Good News Americans #10

Up in Vermont, while playing with her siblings, a young 8-year-old girl somehow fell into a pond.  Thankfully, although in extreme survival danger, from that point, everything lined up in her favor.  A female state trooper just happened to be driving nearby.  A neighbor heard yelling from the pond area. Trooper Michelle Archer could see a pink jacket out in the water.  She knew that she had to act immediately. She quickly grabbed a rope and flotation device from the trunk of her cruiser and rushed to the pond’s edge. Without hesitation, she jumped into the water and swam to the submerged girl.  Knowing that she had to get her out of the ice-cold water quickly.  Holding onto the girl and swimming back to shore, by then a second trooper had arrived and carried the young girl to a waiting ambulance. The child survived and was released from the hospital within a couple of days, “with no lasting effects of hyperthermia or any other medical issue.”  Recalled the Trooper: “I don’t know if it was instinct or training or a little bit of both.  Something kicked in where I just took action.  Panic really wasn’t an option at that point.”  Trooper Michelle Archer, and the neighbor who yelled for help, have both been recommended to receive the department’s Lifesaving Award.

A good Samaritan out driving along a Texas highway just happened to notice a sealed plastic box laying there by the side of the road.  He wouldn’t have stopped had he not noticed that “a puppy’s nose was peaking through a crack in the container.” He pulled over to take a closer look. When he opened the container, he was taken aback by what he found inside: eight abandoned very young dogs! The driver took the puppies to the Humane Society’s main facility in Fort Worth.  Once there, the puppies were treated by the medical staff and thereafter were well carried for. Said the Society’s public relations manager: “Eight defenseless puppies confined in a locked and taped box, thrown out of a vehicle, and left for dead. It serves as a stark reminder of the distressing realities in our world.”  Our thanks to the observant and caring motorist for taking that life-saving rescue action. Not only gathering up the puppies in their container, but also taking them, out of his way, no doubt, to the main Human Society treatment facility.

And speaking of abandoned dogs, lots of them, likely with a far less positive outcome for many or most of them.  The dogs are those left at our border by surging illegal migrants who apparently were not informed that they could not bring their dogs into our country.  So, they are simply abandoned there.  The only positive news from this sad saga is that some of our great, caring U.S. citizens have stepped forward to adopt a few of these poor dogs, even including some TV crews there to cover the continuous illegal entries. U.S. National Guard troops are also caring for a few of the dogs, leaving most, however, as “strays roaming the border.”  Hopefully, somehow, word can be passed back to the countries and law breakers on their way to America that dogs (or cats) cannot enter.  This is an unreported, until now, other side to the incredibly negative impact story that brings continuous illegal migrant flocks to our border, seeking free food, shelter, medical care, cell phones, etc. from American taxpayers, without anyone’s permission, other than, of course, this morally vacant administration. And now, dog food and water will, no doubt, be expected to be supplied by a generous and humane nation. The tragic problem is that we can’t care for all of those hundreds+ of now-strays.  Yet another costly result of the illegal assault on America.

Four-year-old Phenix Wilkerson survived three-days alone in the remote woods down in southeast Alabama.  Wearing only a tee shirt, sweatpants, and without shoes, this little boy, who is autistic and non-verbal, had wandered away from their camper, while his mom had gone to visit another family member camping nearby.  Discovered missing, search crews began the arduous task of trying to locate this very young boy, presumably somewhere in the surrounding woods, complicated even further by bad weather heading their way. Among the search volunteers was 25-year-old Markeith Williams. Joining the search party, Mr. Williams decided to begin looking in the wooded area opposite from where most of the other volunteers were targeting. Before heading out, he had asked his evangelist-aunt to pray for him, knowing that such would surely help with his search.  And, indeed, it did!  That same day, Markeith, remembering his aunt’s prayer, and heading off in a different direction from the main group of searchers, he actually found the little boy! He quickly used his cell phone to contact law enforcement and guide them to where the confused and hungry young Phenix was sitting. An amazing story with a happy ending.  When finally located, the youngster had been missing for about 50-hours, better than two full days out there alone in those woods. Law enforcement retrieved young Phenix and transported him for a medical evaluation, which concluded that he was fine, other than being quite hungry! Relieved, as were the child’s mother and the other searchers, church-going Markeith Williams could only remark what he knew in his heart to be true: “God sent me to do that.” A great many missing childrens’ situations do not have a happy outcome. Thankfully for all involved, this one did.

Durham, North Carolina police officer J.T. Rose, while out on patrol, wound up in a life-endangering situation with a hostile male subject. Riding that day with Officer Rose was Chaplain Scott Wilkos.  The two had become friends after working together, off and on, for several years. Chaplain Wilkos was a trained jiu jitsu expert, a quality that would unexpectedly be put to use that day.  As they were traveling along an interstate, they observed a car driving at speeds estimated to be at or over 100 miles an hour! While in pursuit, that speeder crashed near an exit ramp, at which point, upon arriving near the scene, Officer Rose approached the offender determined to make a justifiable arrest. But the now-offender, unhurt by the crash, had a different idea and immediately resisted Officer Rose. Before long in their struggle, “the suspect had one arm around my (Rose) neck and the other arm going for my gun!” Cue the veteran jiu jitsu trained Chaplain!   Recalling the incident later, Chaplain Wilkos “thought Rose was in real trouble,” as the offender proved to be quite strong, managing to wrap his arm around the officer’s neck, attempting to strangle him.  “So, at that point, I took his (offender’s) back. I came around the top, over under. And when I came around (the suspect), my hand got to where his face was, and he bit down on me.”   As other officers were arriving, Officer Rose and the Chaplain finally managed to subdue the felon, cuffs were applied, and the frightening skirmish was over.  The suspect was charged with numerous assault offenses, as well as speeding, of course, in addition to what they found in his vehicle: possession of marijuana (two bags), some white powder, and an assault rifle “with one bullet in the chamber.” All three were transported to an area hospital and treated for relatively minor injuries.  It is indeed fortunate that the 52-year-old Chaplain was riding along with Officer Rose that day. Between overpowering the Officer, almost managing to get his gun, while choking him, Chaplain Wilkos was the hero of the encounter, perhaps even to the point of saving the Officer’s life. Wilkos had been an Emergency Chaplain for 8-years, a member of a non-profit “committed to providing care and support for law enforcement officers, medics, firefighters, and 911 communicators.” Thanks to Chaplain Wilkos for his martial arts skills which made all the difference, and his commitment to help under more normal circumstances, let alone coming to the rescue of a police officer overpowered by a much stronger offender.  Right place, right time!

And we’ll end this edition by saluting a great Texas couple who’ve given genuine, lasting meaning to the word ‘commitment.’  When Pam met Bill Gibson on a blind date several decades ago, the attraction was instant, remembers Pam.  And when they married not long after, Pam recalled that they never considered, for even a moment, leaving one another and ending their relationship. “That wasn’t an option.” They truly took their marriage vows to heart, “till death do we part.” Said Pam Gibson: “When we said I do, we meant I do!”  Never wavering, now together for 70 years, the Gibson’s marriage does indeed give true meaning to the word commitment!  One of their three sons, Scott, said that his mom and dad have been “a tremendous example.  We haven’t always followed their example or their advice, you know, but they’re quite a tribute to commitment and a marriage to really look up to.” Today, with an extended family of numerous generational off-spring, including five great-great-grandchildren, and 70 happily married years together, so far, “and we’re working toward 75-years together now!” wished Pam.  Bill and Pam Gibson, with good luck and good health, are a shining example of what a lasting marriage can truly be. Recalling Pam’s clear and endearing post-wedding vows commitment to Bill: “When we said I do, we meant I do!”

(Fact Sources: VT State Trooper recuses a young girl submerged in a pond via WPDE.com, Jamel Valencia, 1-16-24;  Anonymous motorist in West Texas saves 8 abandoned puppies via breitbart.com, Olivia Rondeau, 12-28-23; Stary dogs by the hundreds+ abandoned at the border by their illegal migrant owners via legalinsurrection.com, Mike LaChance, 1-21-24; Missing four-year-old child located by a volunteer searcher who felt it had been God’s guidance via dailymail.com, Ruth Bashinsky, 1-15-24;  Emergency Chaplain to first responders in Durham, N.C. comes to the rescue via dailymail.com, Ishita Srivastava, 1-9-24; Texas couple married for 70-years, an example of true commitment via KCBD-TV (Gray News), Brittany Crittenden & Dorothy Sedovic, 12-28-23).