Good News Americans #14
An early morning mobile home fire in Vidor, Texas had two young children trapped in their rear bedroom. Two Vidor police officers were the first to arrive on the scene. The children’s mother informed the officers about the two trapped young boys. Without hesitation, despite the flames, those two police officers rushed forward, knocked an air conditioner unit out of their bedroom window, and helped the two children climb through that window and to safety. Said the Vidor Police Chief: “Less than a minute after the officers got the kids out of the burning home, their room, too, was engulfed with flames!” Said the chief, as well, after commending his two rescuing officers: “Their heroic actions saved the lives of two children.” The young boys were taken to the hospital just as a smoke inhalation precaution.
And another dramatic rescue. This one near the summit of a very tall mountain in Wyoming. Two hunters, doing all they could to ward off wolves and bears, were miraculously in the vicinity if what they thought they heard what might have been the crash of a small plane. Continuing to hike closer, they could then see the smoke from the crash site. They spotted a badly injured man, the pilot, near the site, now about to be fully engulfed in flames caused by the aircraft’s impact. The two hunters pulled the injured pilot well away from the flames. One of them happened to have been a Black Hawk pilot with the Wyoming Army National Guard, and with that experience, was able to guide a rescue helicopter to a safe landing spot. The injured man was airlifted to a Billings, Montana hospital with serious back injuries. Said one of the hunter rescuers: “Nothing about where we were headed was part of the plan. For whatever reason, that’s where we were put.” Sadly, as the rescue party looked further around the crash site, they discovered the deceased body of an elderly woman who was quite likely the plane’s sole passenger, apparently thrown from it upon the plane’s crash and explosion. Sad ending, but a terrific rescue of that pilot who might very well have soon lost his life as well, without the intervention of those two hero hunters who just happened to be near the right place at the right time.
The custodian at James Madison High School in Vienna, VA, Francis Apraku, received a major birthday surprise from a group of James Madison students when they presented him with a red Jeep Wrangler, said to be his “dream car.” The group fundraised via GOFUNDME, ending up with over $20,000. They also received support from a Vienna automobile dealer to make the gift happen. The custodian was overjoyed and deeply touched by the generosity of contributors and of course by the efforts of the students. Said Mr. Apraku: “I feel happy, happy, happy, and I don’t know how to describe it.” Recalled one of the students: “Ever since we met Francis, he has been super kind and friendly, and sometimes even says prayers for us.” Great positive story about rewarding a hardworking school employee for his kindness to those around him.
Assisted by several area churches, four Ohio State University football players recently conducted a spiritual revival on campus which attracted several hundred students and interested others. The players shared their personal stories of faith in their respective lives. Four tubs of water had been set up. At the conclusion of the player faith revelations, and following a group-wide prayer, about 60 students were baptized. Led to a near-by building, those who were baptized were each presented with a Bible. Evangelist Franklin Graham was advised of the special, and these days, a unique, positive campus gathering. His reaction: “This is the kind of news we need a lot more of. OSU football players led an ‘Invitation to Jesus’ event on campus and shared the life-changing truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praise God for each heart that was transformed.” I share this event with you because of the good it represents, rather than the anti-Jewish, anti-Israel hate spewing clueless student rampages we continue to hear about coming from too many American campuses today. Congratulations to those OSU athletes and students for a positive event nurturing faith and love, not hate.
Authorities in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin received word that a three-year-old boy was lost within a one-hundred-acre field grown tall with corn stalks, worse yet, at night. He had apparently wandered “about half a mile from his house.” The law enforcers involved knew that they’d have to rely on a thermal drone to locate the child. And that’s what they did. Thanks to the drone, rescuers were able to make their way through seemingly endless rows of corn and found the very young boy unharmed. With the thermal imaging, that rescue took less than an hour. Great news for the boy, his worried family, and the successful application of advanced drone technology, the latter making all the difference.
Outside Tacoma, Washington, a vehicle had collided with a barrier on an interstate highway and burst into flames. Noticing that no one else had stopped to help, Army Ranger Joe Thach then did so, and raced to the burning car to attempt a rescue. Without hesitating, Thach pulled the driver out of the vehicle and to safety. It was then that he realized that the injured driver was also a military member! The driver would recover from the crash & fire trauma. Thinking back on his immediate reactions, rescuer Army Ranger Thach, recalling his 18-years of military training, instinctively realized as he viewed the burning car that “nobody had stopped to help, and I thought, well, if not me, then who?” Another fine American selflessly coming to the life-saving aid of an injured driver who turned out to be a fellow military member.
With its legislature voting overwhelmingly in favor of legislation to stop “transgender-related child sterilization and mutilation,” South Carolina becomes the 25th state to ban such medical procedures, along with preventing the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for patients under the age of 18. Congratulations to the children and their parents in South Carolina for enacting this very important protective measure.
Crediting her parents for their strong educational support from her very beginning, 17-year-old LeAnna Roberts recently graduated from the University of Alabama with three degrees in just two years! She graduated from high school when she was 15, simultaneously receiving an associate’s degree in science from a neighboring community college. Two years later, she has now earned an MBA in healthcare management. Next year, in 2025, she expects to earn her second master’s degree. After that, she plans to start medical school. That is all an amazing and praiseworthy set of academic achievements. Said LeAnna: “From an early age, my parents really poured it into me (i.e., presume encouragement and the importance of education). I always had a love for reading, learning, and science. I was a very inquisitive child.” Congratulations to this fine young academic who will one day, no doubt, be a superb physician. And special thanks to the caring parents who guided her so well along the way.
And speaking of education to round out this edition, the State of Florida has been ranked #1 in the nation for “college readiness” (pre-K through 12th grade), by US News & World Report, the second year in a row capturing the top position. Governor Ron DeSantis credited this top ranking to “focusing on core academic subjects and rejecting indoctrination in the classroom (making us) a standard bearer for educational excellence.” The Governor has banned “discussions about sexuality and gender” in classrooms, while allowing parents “to decide what materials are used.” And by the way, Florida’s state universities are reported to have a 74% graduation rate.” Credit to the governor, state legislature, local boards of education, and the citizens of the state for combining to bring this educational acclaim to Florida. Oh, and this footnote: “In March (2024), the University of Florida fired all staff positions affiliated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
(Fact Sources: Two Texas youngsters rescued from their burning trailer home via breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 9-12-24; Two hunters to the rescue of the badly injured pilot of a plane that crashed high in the mountains via dailymail.com, Dominic Yeatman, 9-4-24; School custodian gifted a car by students via dailymail.com, Emma Richter, 9-14-24; Ohio State University student-led revival via dailywire.com, Zach Jewell, 8-27-24 and breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 8-31-24; Thermal drone technology aids authorities in search for missing child via breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 9-2-24; Army Ranger stops along the highway to rescue the driver of a car engulfed in flames via KOMO TV/CNN Newsource, 8-15-24; South Carolina passes protective measure on behalf of its young people under the age of 18 via breitbart.com, Alana Mastrangelo, 5-2-24; Young woman receives three degrees in just 2-years via WBRC-TV / Gray News), 5-4-24; Academic leadership awarded to Florida’s public schools, plus DEI termination via dailymail.com, Lacy Liberatore, 5-8-24).