Good News Americans #14

Early one recent Sunday morning, two Texas volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the scene of a house fire. When fire fighters arrived, they found a frantic mother holding her four-year-old son, but she had been unable to also rescue her two-year-old son, still inside the house within the growing flames.  Upon hearing the cries of the two-year-old, and led by his voice, fire fighters went to work. Climbing a ladder to a second-floor bedroom, Lt. Jonathon Head smashed a window, and in the darkness, stepped inside. With the thick smoke hampering visibility, it was the child’s crying voice that helped him locate the youngster.  As quickly as possible, Lt. Head grabbed the child and, with him, climbed back down that waiting ladder to safety for both. Thankfully, that young child was not burned and managed to survive the smoke inhalation. Thanks to the men from the two volunteer fire department engine companies on the scene, and thanks especially to Lt. Jonathon Head who heroically entered the second story of that burning building to rescue and save a terrified two-year-old boy.  Recall again that the responding firefighters were from volunteer fire departments.  Among them, Lt. Head went forward to save the life of that child at the risk of his own.  Continued thanks to all of our first responders who repeatedly confront danger in service to their fellow citizens.

The head of the Oklahoma public schools sent a ‘demand letter’ to the Biden-Harris administration to be federally reimbursed for the estimated $474.9-million to compensate for the huge expense borne by Oklahoma taxpayers for dealing with, staffing, and teaching the large number of illegal migrants thrust upon the state.  Will the State of Oklahoma every receive a dime of its claimed educational expenses?  Doubtful, as that would open the schooling reimbursement floodgates for virtually every state across the nation.  But congratulations to Oklahoma’s state education officials for having the backbone to notify D.C. of just how much, inclusively, the multitude of illegal children were costing the state’s taxpayers over the course of a year!

Former special operations military veterans in and around North Carolina formed their own volunteer group, dubbed the ‘Redneck Air Force,’ to deliver aid and supplies up into the mountain communities hit hard by Hurricane Helene,  after unconscionable foot-dragging and delays from FEMA.  Unconscionable, in part, because of the apparent political directive to delay any relief to resident homes with a Trump election sign on the property.  There’s also supposition that federal delays overall in Western North Carolina was the knowledge on the part of the administration that those storm-impacted residents of the area were very likely to vote Republican.  The first delay reason mentioned proved to be true.  The second was only speculation. Regardless, it was said to have been at least a full week before federal agencies began showing up in those storm-ravaged mountainous communities in Western North Carolina. Members of the quickly assembled ‘Redneck Air Force’ took it upon themselves to begin ferrying food and other supplies to the stricken and suffering citizens of that region, in the absence of rapid federal assistance. Special thanks to those veteran special operators, and others, who volunteered to get involved, and to fill in for the unreasonably absent federal government, just shortly after that severe storm hit.

Members of Hillsborough County, Florida’s Fire & Rescue Service went to work quickly following Hurricane Milton-caused flood waters in that area of Florida. Not only did they rescue residents trapped by the water, but they also saved over 100 pets “ensuring that no one, human or animal, was left behind.”  Responded one area woman: “Thank you. These pets need saving just like humans. I appreciate your kindness and putting yourselves in danger to save them. True heroes!”  Thanks, indeed, to the fire and rescue team from Hillsborough County for their compassion and daring to rescue not only people in need, but also their pets. That’s clearly going well above and beyond.

Congratulations and thanks to the crew of the Coast Guard cutter “Munro” for the eleven smuggling-craft interdictions out in the Eastern Pacific Ocean that resulted in the capture of over 29,000 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of $335-million, off-loaded in San Diego rather than going into the bodies of young Americans and/or persons in other countries.  And that haul represents that one Coast Guard ship’s cocaine capture for just the months of September and October!  Said the cutter’s Captain: “I would put this crew on any mission, anywhere, at any time.”  America thanks the men and women of the USGC cutter “Munro” for their help, courage, and dedication in finding smugglers out at sea in the Pacific, so that, as much as possible, those dangerous illegal drugs weren’t coming ashore here.

At the age of 98, an American patriot finally received his high school diploma. Anthony Simeone, a resident of Cranston, Rhode Island, dropped out of high school at age 16 in order to go to work to help support his family.  Said Simeone: “My family needed money. I grew up during the Great Depression, which was not easy. I had to do what I had to do.”  As World War II approached, he joined the Army which, through combat, ultimately led to his participation in the Battle of the Bulge.  And now, after having to leave high school 82-years ago, the diploma he missed in order to help his family has finally been awarded.  Congratulations to this fine veteran.

In a move that began following the pandemic, and has increased ever since, more and more HS graduates are opting for trade school certifications and/or apprenticeships, or two-year associate degrees, rather than the traditional academic route of a four-year college or university and the latter’s “hyped-up (liberal) moral outrage and outrageous expenses. A hyper politicized academy does not bode well for students, faculty, or anyone interested in serious learning.  This has turned the educational experience from one of intellectual pursuit into pure activist sophistry.”  Accordingly, wrote an author within Inside Higher Ed magazine: “Confidence in colleges is falling and the perceived value of on-the-job training and short-term licensure or certificate programs is on the rise.”  While hands-on skills training is likely not for all high school graduates, notably those wishing to eventually enter a white-collar profession (medicine, law, etc.), credit to Mike Rowe for his persistence in pushing young HS graduates in the now acceptable direction of trades training!

Approximately 6,500 University of Mississippi students joined together on campus recently “to partake in singing, hearing the gospel, and to get baptized.”  Said event organizer Tonya Prewett: “I believe this is the generation that will usher in the greatest move to God we’ve ever seen; this move to God on college campuses is ushering in a greater awakening.”  A completely different version and vision of today’s college students than we are typically shown or allowed to read about.  This portends to be welcome news for our America.

(Fact Sources: Volunteer fire fighters rescue a small child from a burning building via dailymail.com, James Gordan, 11-16-24; Oklahoma sends a bill to the Biden-Harris administration for illegal migrant education expenses via foxnews.com, Charles Creitz, 10-29-24; ‘Redneck Air Force’ special operations veterans move rapidly in to aid Western North Carolina via nypost.com, Jack Morphet & Chris Nesi, 10-7-24;  Hurricane Milton flood waters in Florida let to the rescue of not only humans, but their pets as well via breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 10-13-24; USCG cutter intercepts smuggled drugs at sea via maritime-executive.com, no author given, 11-19-24; Veteran receives his HS diploma 82-years later via nypost.com, Steve Janoski, 11-18-24; More HS graduates opting for skills training rather than a four-year degree via legalinsurrection.com, Leslie Eastman, 9-23-24; University of Mississippi students “move to God” via breitbart.com, Olivia Rondeau, 10-18-24).