lady” Delivers Cookies, Thank You, After Heart Stopped‏ A recent patient transported by Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue for a heart attack stopped by the firehouse Wednesday afternoon to thank firefighters for helping to save her life. During her transport to the hospital Karen’s heart stopped beating twice.
- £50,000 pledge is thanks for saving "miracle baby" Jobe Taylor-Davies The family of a one-year-old boy who has made a miraculous recovery after being kicked on the head by a horse have set a £50,000 fund-raising target to say “thank you” to the staff who saved his life.
- Faribault students learn what it means to be a hero They read books, did exercises and held discussions exploring what exactly constitutes the character of a hero: courageous, strong, and compassionate.

HELPING HANDS:

- Strangers, friends, customers pay it forward to help elderly woman At the Stomping Grounds coffee shop in Greer, the cocoa is hot, the lattes as well as the conversation are flowing and so is the spirit of giving.
- Mystery surrounds missing World War II love letters A military veteran, had painstakingly tracked them down after his father's death. He said he had news about their letters.
- Loveland first graders pay it forward The all-boys first-grade class at Winona Elementary handed out carnations to residents at Mirasol Senior Living Community.
- Hartwick Students to Donate Time to Local Community Clean Up The Hartwick College Student Senate is organizing an initiative entitled "Cleaning Up Oneonta" to help keep the Oneonta community a clean and happy place to live.
- Good Samaritan delivers flowers to hospital patients As snowflakes began to fall, flowers delivered to hospital patients on Valentine’s Day brightened their faces and their rooms.
- Mothers Caring For Children With CHD For sharing their struggles to inform all of us about CHD we honor these mothers and all families as this week's Hometown Hero.
- Pay It Forward: Melissa Stone Melissa turned her pain into good by providing support for other parents that have lost a child. She provides bracelets that connect the parents to their child.

DONATIONS:

- Holbrook girls raffle tickets, donate to food pantry, pet shelter When South Elementary School student Savannah Lynch won a pair of Celtics tickets in a school activity, she and her younger sister Lauren decided to raffle off the prize, earning $265 to donate to the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts and Holbrook’s food pantry.
- San Diego teens battle hunger by getting businesses to donate surplus food two high school-age sisters saw the extreme food waste and the men, women and children in their community going hungry and decided to do something about it.
- Students Donate Jeans For Homeless Teens Franklin School collected 121 pairs of jeans which will be donated to homeless teens.
- Customers donate more than $7,000 to family after gas station clerk dies of brain aneurysm The money collected will go to Dryer's only child, 13-year-old Allen Matthews, who is now living with Dreyer’s mom.
- Ford City students donate homemade quilt to veterans center What better way to “cover” Valentine's Day for veterans than with a patriotic quilt.
- UK Philanthropists Donate Materials to the Don Mcmath Foundation School The donated materials included textbooks, exercise books, football jerseys, shoes, clothes, toys, etc.
- Volunteers donate benches to Waimea High School The West Kaua‘i Lions Club and numerous community members presented concrete benches throughout Waimea High School’s campus.
- German Diaspora Donate in Honor of Martyrs The Eritrean community members in Germany have extended more than 50,000 Euros in honor of the trust of martyrs.
- Spring cleaning? Where to donate those things you'll never use I had a request recently from a reader who wondered where she could donate items after she has done her spring cleaning.

HOPE/PEACE:

- Pakistani tribesmen pushing Taliban to talk peace Five years after setting up an umbrella organization to unite violent militant groups in the nation's tribal regions, the Pakistani Taliban is fractured, strapped for cash and losing support of local tribesmen frustrated by a protracted war that has forced thousands from their homes, analysts and residents say.
- A Boardwalk's Born: Jersey Shore Rebuilds After Sandy Construction has begun on the Seaside Heights, N.J., boardwalk that was destroyed by Sandy.
- Russian region begins recovery from meteor fall A small army of workers set to work Saturday to replace the estimated 200,000 square meters (50 acres) of windows shattered by the shock wave from a meteor that exploded over Russia's Chelyabinsk region. Regional governor Mikhail Yurevich on Saturday said damage is estimated at 1 billion rubles ($33 million). He promised to have all the broken windows replaced within a week.
- Lingfield Dad and 'miracle baby' in cancer campaign A father who is in remission from testicular cancer and his nine-month-old son are fronting a national awareness campaign.
- Amazing Race Cancer Miracle NO matter what happens on “The Amazing Race,” father-son duo David and Connor O’Leary of Salt Lake City have already won the biggest challenge of their lives. Both men have faced cancer – and won!
- A Valentine's Tale: Finding love after loss I wrote Steve because of the likeness of our stories. Since he, too, had lost his spouse to cancer and was raising children.
- Kelli Higgins, Adoptive Mom, Creates Viral Birth Announcement Thirteen-year-old Latrell Higgins was lamenting the fact that he didn’t have a set of newborn photos like the ones his adoptive mother Kelli takes for her clients. So his sister Alycia, age 12, suggested a photo shoot.
- Abortions Down in Pennsylvania With Nation's First-of-Its-Kind Alternative Program Real Alternatives, a charitable non-profit organization that administers the Pregnancy and Parenting Support Program with funds from the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, described it as a "first-in-the nation" operation.
- Second chance for sober mom A Los Angeles woman is improving her life. Her plan to become a substance abuse counselor is coming together thanks to one special person.

FURRY FRIENDS:

- Hero Pit Bull Saves Sisters From Burning House Dog named Baby barked and nudged women until they woke up in time to escape the flames.
- Famous Bacon: Florida piglet’s disability is no handicap to viral fame Chris P. Bacon is a tiny pig with a big following, now that he has wheeled his way to viral fame after being seen online learning to move around in a custom wheelchair made of K'nex pieces.
- Dolphin Entangled in Fishing Line Freed off California A dolphin that got entangled in a discarded fishing line has been freed after an hour-long rescue effort off San Diego.
- Dog who fell off five-story building is walking again A dog that shattered its hip and tore its spleen in half after falling five stories last month is already walking about in what veterinarian are calling a medical miracle.
- Puppy makes miracle recovery after being found chained to a gravestone When no one came forward to claim the unwanted dog, she was rehomed with a loving family.
- Home Post Readers Pay Tribute To Hero Dog Gabe Home Post readers this week have been touched by the passing of Gabe the dog from cancer.
- A miracle burrows into their hearts Three miracles happen each day: the sunrise, the sunset and a third you need to discover in between.
- Dogs Can Spot Fellow Furballs in a Crowd Previous research has shown that many animals, from macaques to sheep, are better at recognizing images of another member of their own species than picking out images of individuals from different species.

BUSINESS:

- Cadbury World staff grated £5,000 each to donate to charity Eric Collett and Diane Walker from Cadbury World were two of only four Mondelez International employees nationwide to have been rewarded from the Cadbury Foundation Volunteer Fund for their continuing dedication to the community.
- Puget Sound car businesses donate electronics to vets As part of their National Military Month to support veterans, CARSTAR auto body repair experts collected and donated I-Pods, e-readers and I-Tunes gift cards to veterans receiving treatment at Seattle's Veterans Administration Hospital.
- Ambler Flower Shop to Donate Money to UDHS Post-Prom Party The free party, which is open to all seniors, relies solely on the financial support of parents and community sponsors.
- Long John Silver's presents $322,000 check to Children's Miracle Network Long John Silver's also set up a special First Friday of Lent Fish fry at Kosair Children's hospital to serve to patients and their families.
- High Point to donate $20,000 to Guilford County Schools The city won the money through the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s May Race to Education Program.
- Cardiovascular Association Physicians donate proceeds to Humble ISD Athletic program The proceeds were the result of the heart screening program conducted by Cardiovascular Association physicians for Humble ISD student athletes and coaches at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital.
- VPS and ExxonMobil Donate To Local Schools VPS Convenience Store Group gives 61 local schools over $30,000 in math and science grants through ExxonMobil Educational Alliance.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

- Fireball Lights Up Northern California Skies A fireball streaked through the skies above California's Bay Area Friday evening (Feb. 15), just hours after another bright meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and a 150-foot-wide (45 meters) asteroid gave Earth a historically close shave.
- Russian Meteor Shook Ground Like An Earthquake A meteor explosion in the skies above Russia this morning also walloped the Earth, triggering shaking as strong as an earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
- How miracle devices are helping the blind And yet, there she is: Taking the bus, running a business, texting with her kids. And if she can’t see worth a damn, how come she always look so great — pairing just the right funky necklace with just the right blouse?
- Artificial Platelets Could Stop Battlefield Bleeding New technology could help the blood to clot faster, potentially reducing blood loss in people suffering from life-threatening wounds.

SPORTS:

- Cristiano Ronaldo donate €100,000 to Afghan landmine victims According to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is donating 100,000 euros ($134,600) on behalf of UEFA to help rehabilitate Afghans who have lost limbs, mostly landmine victims.
- Michael McDonald on a Mission from God and That Mission Isn't About UFC Titles McDonald truly follows the passion for his religion every minute of every day, and he believes that's what separates him from so many other fighters on the UFC roster.
- Nazarene pastor, wife honored at NBA game The couple was presented with the Heroes Among Us Award in celebration of their efforts as foster and adoptive parents in the state of Massachusetts since 2004.
- St. Joseph hits 'miracle of miracles' to defeat Rich at 1A tournament St. Joseph's Katie Panushka was actually trying to draw a foul when she stepped around a Rich defender, leaned to the left and tossed up a rawhide prayer. The 3-point shot that sent his team's 1A semifinal game against the Rebels into the first of two overtimes.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT:

- Pay It Forward: Jaime Capener Jaime Capener brings the joy of art to adults with Down Syndrome. The creativity brings many out of their quiet shells and gives them a way to express themselves.
- Watch Walter Cronkite Tour a 21st-Century Home in 1967 Walter Cronkite hosts CBS's The 21st Century, a show that unveils midcentury predictions for the future—forecasts with varied accuracy but pretty much universal amusement value.

LIFESTYLE:

- 5 new breakfast superfoods You don't have to change your regular morning menu. Just add these five nutrient-packed ingredients.
- Meet Norma and Norman Burmah, the longest-living married couple in the U.S. The Burmahs were married more than 82 years ago on Jan. 26, 1931. Norma is the spring chicken of the pair and will celebrate her 100th birthday on July 4. Norman is 102.
- How Bilingual Babies Keep Languages Separate Babies in bilingual environments can learn to distinguish the grammatical structures of two different languages at a young age.
- Homeless man lives in tomb among the dead “It is quiet here,” he explained. “I’m not afraid of the dead, they can’t harm me. The living can.”

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY:

- Whether you know it or not, God loves you God’s love for you is unconditional! Nothing you have done or can do will keep God from loving you!
- What God sees when He sees you The deep things God has placed in you, He is calling to the surface; His image and likeness, His Holy Desire to have communion with you and for you to know your are most welcome in His presence. Also to bring out your true identity and purpose which is to walk in, and demonstrate His righteous rule on the earth powered by His love.
- Lent: A time of refreshing self examination for God With renewed perspective I might see how God is present in empowering ways, even when I choose to demand that God appear to me in a different manner.

Positive News ~ Feb. 15

This series is to spotlight the Light and Love inside humanity, and the wonder and miracles that can be found around us. Please click on the headline to read the full article. ~ESA

MIRACLES/WONDERS:

- Medical Miracle in Thessaloniki A nineteen-year-old girl in Thessaloniki underwent a six and a half hour surgery to remove a 14 cm tumor from her lung and heart. “Her heart works perfectly”, Evangelos Sivitanidis, head of the medical team, noted.
- It's a miracle, mom says of son recovering from shooting Gabriel Clark, 13, continues to recover from a gunshot wound, a recovery mom says is a miracle.
- My Valentine’s Day miracle My wife and I held our breath when we learned we were having monoamniotic twins. On Thursday, they each turned one.
- Miracle girl Bree heads back to uni The horrific accident six weeks ago that left her on life support and with a smashed pelvis and fractured sternum is no barrier.
- Moringa Oleifera a miracle health tree in Malawi An HIV positive couple of seven children survives on Moringa Oleifera, a tree which is locally known as Chammwamba or Nsangowa.
- The 'New Arctic': Thinning Ice Is Changing Ecosystem The rapid growth of algae beneath the ice in 2012, quickly followed by a massive deluge of sea scum onto the ocean floor, has never been seen before, Boetius said.

HEROS:

- I’m so proud of my hero Rose Linda Kendrick, 41, nominated her “amazing” little daughter for a Pride of Hartlepool award as her way of saying thank you after Rose Fisher ran for a mile through countryside to get help.
- Notre Dame student gets hero award Hailee saved her one-year-old cousin from choking on a Goldfish by using life-saving techniques
- Fire advice from hero gran Ilisabeta Varanisese will never forget the night she saved her nine grandchildren from a fire that engulfed their home.
- Good Samaritan aids victim beaten during road-rage incident The victim's father is certain things may have turned out even worse if it weren't for a good Samaritan who rushed to the victim's aid.
- Good Samaritan helps man after motorcycle accident A hit-and-run accident cost John Pulliam his leg, but could have cost him his life if not for Randel Sensing.
- Ohio man who died in pond rescue hailed as hero Columbus police and other first responders said they were treating Thursday’s funeral of 30-year-old James Jenkins as that of a hero and fallen brother.
- Family pays tribute to hero firefighter The family of hero firefighter Steven Kadar, who died in Victoria's Harrietville blaze, has paid tribute to his caring and loyal nature.

HELPING HANDS:

- A Real Life Hero I got to McDonald’s to find out that Robert, a sweet maintenance man, found my wallet right after I dropped it in the parking lot and nothing was missing.
- Lake Forest student paying it forward Last November, 12-year-old Violet started an organization called Cleveland H.U.G.S. in order to help the community that had assisted her and her family more than a year earlier.
- Edinburg man says God told him to build crosses for distraught family They were given to replace the ones stolen from a highway memorial where her mother and brother died along Highway 281.
- Valentines taped to every Mentor Memorial Middle School student's locker Student Ambassadors surprised students by taping an inspirational Valentine to every locker.
- Man Does 2,501 Pull-ups For Charity But his bigger goal was secure: Raising $25,000 for Zoë Watterson, a courageous 17-year-old competitive cheerleader who lives with cystic fibrosis.
- Bradford’s Head Custodian Joe Maffucci is a Classroom Hero While other classes acknowledged such luminaries as President Barack Obama, John Lennon, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Jessica Rees, Red Cross workers, police officers, firefighters and military personnel, Maffucci was the only one honored with a rap tune highlighting his contributions at school.
- Attorney follows God's plan, serves community Melvin-Wilson started serving the community at the early age of 3 years old with her grandmother by reading to seniors and delivering canned goods in the community.
- Ministry to support special-needs children in Guatemala Orphan's heart is helping a Guatemalan foundation establish a place that will minister to those with special needs, both physically and spiritually.
- Don’t forget to pay it forward “Pay it forward,” is more than a piece of advice received by one person.

DONATIONS:

- Journalists and students in Tamale donate blood to mark Valentine Some journalists and enthusiastic students donated blood to the Tamale Teaching Hospital Blood Bank as a sign of love to humanity.
- Tragic ski girl gives life to four Family donate organs of "very, very special" daughter.
- Students from Orange Avenue School in Cranford donate to foodbank Orange Avenue School in Cranford, recently donated 1,100 pounds of food to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey.
- High schoolers make, donate animal control box to new shelter Mayor Joseph Kuspa honored a group of Anderson High School metal shop students Tuesday for constructing a control box for the city’s animal control department.
- Students Sell Carnations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Phi Mu Sorority at High Point University held a Carnation Sale today on campus to benefit their national philanthropy, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All proceeds from the sales will go directly to the hospitals.
- Giving Hearts Day is the time to donate Created in 2008 by Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation as the first one-day virtual fundraising event of its kind in the region, it raised $325,000 for local charities. Last year, the event brought in $1.6 million in donations from more than 10,850 individual contributors to help 140 charities.

HOPE/PEACE:

- Heart patient marries at the Cleveland Clinic after outliving a death sentence from his doctors A heart patient got married at Cleveland Clinic on Valentine's Day after New York doctors gave him only months to live. Fifty-seven-year-old Lee Hoaglan had resolved that he would not likely live past Christmas 2012.
- Habitat for Humanity Summit County works to recycle items taken from condemned homes Thousands of items removed from vacant and condemned homes are given new life.
- Pay It Forward For Jayden There was a time when if someone asked me to “stand up to cancer,” I would have walked away. I knew cancer was never going to affect me.
- After years of searching, 2 sisters finally meet One of the sisters was given up for adoption as an infant.

FURRY FRIENDS:

- Hero Pit Bull Rushes to Rescue Humans and Dogs from Burning Home Rhonda Westenberger, her sister Evelyn, and their five dogs are all safe and sound after a scary house fire — and they have their 10-year-old pit bull terrier, Baby, to thank.
- Hero dog dies in WA house fire Two home owners in Perth have been rescued from a fire after their dog alerted them to the blaze raging through their house.
- Rare Sumatran tiger cub born at San Francisco zoo A Sumatran tiger gave birth to an apparently healthy cub at the San Francisco Zoo over the weekend in a rare boost to the critically endangered subspecies.
- Celebrating Valentine's Day with your pet How people surprise their cats, dogs with treats.
- Persistent Cat's Hilarious Knock On Bedroom Door The cat -- whose name we think is Mimi Chan -- will respect your privacy by knocking.

BUSINESS:

- Japanese restaurant fines customers for not finishing meal The restaurant owners want to honor the fishermen who brave dangerous conditions to provide the delicious food. Customers who order the tsukko meshi, a bowl of rice topped with salmon roe, are warned ahead of time. "Customers who don't finish their tsukko meshi must give a donation."
- Bartender, I'll have another… for charity A new Houston bar is offering its customers not just a relaxed atmosphere with good drinks and food, but a pledge that 100 percent of its profits will be donated to a different local charity or social cause each month. And patrons can vote for which charity benefits from their Merlots and martinis.
- Cadbury donate bicycles to school children in Akyem Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP) has donated bicycles to more than 1,000 children of cocoa farmers in the West Akyem District, who walk more than six kilometers each day to school.
- Par-Troy Realty Company Helps Raise $2K+ for Children's Miracle Network The realty firm pitched in to assist at a pancake lunch hosted by the Boonton International House of Pancakes as part of IHOP's National Pancake Day, which benefits the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
- Kia Motors Donates $5K to Kirk Cameron's Camp Firefly Kirk Cameron received a $5,000 donation from Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia for his Camp Firefly, a free summer camp for terminally ill children and their families.
- Grocery store customers donate dozens of treats for VAFB Albertsons and its customers showed some love to airmen and children at Vandenberg Air Force Base by donating dozens of cookies delivered — and undoubtedly devoured — this week.
- 7-11 Stores Donate to Renown They presented Renown officials with a $12,000 check for the Breast Cancer Assistance Program.
- Ram 'Farmer' Super Bowl ad nears 18 million views; will donate $1 million to National FFA Organization The Ram Truck brand will donate $1 million to the National FFA Organization (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) to help raise awareness and generate funds for FFA hunger relief efforts in local communities across America.
- Retailers, Ekornes Donate $392,000 to Charities The money raised during the seven-week promotion went to various charities that each dealer selected.
- Colorado agricultural leaders donate $1M to train future industry leaders Four Colorado agricultural leaders joined forces to donate more than $1 million for construction of Colorado State University’s new Center for Agricultural Education.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

- Asteroid to pass close by Earth on Friday An asteroid about half the size of a football field will pass nearer to Earth than any other known object of its size on Friday, giving scientists a rare opportunity for close-up observations without launching a probe.
- Device Offers Partial Vision for the Blind The device allows people with a certain type of blindness to detect crosswalks on the street, the presence of people or cars, and sometimes even large numbers or letters.
- Ancient Temple Discovered in Peru Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered what they believe is a temple, estimated to be up to 5,000 years old, at the site of El Paraíso, north of Lima.
- Mysterious Cosmic Rays Born in Star Explosions After a century of mystery, scientists now have the first conclusive evidence that cosmic rays come from the violent aftermaths of exploding stars, researchers say.

SPORTS:

- Chris shares miracle with Muamba A young footballer from Coleraine who was brought back to life after collapsing during a Milk Cup match has shared his dramatic story with the Premiership star Fabrice Muamba.
- Two of the Most Inspirational Triathletes You'll Ever Meet Are Only 7 and 9 Years Old Connor, who's 9, realized that his 7-year-old brother, Cayden, was missing out on all sorts of fun activities due to his celebral palsy. So Connor decided to do something about it.
- Jim Cordle trying to keep the 'pay it forward' legacy alive Although years removed from his time as a member of the Ohio State football team, New York Giants center and Super Bowl champion Jim Cordle keeps strong ties to the central Ohio community through a “pay it forward” attitude established by late OSU coach Woody Hayes.
- Lady Bulldogs Donate to Locks of Love After Friday night's game, about 15 people, including several players, will donate their hair to people in need.
- Pittsburgh Pirates to donate $75,000 toward Palmetto ball fields The Pittsburgh Pirates are planning to donate $75,000 to help pay for construction of new Little League ball fields in Palmetto.
- All-Star Breakfast Recognizes NBA Personnel and Players for Performance Beyond the Court o be the best, you have to train hard and perform well – a sentiment that holds true both on and off the court.
- Washington Wizards’ Nene continues to keep the faith, five years after cancer scare The moment will never be forgotten, because it represented a possible detour — or end — to the life and career of a man who had already overcome such hardscrabble beginnings.
- God, Family, Football: A Love Story Jaimi Hovan of Lutz opens up about marriage, motherhood, life as a professional sports wife—and what matters most.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT:

- Phil Vassar fans donate blood to get tickets, backstage passes Vassar said the donation is all about having a heart and giving some love.
- Charlie Sheen pays for injured teen's therapy dog A Florida teenager who plummeted 100 feet from a Wisconsin amusement park ride in 2010 is getting some help from actor Charlie Sheen.

LIFESTYLE:

- In South Korea, Valentine's Day is all about the men For South Koreans Valentine's Day is when women shower men with chocolates.
- Empire State Building hosts 3 Valentine's weddings Three lucky couples have celebrated Valentine's Day weddings at the Empire State Building.
- Couples tie the knot in quirky Valentine's wedding ceremonies On a day dedicated to love, thousands across the country cemented their relationships with Valentine's weddings. For some couples, the courthouse was too conventional.

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY:

- The good, the bad, and God The belief that Christians are naturally good people, or that all Christians judge others, is a false yet permeating belief in society. I look at my friend as we sit in a hotel in Rome and say, “I’m not good, but God, He’s great.”
- Salon owner relies on faith in God to run business Envision Salons owner Rhonda Valentine has a simple business philosophy. “Put God first,” she said. “He supplies all our needs.”
- My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? In Lent we have a chance to permit the liberation of people and living things. But sometimes we don't seem to permit even our own liberation, let alone that of others.
- Focusing on God brings husbands, wives closer Picture the man at the left angle and the woman at the right angle. Visualize both moving slowly toward the top of the triangle, which represents God’s will for them. As both the man and the woman focus on their relationship with God, they grow closer to him in spirit, and they also simultaneously move closer toward each other.
- Extra treatment: local chaplains ride along The volunteers are chaplains, the very first ones in the entire country to ride in the back of an ambulance with patients.

Positive News ~ Feb. 14

This series is to spotlight the Light and Love inside humanity, and the wonder and miracles that can be found around us. Please click on the headline to read the full article. ~ESA

MIRACLES/WONDERS:

- Some Guy Was Trapped in a Car Stuck at 125MPH and Somehow Didn’t Die Frank Lecerf was driving his car adapted for the disabled in France when it got stuck at 60MPH. He tried to brake. The car accelerated.
- Utah Family Survives Plane Crash: Caught On Tape Jonathan Fielding was treating his wife, Kara, to her first flight ever on her birthday.
- Oak Grove basketball team survives tornado A normal Sunday afternoon practice became a survival story they'll remember for a long time.
- Lightning pupils ‘saved by a miracle’ Two King Edward VII School boys hit by lightning were probably clinically dead when a paramedic father rushed to their sides and gave them “basic CPR”.
- Oakdale shooting victim: 'It's a miracle I'm alive' "There had to be a lot of angels because they saved us," says the 68-year-old Knoblach.
- University of Maryland shooting: Neal Oa miracle to be alive The stepfather of the University of Maryland student who was shot but survived Tuesday's murder-suicide in College Park says it's a miracle that his son is still alive.
- Michigan woman gives birth same day she learns of pregnancy Unaware of her pregnancy until the day she delivered, Linda Ackley, 44, of Summit Township underwent an emergency C-section on Friday.
- Miracle mums after Irish cancer victim has her best friend carry twins Two Irish women living in Boston help make medical history happen.
- Valentine’s Day Homecoming Miracle Jennifer Ford of Monroe gets to go home to her family after spending the last three months recovering from a serious car accident.

HEROS:

- Hero father is shot dead while protecting his 11-year-old daughter When one of the men attempted to make his way to the room of his sleeping daughter, Mr. Harris, who is reportedly disabled, fought back.
- Middleton Apartment Fire Hero 29-year old, Hector Guerra is being called a hero after a fire broke out inside his Middleton apartment complex.
- While Others Looked On, His Training Kicked In In a matter of moments Brian Smith, an employee of the Plumbing Knight in Pinehurst, turned into a white knight for a Hope Mills woman involved in a car accident
- Family search for ‘good Samaritan’ who rescued 18-year-old from flipped car “The car was lying on the driver’s side and I couldn’t get the passenger door open because it was too heavy; it kept falling back down again.”
- 'Blizzard Baby' Nohely Delivered During Snowstorm With Help Of National Guard As an ambulance slipped through the snow early Saturday, after an emergency call that Ericka Bueno was in labor, the vehicle couldn't get up the hill to her house.
- War Hero Gets Key to City for Saving the Lives of 100s His actions during a recent tour of duty in Afghanistan saved the lives of more than 100 people, mostly civilians.
- Is there a hero gene? Social psychologists have identified a phenomenon known as the ‘bystander effect’. Numerous studies show bystanders are less likely to intervene in emergency situations as the size of the group increases.

HELPING HANDS:

- Homeless man returns diamond ring accidentally dropped into his change cup A homeless man who hit the jackpot in his change cup—a diamond ring—showed he had a heart of gold by returning it.
- Group makes $10 prom dress for families in need of discount She created the non-profit Fairy Godmothers Inc., which helps high-school girls facing financial hardship attend their prom by selling dresses at a steep discount.
- Pay It Forward projects to benefit those in need of food, water, joy Three finalists have been chosen for this year’s Catholic Spirit Pay It Forward for Lent initiative.
- Bolingbrook Students Practice Acts of Kindness for "Pay it Forward 365" Week Bolingbrook students spent time performing community service, practiced good manners and constructed a chain of kindness during Valley View School District 365U's "Pay it Forward 365" week.
- Melbourne volunteers lend hand to Miracle Village with new drill Villa Milagro works to provide medical care, education and clean water to the people of Peru.
- Plow drivers 'aren't in miracle business,' but they try to be The workers faced formidable obstacles as they soon realized that heavy-duty equipment was needed to tackle the monstrous snowfall. They were also held back by abandoned cars, stuck vehicles and emergency calls that required pulling a plow truck off its route to clear roads for ambulances and fire engines.
- Meet the Man Who Keeps Springfield Fire Trucks Rolling A lot goes into fighting fires, but to keep the trucks rolling to the scene of every blaze, there's one man to thank.
- Feed The Children and World Neighbors unite The two Oklahoma City-based nonprofits will join forces as strategic partners to better serve those in need worldwide.

DONATIONS:

- Woman donates kidney to husband just before Valentine's Day Three days before Valentine’s Day, a Florida woman gave her husband the most special gift of all – life.
- Students donate blood for hurricane victims Most of the blood is going to the east coast, Hurricane Sandy and all.
- Cardinal students donate blood to save lives Students from the Cardinal Community School District were giving back to the community Wednesday, in the form of blood donations.
- Sunyani High School Students Donate Blood Students of Sunyani Senior High School have responded positively to the cry of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Hospital's Blood Bank in Sunyani by donating 168 units of blood.
- Northern Colorado Medical Center has full docket as students donate blood on Wednesday Giving blood is helpful to many in the community, and students were able to lend a hand to those in need of blood.
- UCSB students donate a meal for the homeless New program allows them to convert a dining hall meal to a homeless sack lunch.
- Girl hopes to donate 100 shoes to Children Services for her birthday Today is Riley McCune’s birthday, but she doesn’t want any gifts. This year, she’d rather give to others.
- Love2Winners Donate Prizes To Girl Battling Leukemia "My husband works at Lampson and they're a really tight knit little community and we discovered there was a little one sick. She's three-years-old and battling leukemia. So we decided this would go to that family," said winner Ashley Mathews.
- Angel FM Listeners Donate to Bonso Community Following appeal to the listening public, listeners of the local radio station mobilised various items and contributed money towards the rehabilitation of about 500 residents and the community which was hit by a fire outbreak recently.
- Jesse Wharton Students Donate $1,000 To 3-Year-Old Uriah Who Has Ostogenesis Imperfecta or Brittle Bone Disease 5th graders held an ice cream social with Uriah and give him the money they collected for the surgery he'll have in April to place metal rods in his legs.
- Stuart Students and Faculty Donate to Locks of Love Seventeen students at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart had their ponytails cut off Monday in order to help children in need.
- 214,687 people pledge to donate organs in Kuala Lumpur The rise in the number of donors was due to increased awareness among the donors and beneficiaries on the importance of organ donation to patients.
- Veterans’ groups donate toys, funds for ‘Tots’ Members of the AMVETS, AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary and Sons of AMVETS hosted an event in December that resulted in toys being donated to help more than 100 local families enjoy a nice Christmas.
- Rotarians donate dictionaries Murray Rotary Club donated more than 400 dictionaries to third graders in Murray schools.
- St. Charles on verge of donating land to help injured veteran "We've got fantastic support," Hall said. "We have a vet selected. And we have got all we need to put this together."
- Regional Tourism Leaders Donate More Than $58,000 to Misquamicut Business leaders and owners, including Dyer and those from the Mystic Marriott, Wells Fargo, the Mystic Aquarium, Bob Valenti Auto Mall and United Builders Supply had donated $58,500 to the Misquamicut Beach community.
- Kal And Lucille Rudman To Donate $10,000 To Haverford High's WHHS The donation will help pay for new equipment to help the station, which began in 1949 and is one of the oldest high school stations in America, upgrade to meet FCC requirements for license renewal.
- LA aircraft business owners donate $100K to keep LA Unified aviation mechanic school open A Los Angeles couple who own an aviation industry business have donated $100,000 to keep an aviation mechanic school open for another year.

HOPE/PEACE:

- Mother says she forgave man who held boy in bunker The mother of an Alabama boy held for days in an underground bunker said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that she forgave her son's captor early in the standoff and asked authorities not to harm him.
- Snowstorm 'Nemo' and How the Homeless Survive Extreme Winter Weather "We focused on food, shelter, and clothing care just to make sure that our facility was ready to receive large numbers of people. We normally see large numbers of people in the winter anyway, but because of this storm we knew that we would see additional people coming for shelter."
- God is your refuge A monastery near Moscow has opened its doors to the city’s homeless — in exchange for food and shelter, the men help out on the farm.
- A child’s ‘miracle,’ a plea for awareness Mended Little Hearts, which has lobbied to get Virginia to recognize Feb. 7-14 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, also is raising awareness about a simple test that can screen for certain serious heart defects in newborns.
- Miracle on 135th Avenue A Portland high school where students speak 55 languages shows Oregon how to reform education.

FURRY FRIENDS:

- Officer Kyle Jones, La Porte, Texas Cop, Stops Traffic In The Rain To Help Lost Dog "No task is insignificant for Officer Jones," Sgt. John Krueger told The Huffington Post. "Moreover, the event was nothing but significant for the family."
- Ex-Military Dog Gabe, 2012 Hero Dog, Dies The American Humane Association awarded Gabe and Shuck $10,000 for being named 2012 American Hero Dog. The duo donated their prize money to the United States War Dogs Association.
- Brown-and-white Indonesian owl called new species Researchers looking for a nocturnal bird in Indonesia accidentally identified a new species of owl — one that has a distinct song and is believed to exist nowhere else in the world.
- 'Monkey Dog' Banana Joe is top dog at Westminster A class clown, this champion is pretty bright.

BUSINESS:

- Standard Chartered Staff Mentor Donate to Children At the SOS Children's Village Over 10 staff took part in the event socializing with the 11 orphans of the Standard Chartered Bank sponsored house in the SOS Children's Village in Bakoteh.
- Zidells donate $150,000 to school food pantries, challenge others to help fight child hunger The donation will be seed money for expanding a two-year-old food pantry program that exists in six Multnomah County low-income schools.
- Local Businesses Donate Refurbished Car to Family in Need South Windsor's Pete's CARSTAR, Farmers Insurance Group and Manchester's LKQ Corporation donate a car to a single mother who commuted four hours a day to work.
- Donate old helmets and biker coats for charity Preston Harley-Davidson will be taking donations of jeans, jumpers, and even worn leather jackets and old helmets.
- Alaska Airlines to donate 1 million miles to Make-A-Wish Hawaii Alaska Airlines has announced it will donate 1 million miles to Make-A-Wish Hawaii to help grant the wishes of local children with life-threatening medical conditions.
- Coffee House Helps Raise Funds for Miracle League Biggby Coffee locations in of South Carolina are stepping up to the plate this month as they begin a fundraising partnership with the community’s own Summerville Miracle League, an adaptive baseball program for both children and adults with special needs.
- Wells Fargo to donate $1M to Arizona nonprofits Wells Fargo will make donations totaling $1 million to be shared by six Arizona nonprofits to help strengthen and stabilize neighborhoods.
- Blessing, QMG each donate $100,000 to Cedar Creek Trail project "(The trail) serves the community and provides a free and accessible way to not only increase physical activity, but also spend quality time with family and connect with the outdoors."

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

- 'Valentine Rose' Nebula Blooms in Deep Space A strange nebula in deep space shines like a cosmic rose in a new photo unveiled just in time for Valentine's Day.
- Asteroid 2012 DA14's Friday Flyby: A Stargazer's Guide Scientists and amateur observers alike are eagerly awaiting Friday's historic flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14, which will zoom inside Earth's ring of geosynchronous satellites.
- Russia, Kazakhstan may mange space base together A Russian space official says lease agreements for some launch facilities in Kazakhstan could be suspended, opening the way for their joint administration by the two countries.
- NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Weird 'Hood Ornament' on Mars NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has photographed a shiny, metallic-looking object that bears a passing resemblance to a door handle or a hood ornament.

SPORTS:

- Marathon man's tribute to children's hero Mary A novice runner is taking on the challenge of the London Marathon as a tribute to his mother-in-law.
- Kalani soccer star's mom puts the 'Hero' in Hiroyo Kalani soccer standout Leo Klink led his team to victory on the field but it was his mom who he says was the real hero.
- UEFA and Cristiano Ronaldo donate 100,000 euro in support of ICRC Real Madrid star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is donating 100,000 euro to the physical rehabilitation programme of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan.
- Kronwall to donate NHL tickets to those with autism Niklas Kronwall, defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings, has donated tickets for each remaining home game to families living with autism identified through Autism Alliance of Michigan’s partner organizations.
- D. Rose Opens Up About Fears, Faith, Fatherhood “My faith in God grew,” Rose said. “Just believing more, I’ve been reading a lot more and having patience, man.”
- Johnny Knox: "God has better plans for me" He's grateful to be able to function as a father and husband, even if he can't run and catch like he used to.
- Miracle League: Ankeny Close To Goal CFM Financial donated $10,000 to the city’s Miracle League Field and Playground Project.
- Orlando Magic donate $50,000 to Seminole State Seminole State College of Florida has received a $50,000 grant from the Orlando Magic Youth Fund to benefit first-generation college students.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT:

- Filipinos abroad hire Cupids to serenade lovers With nearly 10 percent of the country's 94 million people working abroad, clearly there was room for someone to play Cupid between long-distance lovers.
- Kirk Cameron Tells Students to 'Perform for Audience of One' “Set the bar high and perform for an audience of One (God)—and you’ll get the applause of Heaven; you can just trust God to take care of everybody else.”
- Vassar, other performers to donate blood at Paramount Vassar and members of High Valley are scheduled to donate blood in a Marsh Regional Blood Center mobile unit in front of the Paramount.
- Sheryl Crow plays SLC to benefit Children's Miracle Network All proceeds from this event will benefit the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, whose headquarters are located in SLC.
- The Eagles Donate Signed Takamine Guitar To Benefit Environmental Group Swaner's mission is to preserve the land and the human connection to the natural landscape, to educate the communities about the value of nature and the ecosystem.
- LBJ and Lady Bird courtship love letters released The correspondence between the 26-year-old future president and Lady Bird are available for public review for the first time starting Thursday — Valentine's Day.

LIFESTYLE:

- Who Sent the First Valentine's Day Cards? It’s generally accepted that the world has Saint Valentine to thank for what has become known, by many a forgetful husband, as a “Hallmark holiday.” But the stories behind the real first Valentine are more interesting than you might guess.
- Long-married Brooklyn couples celebrate their love The Shamrakovs are among 300 couples who will gather for a Valentine's Day champagne party in Brooklyn that's become an annual celebration of enduring love. It's a select group: All of them have been married at least half a century.
- 5 ways to make love last past Valentine's Day While love is always in the air around this time of year, couples can struggle with how to keep the romance alive the other 364 days.
- Couples find ways to build profits and happy homes Business-marriage balance: Couples find strategies to build profits and happy homes.
- Amen to love: Singles group embraces God, the lonely “We just share a life together,” Strassner said. “There’s a lot of people out of work, and we just try to help each other, basically, because there’s not any other groups around really.”
- Teaching Kids How to Pay it Forward One Mom's idea to teach her children the importance of bringing a little sunshine to someone else's day has inspired a great many more families to do the same.
- Pay It Forward, Live Longer? People who help others are less likely to die after stressful events, according to a study recently published in American Journal of Public Health.

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY:

- God is love and love is giving He wasn't talking about chocolate kisses, red roses, and diamonds. He was talking about love as selfless giving. That's how God gives.
- Who is God? Through spirituality, we learn also that God is a reality in us, that the presence of his Spirit is real in us and in all things around us.
- God is not a genie So often when I have prayed, I have treated God as if he were a genie in a lamp – God grant me this and grant me that. As if I expect him to snap his fingers and voila all my requests are delivered. It has been more about what I want in my life, instead of offering myself to God to do His will in my life.
- During Lent, learn to make God central to life During Lent “we are invited, each one of us, to respond to one fundamental question: what is truly important in our lives?”
- People who 'do God, do good', says Baroness Warsi Britain is becoming increasingly reliant on churches and religious groups to meet “crucial” needs once met by the state.
- 'Insightful and surprising’ ideas offered by teens in national survey Even the staunchest supporters of the best congregations can usually name changes that they would make if they could, all in the interests of remaining true to Restoration ideals and transforming the church into a body more pleasing to God.
- Church panel wants candidate 'chosen by God' MizoramKohhranHruaitute Committee (MKHC), a committee comprising leaders of the 13 major churches of the state, has appealed to church members to pray fervently so that the people elect a candidate "chosen by God" in the February 23 Chalfilh assembly bye-election.
- African pope would be "quite some miracle" A black African pope to succeed Pope Benedict would be "quite some miracle", a leading archbishop from Ghana said, adding that a developing world candidate might have to overcome negative perceptions within the Catholic hierarchy.
- Arkansas minister, wife create ‘Blue, Red and Gold’ Bible “In my mind was placed this plan, to color God’s words in blue and the mentions of the Holy Spirit in gold, in Bibles that people could use to better understand the Trinity.”

Positive News ~ Feb. 13

This series is to spotlight the Light and Love inside humanity, and the wonder and miracles that can be found around us. Please click on the headline to read the full article. ~ESA

MIRACLES/WONDERS:

- Hit and run: toddler's miracle escape caught on camera The car drove off and, despite the shocking nature of the footage, the pair escaped unharmed.
- Faith in God tops medical wisdom Doctors at King Edward Memorial Hospital warned them their little girl had only a 5-10 per cent chance of survival and needed blood transfusions. Despite warnings she may not survive without transfusions, they decided to not allow Summa Rose to have them.
- California skydiver suffers parachute mishap, blacks out during descent Amazingly, Flores landed in the drop zone, and although he remained unconscious for another two weeks, he only suffered broken ribs and a lacerated tongue.
- Lowestoft family’s joy at birth of ‘little miracle’ Back in 1996, Steve and Elaine Hopkins endured months of trauma as their 10-week-old daughter Amy underwent open-heart surgery. But, more than 17 years on, the family are celebrating another very special new arrival; he arrived on the same date Amy had her life-saving operation.
- ‘It’s a miracle he survived’: Student recovering after man kills roommate, self An Urbana man is thankful his stepson was not seriously injured during a College Park shooting that left two people dead.
- Lightning strikes the Vatican One expert, AccuWeather meteorologist and lightning photographer Jesse Ferrell, thinks it's real.

HEROS:

- Hero boy, 6, saves Sheffield gran’s life A quick-thinking schoolboy aged only six has been hailed a hero by the grandma whose life he saved when she slipped into a diabetic coma.
- Sharon Morrison is Lanark’s Good Samaritan modest Sharon told us that she was only part of a team who had all helped to save Mrs Foley’s son’s life that day.
- Good Samaritan A man never met stopped, asked me if I was OK, and insisted on giving me a ride either home or to the urgent care center.
- Irvine Honors a Carrier Hero Steeber noted that the resident’s vehicle was in the carport, so he banged on the door and shouted, rousing 79 year-old Karen Petersen from a dazed state. He entered the burning home to help her outside, and then returned for her walker before assisting her to safety with a neighbor across the street.
- Hero lifeguards honored by city Six lifeguards who helped save a swimmer at a meet in November were honored for their service by members of the Roanoke Rapids City Council Tuesday.

HELPING HANDS:

- Bride Performs An Act Of Kindness, Gets Sweet Surprise When she realized she could no longer afford her dream wedding, Megan Erickson decided to do something nice for another bride instead, setting in motion a chain of generosity that landed her a free wedding.
- Debbie Lukens This week’s Pay It Forward features a woman who has made it her life’s goal to help others.
- Mystery Good Samaritan gives £24,000 to D-Day veteran, 88, and his wife after Prudential refused to pay out for collapsed wall A mystery good Samaritan has given an 88-year-old D-Day veteran and his wife £24,000 to rebuild a collapsed wall of their cottage after an insurance firm refused to pay up.
- Hermiston Boy Hailed a Hero for Returning Valuable Heriloom 10-year-old Mason Smith says he didn't think much of returning something that didn't belong to him, even though it was worth thousands of dollars.
- Good Samaritan returns $1,200 The man was on his way out of his hardware store when he saw an envelope full of cash on the sidewalk.
- Mississippi tornado victims getting needed relief Mississippi Baptists have activated nine chainsaw, blue tarp and feeding units to respond to victims of the tornado that damaged or destroyed 300 homes and businesses in the state.
- WWII veteran returns home to hero’s welcome after being vandalized It was a moment weeks in the making: 93-year-old Elbert Wood returned to his home that was rebuilt through the kindness of strangers.
- Thousands of students spend spring break building homes and improving communities More than 9,000 college- and high school-age students will volunteer during their spring break to help build or rehabilitate homes through Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge alternative break program.
- Fundraiser to help Mentor family whose home was destroyed A benefit is planned for the Mentor family whose home was destroyed when an alleged drunken driver crashed into their home in December.
- Longfellow Students Learn Heart Health, Donate 516 Pounds of Food to PRC Longfellow Elementary School last week hosted about 150 people to learn about heart health and help the local food pantry at People's Resource Center during the first week of American Heart Month.
- Riley’s Miracle Ride turns 20, continues raising money for sick children The annual event has raised nearly $4 million to help sick children.
- Boyfriend’s Bald Tribute to Cancer-Stricken Girlfriend Goes Viral When Riley Nicolay’s girlfriend of nearly three years, Deidre Sechi, was diagnosed with cancer in January, he vowed that he would fight the disease along with her.

DONATIONS:

- Reading Parents Donate Son’s Drum Set to Music School When Reading resident Steve Calla passed away from cancer, his parents decided to donate his drum set to the Band Gig School of Music in honor of his memory.
- Local women will have chance to donate breast milk Women in southwest Missouri will soon have the chance to donate breast milk for the use of other babies.
- Canadians donate more than 662,000 gift-filled shoe boxes to the world's hurting children Canadians donated 662,312 shoe boxes packed with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies during the 2012 Operation Christmas Child shoe box campaign that ended recently.
- Students at Bluefield College Help Donate Shoes to Children in Need The premise of the event is that for every pair of shoes bought, TOMS will donate a new pair of shoes to someone in need, especially children.
- Local library patrons donate 800 pair to jeans drive Lackawanna County Library System patrons dropped off more than 800 pairs of blue jeans at participating libraries during the month of January and patients at the Clarks Summit State Hospital will benefit from their generosity.
- Buerkle, Bernard Students Donate 2,500 Pairs of Jeans Friendly competition turned into friendly cooperation on Thursday, as students from Margaret Buerkle Middle School and Bernard Middle School teamed up in an effort to win the national Teens For Jeans competition.
- Generous staff and customers donate craft supplies to hospice Staff and customers from a local store have joined forces to donate craft supplies to a hospice.
- Students Donate Supplies To McNair Elementary Second-grade students at Northern Elementary School collected supplies for students at McNair Elementary School.
- Twins donate cash 'to fix other children's daddies' Twins Laura and Olivia Bocking have handed over a year’s pocket money to emergency accident service Magpas, which saved their father’s life.
- D.C. Everest Junior High students donate to EMPD Club members raised more than $450 from the eggroll sale, and they donated it to the Everest Metro Police Department’s efforts to purchase and train a new K9 unit.
- Six figure miracle for Children's Miracle Network Auburn University’s Dance Marathon took place last Saturday and raised $124,739.89 for Children’s Miracle Network.
- UT students donate 40,000 tree seedlings to Bastrop The UT Campus Environmental Center sent 40,000 pine tree seedlings to Bastrop Thursday, as recovery efforts in the area following destructive wildfires in 2011 continue.
- Pennsylvania Moose donate $25,000 to refurbish Pennsylvania monument at Gettysburg The Pennsylvania Moose Association will donate $25,000 to the Gettysburg Foundation for the rehabilitation of the Pennsylvania Memorial.
- Potsdam teens donate $700 to St. Lawrence NYSARC’s Gallery of Arts and Learning Three Potsdam teens recently donated more than $700 to St. Lawrence NYSARC’s Gallery of Arts and Learning.
- Paradise Valley residents donate sculpture to ASU A sculpture that once graced a Paradise Valley landscape is now available for college students to enjoy and appreciate thanks to the generosity of one local family.

HOPE/PEACE:

- NYC Homeless Campaign 'Don't Walk By' Teaches to Not Ignore City's Poor A joint campaign by some of the city's top charity organizations, stretching throughout the month of February, is seeking to address that problem, and offer new hope to the many hurting and needy people.
- Marine Reserve Helps Fish — and Fishermen overfished species — including red and black grouper, yellowtail and mutton snapper —have increased in abundance and size inside the reserve and throughout the area, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

FURRY FRIENDS:

- Hero dog is Grand Marshall of Mardi-Paws A heroic dog that saved a puppy from a coyote a few weeks ago is finally finding its forever home and being honored in a big way.
- Hurricane Sandy Hero Among 18th Annual Hall Of Fame Inductees A rescued dog that dedicated his life to protecting the community, three dogs and a cat that participate in various volunteer services, a horse that provides emotional supportive therapy to at-risk youth, an advocate who works to save the lives of abandoned rabbits, a dog who offers comfort to those in times of hardship, and an emerging hero who sacrificed to help restore hope and rebuild lives in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, will all be inducted in the 18th Annual NJVMA Animal Hall of Fame.
- Hero dog Oreo may be saved by Facebook campaign Almost 3,000 Facebook supporters have gotten involved.
- Mexican Wolf Population in US Grows for 3rd Year For the third year in a row, the population of endangered Mexican gray wolves has grown in the U.S. Southwest, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Your dog really does understand you They're more likely to steal food if they think you can't see.
- Dog cancer studies may lead to breakthroughs in human health care Researchers are increasingly discovering that cancer and other diseases are caused by the same genetic mutations in pooches and people.
- Affenpinscher wins Best in Show at Westminster dog show When Joe the Affenpinscher won the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night, his handler Ernesto Lara raised him high towards the rafters as if to say, "We did it!"
- Sheepdog a surprise contender in New York dog show Swagger, a 20-month-old, 90-pound (40-kg) cloud of white and gray fur, drew some of the loudest cheers of the night as he won Best in Group for herding dogs on Monday at New York's Madison Square Garden.
- Hotel Pennsylvania Goes to the Dogs Hotel Pennsylvania is long regarded as the consummate hotel for canine contenders at the Westminster Dog Show.

BUSINESS:

- One-man bank keeps German village bank running Peter Breiter, 41, is an unusual banker. Not for him the big bonuses, complicated financial instruments and multi-million deals.
- NewsChannel5 teams up with Habitat for Humanity Several people from NewsChannel5 will work together with a construction crew to deconstruct a home that is slated to be torn down.
- BASF to donate materials to the First Responder Rebuilding Fund and Beach Haven Fire Station BASF will donate high-performance polyurethane spray foam insulation to the New York Says Thank You First Responder Rebuilding Fund and the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Company Station to help with Hurricane Sandy rebuilding efforts.
- CARSTAR to Donate Electronics to Recovering Veterans CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts will present more than 100 military veterans recovering from wartime injuries with iPods, e-readers and iTunes gift cards to help with their recovery.
- Childrens Miracle Network Mardi Gras Fundraiser For the past 8 years, Crabby's Seafood Bar and Grill in Joplin has partnered with Children's Miracle Network hospitals for a Mardi Gras fundraiser.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

- Ozone Hole Shrinks to Record Low Good news from Antarctica: The hole in the ozone layer is shrinking, new measurements reveal.
- Babies Are Smarter Than You Think Kuhl is one of the first scientists to use magnetoencephalography (MEG) imaging to get a peek inside the heads of infants and young toddlers.
- Software Revives Dead Tongues A computer algorithm works almost as well as a trained linguist in reconstructing how dead "protolanguages" would have sounded.
- How Scientists Track Near-Earth Asteroids On Friday (Feb. 15), a space rock approximately the size of the White House will whiz past Earth, coming as close as 17,200 miles (27,700 kilometers) to the planet — a close call in astronomical terms.
- Monster Black Holes Grow Surprisingly Fast Giant black holes are famous for their appetites, but these matter-munching monsters are even greedier than scientists once thought.
- Wisconsin scientists help search for alien life Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are helping search for evidence of alien life not by looking into outer space, but by studying some rocks right here on Earth.
- 'Gecko' Space Cloud Floats Among Millions of Stars One of the most striking aspects of the photo, however, is the seemingly starless, dark nebula called Barnard 86 tucked amid the dazzling backdrop of stars.

SPORTS:

- The FA and England Footballers' Foundation donate money to help Paul Gascoigne The Football Association and England Footballers' Foundation have donated £40,000 to help Paul Gascoigne in his battle against alcoholism.
- Packers donate $450,000 to community groups The Green Bay Packers Foundation announced $450,000 in donations to 145 community groups.
- Kalamazoo College to donate basketball game proceeds The Hornets will give the money to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
- Super Bowl on a Saturday? Bad weather in New Jersey next year could make it so NFL is putting together a contingency plan for Super Bowl XLVIII should inclement weather hit Metlife Stadium and the New York/New Jersey area.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT:

- Mardi Gras revelers brave threat of rain "This is my life," he said, referring to his 63rd parade with the group. "We're going to make it before it rains."
- Annual Ice Festival to get under way in Medina The annual ice event will spotlight more than 60 ice sculptures sponsored by local businesses.

LIFESTYLE:

- Why 3-Year-Olds Make Good Helpers Kids start to understand from an early age what it means to be a good helper.
- Whip up a D.I.Y. Valentine's Day The pressure is on to come up with something decadent, romantic, luxurious...but all of that can be pretty expensive.
- The 50 Happiest U.S. Workplaces Workplace psychologist Bradley Brummel said all of the employers in the top 50 received high scores on the type of work employees do and how they manage it.

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY:

- Where Can We Find God? God realized that the Israelites needed a physical space for God so that they would not feel that that God was remote and indifferent. Building the Tabernacle, therefore, was a deliberate act of divine grace designed to strengthen the Israelites' relationship with and experience of God.
- Vatican lightning strike called 'a sign from God' "I think that God Himself was saying to us, ‘These are going to be exciting times for the Church. I am with you, I am present with you, and do not be afraid to go forward and make the right and the best decision for the Church, and indeed, for the world.’"
- Global Advance sees home-grown growth in Uttar Pradesh "God's Spirit is really on the move in this region and has sovereignly brought together pastors and church planters, apostolic leaders, that have a vision of bringing the Gospel to literally tens of thousands of unreached villages."