Uplifting Headlines - The Bright Side of News

caramel

caramel

Member
On another thread, it was mentioned that bad news threads get more attention than good news threads.

Is that true? Let's test it out.

This thread is for good news headlines only.

Colorado Town is Case Study for Electric School Buses in Wintertime—They Outperformed Diesel​

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"These frozen smoke belchers are Minnesota school buses that were set for a retrofit with diesel engines in 2012. New evidence, however, from a small town in Colorado suggests that another retrofit is needed—to electric motors and batteries.

That’s because the West Grand School District is finding that in the frigid winter temps of -30°F, their electric buses outperformed their diesel-powered ones, both in running costs and reliability.

“What we are seeing is that these buses are doing great in cold weather they still maintain a battery charge even when it’s cold,” said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative, Casey Becker.
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ARK Becomes ‘Life Raft’ Saving Over 15,000 Animals from Ukraine With Rescue Partners in Germany​

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The war in Ukraine recently passed the two-year mark, and more than 15,000 animals impacted by the war have been saved by PETA Germany and the Ukraine-based Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK).

Stories about Ukrainian zoo animals, such as these lions and this Asiatic black bear, have made it into the headlines over the course of the conflict, but thousands of other domesticated animals have been saved as well—sometimes out from under shelling.

ARK’s dedicated teams are providing upwards of 40 tons of food per month to cats, dogs, horses, donkeys, and other animals; offering free spay/neuter surgeries to 150 animals every month; and helping maintain refuges for animals in Kharkiv.

With their partners in Germany, many of these animals are getting second or third chances at life through international rescue programs
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New AI Smartphone App Accurately Diagnoses Ear Infections and Prevents Unnecessary Antibiotic Use​

An AI-powered application developed by physician-scientists at the University of Pittsburgh in the US could decrease unnecessary antibiotic use in children by diagnosing ear infections via smartphone.

The only thing worse than your child getting an ear infection is wrongly believing they have one and administering a redundant course of antibiotics which obliterates their developing gut microbiome.

Around 70% of children develop an ear infection before the age of one, the most common of which is acute otitis media (AOM).

However, AOM is often confused with other issues such as fluid behind the ear, which can lead to infections being incorrectly diagnosed and incorrectly treated.

“These findings suggest that our tool is more accurate than many clinicians,” said Dr. Hoberman. “It could be a game-changer in primary health care settings to support clinicians in stringently diagnosing AOM and guiding treatment decisions.”
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Your so right about news being about stressful stuff, and hardly ever about relaxing happy news. We have tried this before not too long ago. It is at : Highlighting Good Things Happening Globally. I like the idea, and would like to see more uplifting headlines. There is all kinds of life happening that doesn't dwell on our problems. I do not think we are being neglectful if we engage in fun stuff. Good news. so let me see...

You went to The Good News Network: Positive Stories 24/7 didn't you? That is always a good source up uplifting stories. Here is another good site Positive News | Good journalism about good things. I will start one off from their site...right up my alley too. ;)
 
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All hands to the pumps: the colourful rise of community-owned pubs​

People all over the UK are coming together to save their local pubs. More than simply having somewhere to go for a drink, it’s about satisfying a thirst for community
In a remote part of the west Highlands of Scotland, a pub sits on the shore of the Knoydart peninsula. With views over the blue waters of Loch Nevis and the surrounding hilly, lush landscapes, The Old Forge is the beating heart of the village of Inverie, a close-knit community with around 120 full-time residents. So remote is this pub, that if you live outside of the village, it’s only accessible by a 30-minute ferry from the nearest port, or – for the more hardcore – a two-day hike.

But this isn’t the only unusual thing about this local watering hole. Since March 2022, The Old Forge has been a community-owned pub. Exactly what it sounds like, a community pub is owned and run by locals, who all have an equal say in how the business is run.
After finding out that The Old Forge was going up for sale in January 2021, locals discussed buying it under community ownership. They decided to go for it and, after months of hard work, they opened in April 2022. “We live in a small community with not a lot of places to go, so the pub is an important place for people to come together,” says the pub’s business development manager Stephanie Harris. And as for the views? “It’s probably one of the best pub beer garden views. The landscape is all around you.”

While The Old Forge is certainly unique in some ways, it’s also part of a swelling trend when it comes to community-owned pubs. According to the Plunkett Foundation, a charity that helps people set up community-owned businesses, there are 174 community-owned pubs in the UK, as of January 2024. Research from trade body Co-Operatives UK found that the number of community-owned pubs in the UK has increased by 62.6% over the last five years. This comes at a time when pubs are increasingly under threat – following the struggles of the pandemic they are facing rising energy costs and inflation. In 2023, 509 pubs closed down, and the UK has lost 6% of its pubs in the last six years, according to the British Beer and Pub Association.
While times are tough for pubs, community pubs seem to be thriving: data from The Plunkett Foundation indicates that they have a 99% success rate.
The number of community pubs is on the rise, but it’s not a totally new concept.

The first pub of this kind in Britain was The Red Lion in Preston, Hertfordshire, which has been run this way since the early 1980s. In London, the city’s oldest community-owned pub is The Ivy House in Nunhead, which opened in 2013. The Rising Sun in Woodcroft, Chepstow won The Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra’s) Pub Saving Award in 2023. But to get to that point, the community faced a 10-year tussle with developers. They finally opened in October 2022.
local pubs

Music nights have been a huge success at The Old Forge in the Highlands of Scotland. Image: The Old Forge CBS
But what sets these pubs apart from your average boozer? Of course, there’s the logistical and funding side of things. Usually, communities raise the funds to purchase a pub through a mix of crowdfunding, community shares, loans and government grants. The majority of community pubs are incorporated as Community Benefit Societies, which is a not-for-profit business model.

While the organisation might be owned by lots of people, it’s usually run by a management committee. “Community-owned pubs are businesses that are genuinely owned by local people, where members have equal and democratic control,” says Claire Spendley, head of community business at The Plunkett Foundation. “Community shares play a huge part in building a customer base and creating a sense of pride in the business – a form of voluntary, open and affordable membership that allows local people to invest. They operate on a one-member, one-vote basis, ensuring local residents have a say in how the business is run.”
For many of these places, the real difference is how it serves the local community, beyond a decent pint. For James Gadsby Peet, co-founder and director at The Star of Greenwich in south London, this is key. He’s lived in the area for 15 years and runs the pub alongside fellow locals Kirsty Dunlop and Lisa Donohoe.
They’ve made a genuine friendship that would have never happened otherwise – and their lives are richer for it
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'I see it as a community hub that’s enabled by the income from a pub, as opposed to just being a pub,’ says James Gadsy Peet of the Star of Greenwich. Image: Josh Bright

“Our aim is to improve the community and make the neighbourhood a nicer place to be by people spending more time with one another,’ says Gadsby Peet. “I see it as a community hub that’s enabled by the income from a pub, as opposed to just being a pub.”
On first impressions, the pub might look like your classic East End neighbourhood boozer. Wood-panelled l-shaped bar? Check. Floral-patterned red carpet? Check. Dartboard? Check. But as well as the main bar, there’s another room that the pub often rents out for no cost – it’s used for a regular children’s stay and play sessions hosted by a local provider, English lessons for refugees and meetings for charities. While the pub doesn’t do food, it hosts pop-ups with Plateful Cafe, a community organisation that trains and employs refugee chefs.

At The Old Forge, the committee regularly asks locals what they think about the pub, whether that’s what’s on the menu or the events programme – live music nights with local musicians have been a huge hit. Spendley says that being able to adapt in response to the community’s feedback is what makes these places so successful. “Member control and input ensures the business is continually adapting and serving the needs of its members and wider community – that’s what gives community-owned pubs such longevity.”
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A thirst for community: 'railway workers, City number-crunchers and retired pensioners' spend time side by side at the Star of Greenwich. Image: Josh Bright
While the funding structures of these businesses can vary, the focus is often not on profit. “We’re set up as a community benefit society, so we’re not able to make a profit. Any money we make goes back into running of the community asset,” says Gadsby Peet. He does not take a salary, but the pub’s bar staff are paid. Meanwhile

Harris says they have a “pretty comprehensive business plan” and would like to be able to generate some profit so that they can reinvest this into the business, or invest in other projects in the area that have a community benefit.
At the heart of it, these spaces are about creating connections. “The idea is to bring people together who wouldn’t normally meet,” says Gadsby Peet. At the Star of

Greenwich, you’ll find all sorts of people chatting – railway workers, City number-crunchers and retired pensioners. Gadsby Peet gives the example of some of their regulars, a couple in their 30s and two brothers who have been drinking in the pub since they were teenagers in the 50s. “They’ve made genuine friendships. They go out for dinner outside of the pub. That relationship would have never happened otherwise – and their lives are richer for it,” he says.
There’s no doubt that running these places is a labour of love and often involves people giving up their time for free. What drives them to keep going? “As more parts of our world become polarised, and people spend less time together, I think these community spaces where people can meet each other are becoming more important. And at exactly the same time, there are fewer of them,” says Gadsby Peet. “That’s the big idea behind it. Rather than drinking or food, it’s about people.”


All hands to the pumps: the colourful rise of community-owned pubs - Positive News
 

A Bicycle Built for Two’ Might Improve Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease–Study​

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Tandem cycling may improve the health and well-being of people with Parkinson’s, according to a new study.

Pedaling on a bicycle built for two people can also be beneficial for the patient’s carer, particularly in terms of mental and emotional resilience.

The new findings have offered new potential avenues for improving the quality of life both for people suffering from the complex neurodegenerative condition and for those around them.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina in the US studied 18 participants—nine with Parkinson’s and nine care partners—as they took part in a tandem cycling program over two months.

The pairs exercised on stationary tandem bicycles indoors twice a week while also using a virtual reality platform which allowed them to visualize themselves cycling along scenic, real-life, outdoor routes.

Results, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting, showed that the participants with Parkinson’s had improved overall function after the program.

This included improved mobility and walking speed, and decreased disease progression and disease burden.
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As a crafter, I love this one. Unfinished crafting projects (or UFOs as crafters call them) that are left by someone who has died is sent to a crafter who finishes it, leaving the family with a finished project at the end.

The strangers stepping up to finish craft projects that loved ones leave behind​

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A US-based project arranges for handwork projects uncompleted by people before they died to be finished by fellow crafters. It eases grief, and inspires community and generosity, say the women behind it

When Jennifer Simonic and Masey Kaplan stepped in to support a grieving friend who had lost her mother, they discovered two unfinished blankets while sorting through her things. Each took one away to finish it off
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Inspired, they launched Loose Ends in September 2022. The not-for-profit project connects skilled volunteers – known as ‘finishers’ – with people who have found unfinished knitting or crochet projects that their loved ones have left incomplete when they died. The idea is simple, say the pair, but often a profoundly healing experience for those who submit items.
“When a maker dies mid-project, this tangible, handmade expression of love could get lost, donated or thrown out,” says Kaplan. “Our volunteers’ goals are to finish these projects as intended and give them back to be cherished.”

There are now around 17,000 finishers in 60 countries. Sometimes, the projects are incomplete due to the original crafter’s worsening disability. While not always possible, Simonic and Kaplan try to match people with finishers who live locally. Some find it hard to send such sentimental items in the post, but it also reduces the project’s carbon footprint and shipping costs.
“That feeling of somebody in their community doing something generous for them just adds an extra layer of love into the whole thing,” says Kaplan. “Some really lovely friendships have been born out of it too.”
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My Huge Solar System sold me $54 worth of Electric power last month. my thought is total B>S>
 
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For Years Bill Walked 6 Miles to Work Until She Gave Him a Lift–And Started a Rideshare Service Just for Him​

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For years, in the rain or cold, Bill Moczulewski walked six miles to work at the local Walmart as a nightshift janitor—but that all changed the day a woman stopped and offered him a ride.

Christy Conrad learned that despite being legally blind he possessed a steadfast determination to trudge in any kind of weather in order to work.

“I picked him up in nine degrees the other morning,” said Christy, who also learned that he used to ride a bike until he got hit by a car.

But Christy has her own family and couldn’t always be there, so she started a Facebook group to seek other volunteers who could give him a lift.

Mr. Bill’s Village soon attracted over a thousand members who wanted to keep an eye out for the man walking in a camouflage jacket at sunset or sunrise.

One group member said it’s now like a competition, ‘Who can give Bill a ride today?’
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Family Discovers 8 Huge Dinosaur Footprints While Walking on Eroded Beach​
A family was strolling along an eroded beach at sunset when they discovered a trove of eight huge dinosaur footprints.

Vicky Ballinger and her two kids were stunned by the sight in East Sussex, England, after high tides and heavy rains had worn away the sand, exposing the rock underneath.

In 2018, more than 85 footprints from the Cretaceous period made up of at least seven different species were uncovered by the cliffs between Hastings and Fairlight—including the fine detail of skin and scales.

Another fossil discovered on Bexhill beach was confirmed as a ‘pickled’ dinosaur brain.

The Bexhill site dates back to around 140 million years ago and contains the remains of dinosaurs that used to roam in the freshwater surroundings of the period.

“It’s quite beautiful to find these amazing dinosaur footprints when we came on a walk.”
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New Cheap, Non-Invasive Test For Oral Cancer Tackles Difficult-to-Diagnose Disease–With Results in 30 Minutes​

A new cheap, non-invasive test for oral cancer which could potentially save millions of lives has been developed.

Oral cancers and precancerous mouth lesions are considered especially difficult to diagnose early and accurately.

The biopsies are expensive, invasive and stressful for the patient, and can lead to complications. They’re also not feasible if repeated screenings of the same lesion are required.

But a team of researchers, led by a clinician scientist at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, has discovered a simpler, low-cost test to detect the cancer and monitor precancerous lesions, while determining when a biopsy is warranted.

And the results can be determined within thirty minutes.
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I think that this qualifies as uplifting news.

A baby was born on an Aircraft between Jordan and London, she
was safely delivered by a doctor, without any medical equipment
that he is used to having, the baby girl arrived, on what looks like
the floor of the Galley of the plane.

Well done Mum, baby and especially the doctor. 👏👏👏

Mike.
 

Student Gets Bullied For His Homemade University Of Tennessee T-Shirt, UT Makes It An Official Design​

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When a 4th grader needed to represent his favorite university for “College Colors Day,” he got creative and made his own University of Tennessee design, but a few bullies targeted him for it.

So UT defended him by turning his shirt into a mass-produced design that became their most popular tee shirt.

Student Gets Bullied For His Homemade University Of Tennessee T-Shirt, UT Makes It An Official Design
 
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