Category: Uncategorized

Amateur Treasure Hunter Finds 1500-Year-Old Gold With Metal Detector
Ole Ginnerup Schytz had only been out for a few hours when his metal detector began beeping in a field owned by a former classmate of his in Vindelev, Denmark. After digging up some of the soil he discovered a small piece of metal between his fingers. “It was full of smashes and mud,” he told Danish broadcaster TV2. “I had no idea about it, so the only thing I could think of was that it looked like the lid on a can of sour herring.” As he continued digging, he found more and more pieces of metal. Turns out, he found 22 precious gold objects in total. When experts excavated the site where Schytz found the treasure, they discovered the ruins of a village longhouse. Scytz says that his finding, one of the largest in Danish history, was “the epitome of pure luck.” The stash contains medallions called bracteates that are beautifully adorned with magic symbols and runes, an early form of writing. Women would have worn these for protection, because people, at the time, thought gold came from the sun. According to experts, the treasure trove provides critical clues into how Norse mythology arose partially from Roman religion and art. The objects’ pristine craftsmanship hints that their original owners were probably of very high status. Archaeologists suspect that the gold was buried to protect it from invaders, or as a last-ditch offering to the gods. The find is said to have come from approximately 536, when a volcanic eruption in Iceland covered the sky in ash and caused widespread famine in Scandinavia. Several other gold troves found in the area, including a group of 32 artifacts unearthed on the island of Hjarnø, have been dated back to around the same time. Image source: Daily Mail

Therapy Dogs Will Help Those With Needle Anxiety At COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
A COVID-19 vaccination site at the Dalhousie University’s family medicine clinic at the Spryfield Wellness Center in Spryfield, Nova Scotia is using therapy dogs to help calm those with anxiety about receiving the vaccine. The idea to use the dogs to calm the nerves of those coming in to get their vaccine came from a young man with down syndrome that has a fear of needles, according to Dr. Karen McNeil, a family doctor who works at the clinic. "We should acknowledge that there is not only this gentleman, there's lots of people out there who have anxiety around vaccines," said Dr. McNeil. The drop-in clinic is available for those 12 and over that are looking to receive their first or second dose of the Pfizer shot. McNeil explained that the site previously held clinics for Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, and appointments were scheduled about five to six minutes apart. For the Pfizer clinic, appointments are 15 minutes apart. To help people feel more comfortable, therapy dogs and handlers from St. John Ambulance will be present at the clinic. Dr. McNeil said that the clinic is meant for those with needle anxiety rather than needle phobia, a much more severe fear of needles. She also said that approximately 10 percent of the population has anxiety around getting vaccinated, so they hope that the therapy dogs will help calm some of those fears. Image source: CBC Canada

100-Year-Old Grandma Sets Guinness World Record In Weightlifting
While some 100-year-old grandmas enjoy knitting or playing bingo, Edith Murway-Traina likes to bench press. Murway-Traina, from Tampa, Florida, is being honored as the oldest competitive female powerlifter for her major accomplishment of lifting up to 150 pounds three days a week, according to Guinness World Records. The former dance teacher began weight lifting later in life, when her friend invited her to join a gym at the age of 91. "Going on a regular basis, I found that I was enjoying it, and I was challenging myself to get a little bit better and a little bit better. Before long, I was part of the team," she told Fox News. Murway-Traina last competed in 2019 at 98-years-old, and she had to pause the hobby during the pandemic. Now, she is back in the gym and her achievement will be listed in the 2022 “Guinness World Records” book. “I like to do things that people think I can’t do,” she told ABC Action News. “Sometimes she’s tired, sometimes she doesn’t feel like coming to the gym, but she fights through it,” said her training buddy, Carmen Gutwirth. Murway-Traina said that being in the record book is an honor that dates all the way back to her childhood with her mother. “She loved the Guinness Book of Records and she used to thumb through it lots of times see all the people who could do things that people said they never could,” she explained. Murway-Traina hopes to inspire anyone who reads the book, and explains that weightlifting is just as important for her mind as it is for her body. “It’s like everything else in this world if you don’t try it you’ll never know if you can do it,” said Murway-Traina, who's next competition is scheduled for November. Image source: NY Post

‘I Like To Make Sure My Job Is Done’: New Jersey Custodian Stayed At School All Night To Ensure Building Did Not Flood During Hurricane Ida
Hackensack Middle School Principal Anibal Galiana was worried about the state of the school after seeing the severe flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Ida across New Jersey. So, he called his custodian, Peter Hemans, early Thursday morning to let him know he was going to try to get to the school to gauge the damage. To Galiana’s surprise, the custodian was already at the school — he stayed the entire night, running pumps to make sure the school did not flood. "I told him that I'm not sure if I could get there since all the streets were closed, but I'd like to check on the building," Galiana told USA Today. "He said 'Dr. Galiana, I'm still here; I never left.' I said, 'What?!'" "He's been an asset to the building since he's arrived," said Galiana. "He's a hard worker and he's a great example for the other custodians, too. He said he slept there to make sure the building didn't flood since school starts next week and the kids need a building to come to." Hemans is the school’s head custodian, and he said he received an alert on the night of Sept. 1 that water was entering the school’s basement. It took him over an hour to reach the school due to many roads already being flooded, but once he arrived, he ensured the emergency sump pumps were working properly and checked on them throughout the night. "I like to make sure that my job is done," Hemans said. "I took it upon myself to get it done," he added, saying he didn't want to see the school suffer damage. Hurricane Ida hit the area just a week before classes were set to begin. "We are ready for our scholars because of his amazing dedication," Hackensack Middle School said on its Facebook page, as it called Hemans a hero. Hemans was happy to see Hackensack’s students return to school last week. "When you see them, especially in the cafeteria, it's a joy seeing them eating and playing," he said. "They're very happy to be back to school rather than being at home." Image source: USA Today

Waitress Becomes Emotional After Receiving Kind Thank-You Note From Widow Dining Alone
Megan King (@alienpostarr) shared two photos on Twitter that went viral with over 820k likes and 48k reposts. The first image shows the handwritten note she received with the tip, and the second image is a picture capturing King’s reaction: smiling and in tears. The note reads: "Thank you very much for your kind service. This was my first time eating out alone since my husband passed. I was hoping I could get through it." "She [the customer who left the note] came in about halfway through my 17-hour shift, and it was on Sunday, which is always pretty busy," King told Newsweek. "About halfway through her meal, it started to slow down so we chatted for a few minutes. Small talk, nothing too deep. She told me she was almost 70 and has been slowing down a bit. "She said she just wanted to stop by an old favorite for a bite," King continued. King remembers the woman looking “a bit sad” as she dined, so she made sure to check in frequently. "In retrospect, I wish I would've taken her quiet as an invitation. I think that's what she wanted, looking back," said King. "She kept looking up at me so I assumed something wasn't right with her meal or that she needed something. Though she did not check in as often as she wished, the note proves that King’s kindness meant a lot to the new widow. King said that as soon as she read that her husband, she “lost it.” "I had to use the restroom to get myself together enough to tend to my other tables even though I really didn't have time to take a rest," she continued. Although some Twitter users complained about the woman’s seemingly small tip, King came to her defense. She tipped $3 on an $11 bill, an amount King says was “more than enough.” “She was sweet and easy to take care of.” Image source: Newsweek

Abandoned Pup Becomes South Korea’s First Honorary Rescue Dog After Saving Elderly Woman
A 4-year-old dog named Baekgu has just been appointed South Korea’s first-ever honorary rescue dog after saving the life of his missing elderly owner. Baekgu’s owner, a 90-year-old woman suffering from dementia, was reported missing after she fell unconscious in a field. The woman lives in South Korea’s Hongseong county and was missing for 40 hours until she was found in the middle of a rice field, about two kilometers, or 1.3 miles, from her home. She had fallen in a wet area where the rice was tall and full, keeping her hidden from search crews. Just before she was found, the weather was getting worse and nighttime was bringing cold air. Baekgu was with the woman and kept her body temperature up, even as she began to slip into hypothermia. The search crew sent out a thermal drone, which detected the woman and her life-saving pup. The woman is now recovering in the hospital, and authorities credit Baekgu with saving her life. The National Fire Agency introduced regulation last year that would allow for honorary firefighters, fire ambassadors and rescue dogs. Baekgu just became the country’s first-ever official rescue dog. "At a difficult time due to Covid-19, Baekgu created an unbelievable miracle and moved everyone," said Gov. Yang Seung-jo. "Baekgu was an abandoned dog and became part of our family when we saved him from attacks by another dog three years ago," the woman’s daughter said, according to The Korea Times. "I am really thankful; it seems he returned our favor." Image source: CNN

Girl With Down Syndrome Who Sent Painting to Queen Elizabeth is ‘Over the Moon’ After Receiving Official Reply
Wanessa Bąkowska, a 12-year-old girl from Lipka, a village in northern Poland, wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth and included one of her paintings. Bąkowska is a talented painter with over 1,000 followers on Facebook where she displays her work. The letter written to the Queen said, “Your Majesty, my name is Wanessa and I am 12 years old. I live in Poland, in the small town of Lipka. I have wonderful teachers and many friends. I have mum Karolina, dad Rafał, brother Alan and sister Nutka. “I love them very much. I am a person with a disability and Down Syndrome. Nevertheless, I paint pictures. I would like to give you one of them, Your Majesty. The title of this painting is ‘Earth’. Greetings from Poland.” Queen Elizabeth’s Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Elizabeth Leeming, penned the official response to Bąkowska. She said the Queen was ‘touched’ to receive the painting, which she described as ‘splendid.’ She concluded the note by saying the Queen asked her to thank the 12-year-old for ‘thoughtfulness for taking the time to write’ and wished her all the best for the future. The girl’s mother, Karolina, wrote on Facebook on her behalf: “Dreams are made to be fulfilled. Today, I got a reply to my letter from Queen Elizabeth.” Bąkowska’s paintings have been displayed at several galleries, including the Labirynt gallery in Pila, and the Great Gala of Integration at the National Theatre in Warsaw. Her Facebook page was established in 2019 and says that it includes “Pictures painted by a disabled girl with Down syndrome who poured her inner beauty and sensitivity onto the canvas.” Image source: The First News

Dad Jokes Posted Outside Help Motivate Neighbor’s Walk to Recovery
Neiva Fett of Madison, Wisconsin had back surgery and was instructed by her doctor to go for walks every day, even if they were just small walks down the street. Fett credits her neighbors, Tom and Jennifer Hanser, with helping her stay positive as she regained her strength. Fett started out by taking small strolls outside her home and noticed a sign outside her neighbor’s home with a “dad joke” on it. She said that even when walking seemed like a daunting task, the jokes gave her motivation to get out of the house. “When it was really cold, I’d put on boots and caps and jacket, and I didn’t feel like it. But I thought, ‘If I don’t go, I’ll miss the joke of the day!’” she told WFMZ. The Hansers said they are happy that their small gesture helped bring joy to their neighbor and community. Ever since the jokes began in January, Fett has not missed a day of walking. These are a few of the jokes that kept Fett on her feet: "It's my wife's birthday tomorrow, and she's been leaving jewelry catalogs everywhere, so I bought her a magazine rack." "I canceled my subscription to the Scrabble club. Now they're sending me threatening letters." "I ate a kid's meal at McDonald's today. His mom got really mad." Image source: WFMZ

Man Rescues Woman From House Fire 20 Years After Losing Family in Blaze
Mark Collum was sleeping at his home in Rowley, Massachusetts when he heard his neighbor, Deb Shanahan, yelling for help around 5:00 a.m. “There were flames billowing out the back, smoke filling up the kitchen,” he told WCVB. “I just grabbed her and took her out. “I had a little smoke in my lungs, same with her, so we just kind of took her outside and things worked out well.” This was not the first time Collum experienced a house fire. In January 2001, his wife Lisa and their daughters — Lindsay, 4, and Carly, 5 months — died after a fire broke out in their home in Ipswich. Collum, who is a commercial fisherman, was not home at the time of the fire. The Rowley Fire Captain, Ron Merry, who was also on the scene at the Collum fire home 20 years ago, said that crews arrived at Shanahan’s home after Collum had already carried her to safety. “There’s a side to the whole thing that’s just ironic,” Merry told WCVB. “I don’t know if a lot of people would do that.” Shanahan sustained only minor injuries, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. “I’m glad things worked out today,” said Collum. “I’m just glad I was here and did the right thing.” Image source: KSBN Local 4

Simone Biles Surprises Suni Lee’s Dad With Custom Wheelchair
The seven-time Olympic medalist teamed up with “Today” to surprise Suni Lee’s dad with an electric wheelchair so that he will not have to rely on family members to be mobile. While helping a friend with yard work in 2019, John Lee fell off a ladder and suffered a spinal cord injury that left him partially paralyzed. He has been wheelchair-bound since and has to rely on friends and family members to get around. The accident happened just two days before Suni was set to compete at the U.S. Championships. She considered skipping the competition, but her father insisted she compete. “You worked so hard for it, just go,” said the proud father. In a segment on the "Today" Show, John watched a video message from Biles in which the superstar said, "I love your daughter, Suni, so much" and explained that "you have done so much for her, so I reached out to my friends at the 'Today' show to see if we could do something special for you." Then, the show’s west coast anchor Natalie Morales, who interviewed John at his home in Minnesota, led him outside where a brand-new electric wheelchair was waiting for him. “Now they don’t have to keep pushing me around,” said John. “ … Well this is amazing. Thank you, guys.” John is thankful to be ditching the manual wheelchair — his new ride will be custom-fitted and provide much more comfort. This is not John and Biles’ first time exchanging sentiments. After Suni’s Olympic victory, he told Biles on “Today,” “I want to tell Simone that she truly is the GOAT because she let my baby girl bring me a gold medal.” Image source: Yahoo