Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

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Amazon Delivery Driver Seen Untangling, Saluting Flag

A homeowner checked her security camera and found that while a package was being delivered, her American flag was untangled, then saluted by the Amazon driver. The homeowner posted the video on social media, and it went viral.

“Thank you for reminding us that there are still people who understand what that flag represents,' homeowner Angie said on Facebook”. She is hoping to identify the driver so she can thank [them].

The driver was eventually identified. She didn’t say she was in the military, but identified herself as a military brat.

22 Year-Old With Down Syndrome Becomes Certified Fitness Instructor

22 year-old Aubry has been certified as a fitness instructor, according to her boss, Jane, who owns VASA Fitness in Utah. Aubry is also mentally challenged, having Down Syndrome.

Jane says Aubry has learned all the steps to the routines, and all the music as well. She loves to lead the workouts in the fitness center. Jane is helping Aubrey take her certification and turn it into a full-time job.

“Aubry had been attending several classes, including UpBeat Pilates, Zumba, SilverSneakers, and HIGH Fitness, but her favorite was UpBeat Barre, which according to its website “combines strength training, Pilates, cardio, and yoga into a high-energy fusion of fun.”

Hawai'i Teen Discovers Fungus That Can Filter Plastic And Sunscreen From The Sea

Vera entered the science fair with her research on fungi found in coconut husks. She found that it is successful in filtering plastic and sunscreen from the sea.

“I learned that the pore structure of coconut fiber supports the movement of air and water, which can create a favorable environment for microbes,” she said. “That led me to wonder whether coconut husk could do more than physically capture pollutants. So this year, my research at the Amend Lab began exploring the fungal communities living in coconut husks and studying their growth and degradation abilities on sunscreen and plastic media.” From that, she has shown that it can also bio-degrade those materials.

She won in multiple categories after conducting experiments in Anthony Amend’s lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. And she qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair taking place next May in Arizona.

After that, in genetic tests, it was also found that the fungi was a previously unknown species.

“This work was made possible because of Vera’s vision, and it gives me such optimism about the future of science in Hawaiʻi,” said Amend, who is based in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

Montana Teen Uses Lasso To Rescue Drowning Man

Montana teen Jory, 14, is obsessed with roping and practices lassoing the roping dummy every chance he gets. During the 4th of July weekend this year, all that practice paid off, when he saved a man from drowning.

A group of four were rafting down the Yellowstone River nearby when they hit a bridge pier and fell in. Three of them got to safety, but the fourth was floating down the river clutching a cooler. Jory waded into the river and lassoed the man, and pulled him to safety.

Convincing the man to let go of the cooler, Jory got him around the arm and neck on his first try, while a bystander on scene rushed to help the young man reel him in.

Jory’s father, a veteran volunteer firefighter, said that he had called 911 as soon as he heard the screaming, and police records show that from the time of the call, it took just 3 minutes for a sheriff’s deputy to arrive. By then there was hardly anything to see.

Jory said he felt pretty good after he knew the man was out of the water and safe.

Service Dog Stayed With Missing Three Year-Old

In August, officials in Atchison County, Kansas responded to a report of a missing 3-year-old child. Luckily, the child was found quickly, with a friend guarding him.

In a social media post, authorities with the Atchison County Emergency Services said the child was found safe and was back with family members, then detailed how a special companion helped in the rescue.

“The hero is Maverick the dog, the bestest boy ever. Maverick was located with the child and had apparently stayed by the child’s side through the entire event. Maverick got all the treats and scratches responders could provide,” the post read.

“Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities, including physical, neurological, psychiatric, or medical conditions,” according to the Guide Dogs for the Blind website, which added that the dog’s behavior must be focused, dependable, and responsive.

Many other social media posters praised Maverick.