Mystery person gives $4,000 to students… for them to give away [Video]

Here’s a great story from a friend of mine, Holly Bounds. Great story and a great idea!

It’s not all doom and gloom out there these days.  But if you’ve gotta see it to believe it, we’ve got a great example. 

While it’s hard to believe when you see the faces in the 4th grade class at Cross Schools, the angel of this story is no where in the picture.  And that’s by choice.

“I usually get a lot of ideas that come across my desk and this person just followed through with it and said, “We really want to do this,” Headmistress Shawn Young said.

Angel Anonymous delivered $4,000 worth of 20’s to the students of Cross Schools and set some guidelines.  Each student was to get a bill and donate it to a person or charity in need, with no name attached, just as they had received it.

“There’s a lot of people in need, and we’re in a recession right now and they’re really not doing too well- and it would make them feel happy,” nine-year-old Jackson Moore said.

The whole idea: teaching kids invaluable lessons about the gift of giving.

“Well, it felt good because I’ve always wanted to do something for other people,” Savannah Young said.

“I was thinking, I’m about to make a difference in someone’s life and I’m about to make someone happy and I’m also going to make me happy by having this warm feeling inside when I give it,” Rebecca Donaldson said.

“You know that someone will receive your gift and either find shelter and food and know that God is helping them,” Stephanie Royer said.

Angel Anonymous, we think it’s safe to say, “Mission Accomplished!”

But deep down, some of these kids are itching to talk to you.

“I would thank them so much and try to think of some way to repay them and think of something to give them,” nine-year-old Derrick Dees said.

But we know, this is the only reward you wanted.

“Money is not everything.  But what comes from your heart is best,” Dees added.

And by the way, Angel Anonymous, thanks for reminding the rest of us, too.

The school stamped each dollar bill with a website address that will lead anyone who gets the bill to the story of Angel Anonymous.  The hope is that the message about the gift of giving will continue to spread.

Read more and watch this great story: Anonymous Angel Teaches Cross Schools Gift of Giving

Men catch toddler in 30-foot fall [Video]

Amazing story of being at the right place at the right time.

Two men are being hailed as heroes by police for catching a toddler who fell 30 feet from a third-story window.

Robert Lemire of Methuen says that he was talking on his cell phone on Sunday evening outside a pizza shop when he saw the toddler dangling from a third-story window in a home across the street.
 
“I heard some commotion across the street.  I saw some toys go out the window,” he said.

“A couple of minutes later, I heard a baby cry and I thought right away – I looked across and there was a baby hanging from the window sill.”

The toddler was being held by two other children.

The 45-year-old father of two bolted across a busy street and was nearly hit by a car.

“I didn’t even look, I just ran across the street,” Lemire said.
 
He met 23-year-old Alex Day, who had been inside the home at a Bible study meeting on the first floor.

Together, they caught 18-month-old Caliah Clark before she hit the ground.

“The baby basically fell about two seconds after we got there,” Day said.

“He got the top half, I pretty much got the bottom half,” said Lemire.

The child was taken to a hospital and is OK.

The toddler’s father was taking care of a newborn at the time.

Read more and watch this story: Men Catch Toddler In 30-Foot Fall In Lawrence

Man on motorized barstool charged with DUI

A DUI is never “good news” but this is positively interesting.

Neighbors heard what sounded like a lawnmower buzzing down Kelley Lane in Newark earlier this month. It turned out to be a motorized barstool which police say a man crashed while drunk.

Kile Wygle, 28, is charged with driving a barstool while under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended license. He’s asked for a jury trial.

Police say Wygle crashed his strange-looking contraption while trying to make a U-turn.

According to a report, Wygle told Officer Michael Trotter that his barstool can reach speeds of 38 mph, but was only going 20 mph when he crashed.

Wygle was treated for minor injuries at Licking Memorial Hospital where he joked with Trotter about drinking 15 beers before the crash. He refused the blood-alcohol test.

Ohio law prohibits anyone from operating a motorized vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The law excludes wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Read more: Man on motorized barstool charged with DUI

Pink water in Ohio [Video]

You’ve got to watch the video to see the water.

Lake County residents may have noticed something strange about their water this weekend. Their water was pink.

The utilities department said there was a malfunction with a chemical feeder at about 8 p.m. Saturday at the water department, which led to too much Potassium Permanganate being put into the water.

Potassium Permanganate is a chemical used to remove bad taste, odors and improprieties in water.

The chemical turned the water pink for residents in a 15-block area near the plant, which is located near Lake Erie just east of Painsville, said Executive Director Rick Martin. While the pink water is not a health risk, it can stain clothes.

The Water Department is flushing hydrants and adding additional treatments to the water to clear up the discoloration. He estimated the water should be back to normal by Monday morning. He said a lot of people have called about the pink water.

Watch this story: Ohio County’s Water Turns Pink

Comic book character bracket [Video]

OK… here’s a real quick fun feature story. This one is for all the comic book lovers/nerds out there. You should watch the story, it was simple, but the reporter had fun with it.

Fans at Imagicon break out their own brackets.

It’s Superman vs. Venom, Batman vs. Spiderman, Magneto vs. Hulk, Joker vs. Wolverine!

Who will come out on top? Watch the video to find out!

Watch this story: Comic Book Bracket

Battery-powered bicycle [Video]

Brian Sauer has always had a fascination with transportation. He’s been building things from about the age of four.

“I almost considered building an ultra-light airplane, but I decided I didn’t want to go that route. It takes longer to heal when you get older, and I don’t want to get injured if I can avoid it,” said Sauer with a laugh.

Instead, the Cleveland Clinic engineer built a motorized bicycle in his basement that is fit for the elements. Sauer calls it the “Bricycle.” It’s technically a bicycle. It’s small, chic, and functional. It has brake lights, turn signals, and headlights too. And it runs off batteries. It’s better for the environment and, as Sauer claims, good in the elements.

“I’ve driven it when the temps have been in the 20s, and it’s reasonably warm. My hands get cold, and my feet get cold. But there’s not wind in your face,” Sauer said.

It may be easy for Brian to drive, but is it for everyone?

“I’ve had my son-in-law. He loves it. My daughter. I’ve taken my granddaughters for rides,” Sauer said.

While his mom won’t try out the Bricycle, she’s still proud as can be.

“Oh I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “I think it’s one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a long, long time. Maybe it’s because he’s mine, I don’t know.”

Watch this story: Battery-powered bicycle keeps you out of the rain

Students help injured classmate complete project and graduate [Video]

This is a a great one! If you are soft-hearted, get the tissues ready.

Last January, a Seneca Valley High School student was killed in a tragic accident on I-79 while driving to a sporting event.

But her best friend, a passenger in the vehicle, survived serious injuries and is now looking forward to a bright future.

Family, friends and teachers say it’s nothing short of a miracle to see Dana Hughes, a Seneca Valley High School senior, up and walking again. Two months ago, the teen was critically injured in an auto accident while heading to a lacrosse match.

As a senior, in order to graduate, Hughes had to complete her senior project of training and competing in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s ”Just A Short Run” marathon at North Park.

However, the accident left her not well enough to run so about 90 of her classmates got permission to complete the project for her.

“She’s like a big sister to me. All my life, she’s always been my role model, so I wanted to do something for her,” said one of Hughes’ classmates, Megan Condit.

Hughes, just out of rehab, was able to walk five miles of the marathon, and dedicated the effort to in the memory of Quail. And today she had a chance to thank all of her classmates and friends who supported her.

“Everything that I got when I was in Pittsburgh Institute, in the hospital, the prayers especially helped,” she said. “I think, God was shining over me. I know he was.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I never thought I’d be so excited to go back to school,” added Hughes.

Read more and watch this heart-warming story:  Students Help Injured Classmate Complete Project

Hockey team for women over 30-years-old [Video]

This is a great story!

Step aside, guys. It’s the ladies’ turn to hit the ice.

The Triangle-based Carolina Black Widows is the only USA Hockey-affiliated team in North Carolina for women more than 30 years old.

“I started at (age) 44,” said hockey player Nancy Difede.

“We’re the old nags,” her teammate Sue Mitran chimed in.

The hockey players come from a variety of backgrounds: Mitran is a bookkeeper, Gloria Cabada-Leman is a lawyer, and Jaden Taylor is a research scientist with Wyeth Vaccines.

That diverse experience comes in handy for the team, hockey player Wendy Bard joked.

“When somebody’s injured on the ice, you make sure you put your doctor on the ice. You take your lawyer with you if you have a physiotherapist,” Bard said. “You’ve got to have somebody from every walk of life.”

The hockey moms and career-driven women said playing on the side is great fun.

“It’s a wonderful escape from reality. We have a lot of fun and get along really well,” Cabada-Leman said.

Some of the players are Canadians who relocated to the Triangle. Others are women who had never before touched a hockey stick in their lives.

“More women play because they see us out here,” Mitran said.

But for amateurs, the Black Widows have their fair share of talent: They went 13-2 in the 2009-2009 season. This weekend, they’re competing in a USA Hockey national tournament. On Friday, they won one game and lost one.

Team members, though, said that winning’s not their goal.

“We get out there and skate hard and have fun. That’s basically what it’s all about,” Mitran said.

Watch this story: Women’s ice hockey team hits the rink

Unemployed truck driver wins lottery [Video]

Maryland Lottery officials say an unemployed truck driver from who has been laid off twice since November has won $1.2 million.

47-year-old Bryan Boushell was on his way to recycle aluminum cans to raise gas money when he stopped by a convenience store and spent $3 on what proved to be a fateful investment.

“There was a customer and I was telling him I was the one who sold the ticket,” said Syed Wahid, a convenience store clerk. “And he said, ‘That’s me!’ And I said, ‘Are you serious?'”

Boushell says the first call he made was to his wife, Donna. She says when she realized how much they had won, she began to cry.

“Went out to my truck and got the ticket and checked it and like one of those people you see on game shows — bouncing off the walls,” said Boushell.

Still, Boushell says he’s eager to get back to work. “I want to get back in a truck. I’m more happy in a truck,” he said.

They plan to take the $750,000 cash option and will end up with about $500,000 after taxes.

Read more and watch this story: Local Unemployed Truck Driver Elated After Jackpot Win

Young at heart: Elderly librarian says kids keep her alive [Video]

Here is a library worker who is older than many of the books on the shelves but she says her elementary students keep her young at heart.

Arlene Greene turns 82 this summer and she credits the kids at Wengert Elementary for her new lease on life. “When I first came here to Nevada I was sitting around, doing reading, watching T.V. and I was slowly dying and my daughter said, mom, ‘you are going to die like this. You’ve got to volunteer.'”

Greene now volunteers five days a week. Wengert’s principal, Suhaila Mustafa, says, “She is very sweet, very kind to them.’ Mustafa says Greene resembles grandma and provides a family atmosphere.   

Greene is no push over, though, and the kids know it. A book overdue is a book overdue. And she is a stickler when it comes to saying “please and thank you.”

Greene says, “I would encourage everybody who doesn’t know what to do with themselves, who have nothing, their children have married or gone away, jump into a school. Volunteer and work with the kids. It’s like living all over again.”

Read more and watch this story: Cool at School: Young at Heart

Photo: Flickr user apdk