https://happygood.news Good news, traced to the original source. en https://happygood.news/story/bringing-back-the-american-chestnut-four-approaches-to-a-forest-giant--american-chestnut-restoration-four-approaches/ https://happygood.news/story/bringing-back-the-american-chestnut-four-approaches-to-a-forest-giant--american-chestnut-restoration-four-approaches/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 23:00:06 GMT Researchers are pursuing several routes to bring back the American chestnut: hybrid breeding, breeding from American survivors, gene engineering and viruses that weaken the blight fungus. Each tackles a different part of the problem, and each still faces tests before it can deliver lasting forest restoration. Source: https://tacf.org/major-new-tacf-paper-published-in-science/ https://happygood.news/story/5-search-and-rescue-teams-rcmp-find-stranded-person-in-canyon-above-pe-153193e00079/ https://happygood.news/story/5-search-and-rescue-teams-rcmp-find-stranded-person-in-canyon-above-pe-153193e00079/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:56:02 GMT The search began on Oct. 10, after Penticton RCMP asked Penticton Search and Rescue (PENSAR) to find an individual missing in the Carmi Recreation Forest area. As daylight faded and temperatures dropped, mutual aid was requested from Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue (OOSAR) and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue. Two canine teams from the RCMP and OOSAR, along with reinforcements from Princeton Ground Search and Rescue and Thompson Nicola Search and Rescue, supported the search. At about 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 11, the RCMP’s helicopter team found the individual. The stranded individual was finally rescued at 1 p.m. and placed in the care of B.C. Emergency Health Services. Source: https://kelownacapnews.com/2026/10/13/5-search-and-rescue-teams-rcmp-find-stranded-person-in-canyon-above-penticton/ https://happygood.news/story/mackenzie-macdonald-16-heads-to-the-youth-olympics-for-australia-in-ta-1c7846efa27e/ https://happygood.news/story/mackenzie-macdonald-16-heads-to-the-youth-olympics-for-australia-in-ta-1c7846efa27e/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:15:00 GMT Mackenzie Macdonald is heading to the Youth Olympic Games at the end of the month to represent Australia in taekwondo. The 16-year-old is a ten-time national champion and a 15-time international medallist. Macdonald is also a three-time Team Australia representative at World Championship events. The North Central Review calls Macdonald one of the country's most accomplished young taekwondo athletes. Source: https://ncreview.com.au/2026/10/13/mackenzie-kicks-olympic-goals/ https://happygood.news/story/parksville-festival-volunteers-help-deliver-record-89-270-donation-aeb7d0c32de9/ https://happygood.news/story/parksville-festival-volunteers-help-deliver-record-89-270-donation-aeb7d0c32de9/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:35:00 GMT The Parksville Beach Festival Society donated $89,270 to organizations whose volunteers served as gate ambassadors at the 2026 Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition. The board presented the donations at Parksville City Hall ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, according to a society news release. Society president Cheryl Dill said sharing the festival’s success with the community was one of its most rewarding parts. Gate ambassadors greeted guests, counted attendance, answered questions and gathered feedback. More than 119,480 visitors attended the 2026 exhibition. Source: https://pqbnews.com/2026/10/12/parksville-beach-festival-society-donates-record-breaking-89k/ https://happygood.news/story/police-fetch-antivenom-as-three-blue-mountains-rescues-unfold-in-a-day-d2e79c7ec39f/ https://happygood.news/story/police-fetch-antivenom-as-three-blue-mountains-rescues-unfold-in-a-day-d2e79c7ec39f/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 05:48:00 GMT A bushwalker bitten by a suspected brown snake on the Pool of Siloam Track in Leura set off the first of three Blue Mountains emergencies today. The call came about 11.20am. Highway patrol officers went to Katoomba Hospital for antivenom for a waiting Toll Ambulance Rescue helicopter. At about 12.19pm a second helicopter was sent from Wollongong to Linden's Paradise Pool, where a person had a significant leg injury. They were winched out and taken for treatment. At 1.44pm four bushwalkers were reported lost near Bedford Creek Trail, one of them dehydrated. NSW Ambulance, Blue Mountains Police Area Command and Police Rescue found and retrieved all four safely. Source: https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/9367087/blue-mountains-snakebite-triggers-series-of-bush-rescues/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/guyra-teen-18-is-youngest-member-of-town-rotary-club-2194f3d58d1e/ https://happygood.news/story/guyra-teen-18-is-youngest-member-of-town-rotary-club-2194f3d58d1e/ Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:55:00 GMT Eli Wood is 18, a year 12 student at Guyra Central School, and the youngest member of the Rotary Club of Guyra. His HSC exams are about to begin. Wood said regional charities and community organisations face an uncertain future unless they attract younger members. Rotary does more than raise money, he said, organising activities and events that bring people together. He pointed to its involvement in the Christmas parade, which he said brings "joy to the community" and gives people something to do in a small town. Source: https://www.armidaleexpress.com.au/story/9367005/eli-wood-guyra-teen-joins-rotary-to-revive-local-charity/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/julien-alfred-donates-50-copies-of-book-about-her-own-story-to-saint-l-261424575e72/ https://happygood.news/story/julien-alfred-donates-50-copies-of-book-about-her-own-story-to-saint-l-261424575e72/ Sun, 11 Oct 2026 22:40:13 GMT Julien Alfred donated 50 copies of a children's book about her athletic journey to Diverse Classroom Books on Friday, at her alma mater, Ciceron Primary School. Saint Lucian author A.L. Dawn French wrote "Peanut and the Julien Alfred Visit", which 1st National Bank commissioned. The charity plans to distribute the copies during upcoming school visits across the island. It donates new children's books to schools to strengthen their library collections. Founder Shnell Donacien said the donation was particularly meaningful. Source: https://stluciatimes.com/184858/2026/10/julien-alfred-donates-50-books-to-inspire-young-saint-lucian-readers/ https://happygood.news/story/substation-workers-and-volunteers-overhaul-mind-on-s-kirkwall-shop-and-883255dfe24e/ https://happygood.news/story/substation-workers-and-volunteers-overhaul-mind-on-s-kirkwall-shop-and-883255dfe24e/ Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:43:02 GMT Visiting contractors on the Orkney Link project, which includes the Finstown substation, have helped Mind-On volunteers transform the Kirkwall charity's storage and shop facilities. A packed shipping container of donations from the Orkney public was cleared and delivered to the Firth Community Centre. Surplus donations had built up until items were difficult to access and sort, and goods risked damage. Volunteers and workers spent four days sorting and cataloguing the donations while professional racking was installed in the container. Source: https://orcadian.co.uk/substation-workers-overhaul-local-charitys-bases/ https://happygood.news/story/cochrane-hosts-ava-esposito-memorial-tournament-f509de692b64/ https://happygood.news/story/cochrane-hosts-ava-esposito-memorial-tournament-f509de692b64/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 19:40:00 GMT Cochrane’s SLS Centre welcomed dozens of youth ringette teams this weekend for the annual Ava Esposito Memorial Tournament. Held on Saturday (Oct. 10), the weekend-long event brought teams from all over southern Alberta. Players ranged in age from U10 to U19. The tournament is held every year in memory of Ava Esposito, a youth South Calgary Ringette Association player who passed away in 2014. Source: https://www.cochraneeagle.ca/local-sports/cochrane-plays-host-to-memorial-ringette-tournament-12881962 https://happygood.news/story/greens-motors-closes-in-haverfordwest-after-183-years-taken-over-by-jl-a122a592e9de/ https://happygood.news/story/greens-motors-closes-in-haverfordwest-after-183-years-taken-over-by-jl-a122a592e9de/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:28:51 GMT Greens Motors, the Haverfordwest garage the Green family started in 1843 by selling bicycles and iron products, has closed after 183 years. It was the world's oldest Land Rover dealer. JLR Sinclair, Neyland, has taken it over, and a notice told customers their servicing needs can be dealt with from 14th September. The closure came days after sister company Pembroke Motor Services went into liquidation. Both garages shared an address on Withybush Business Park. Source: https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/26562889.greens-motors-haverfordwest-taken-neyland-garage/?ref=ed_direct https://happygood.news/story/little-red-dots-may-show-how-massive-black-holes-formed-3ab31800b486/ https://happygood.news/story/little-red-dots-may-show-how-massive-black-holes-formed-3ab31800b486/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:05:00 GMT A simulation published in Nature links massive black hole formation to little red dots seen by the James Webb Space Telescope. Astrophysicist Sunmyon Chon and his team found that chaotic swirls of material in the early universe could form black holes. As the holes rapidly picked up material, their light emissions appeared like the red dots, which date back to one billion years after the Big Bang. Source: https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2026/10/10/nation-world-news/massive-black-holes-may-have-started-as-little-red-dots/ https://happygood.news/story/age-uk-north-yorkshire-darlington-appeals-for-14-000-to-keep-services--fe4de7a42103/ https://happygood.news/story/age-uk-north-yorkshire-darlington-appeals-for-14-000-to-keep-services--fe4de7a42103/ Sat, 10 Oct 2026 05:02:00 GMT Age UK North Yorkshire & Darlington has launched an emergency appeal to raise £14,000 by October 20 after warning that it could close by the end of October. The charity supports about 16,500 older people a year and delivers more than 900 meals each month to their homes. It says it is not giving up and is asking the community for help while it seeks longer-term funding. Source: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/26604514.emergency-appeal-age-uk-north-yorkshire-darlington-faces-closure/?ref=ial https://happygood.news/story/lou-the-otter-goes-missing-from-cole-cobble-hill-flower-pot-818402041519/ https://happygood.news/story/lou-the-otter-goes-missing-from-cole-cobble-hill-flower-pot-818402041519/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 22:00:09 GMT Lou, a small artisan otter sculpture donated to the school, has gone missing from its flower pot at the front of École Cobble Hill. It was last seen Friday, Sept. 25. Someone in the community spotted kids with it near Drifters on Saturday, Sept. 26, and that is the last sighting. It was still missing on Oct. 6. Kindergarteners miss it most, and they pet its head each time they walk by. Jennifer Currie, chairperson of the parent advisory committee, says any attention could help get the word out. Source: https://cowichanvalleycitizen.com/2026/10/09/students-hoping-beloved-school-otter-will-return-from-walkabout/ https://happygood.news/story/three-more-golden-rock-residents-sign-deeds-to-their-homes-af4da98319b3/ https://happygood.news/story/three-more-golden-rock-residents-sign-deeds-to-their-homes-af4da98319b3/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:11:27 GMT Three more Golden Rock residents signed deeds of transfer before a notary on Friday, 9 October 2026. The first resident to finish the process did so on 2 October. Acting Island Governor Sharon Hassell signed on behalf of the Government of Statia. Island Commissioner Reuben Merkman, who holds the housing portfolio, was there to congratulate the new homeowners in person. More signings are expected in the coming week as the government works through eligible tenants. Source: https://www.721news.com/2026/10/first-group-of-golden-rock-residents-become-homeowners-following-years-of-efforts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=first-group-of-golden-rock-residents-become-homeowners-following-years-of-efforts https://happygood.news/story/gibraltar-u15s-head-to-baku-for-first-fifa-u-15-world-cup-f74e2442db50/ https://happygood.news/story/gibraltar-u15s-head-to-baku-for-first-fifa-u-15-world-cup-f74e2442db50/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:30:42 GMT Gibraltar's Under-15 side travels to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, which runs from October 24 to 30. Teams from 191 member associations will be represented, playing eight-a-side. Gibraltar arrive unbeaten in normal playing time from the recent UEFA Development Tournament in San Marino, where they drew with the hosts and beat Liechtenstein and Andorra. In Group V they face Bolivia, Paraguay, Seychelles and Tahiti, with the first fixtures on October 24. Source: https://www.chronicle.gi/gibraltar-u15-set-for-inaugural-fifa-world-cup/ https://happygood.news/story/doonella-bridge-upgrade-reaches-retaining-wall-milestone-4d46123ec650/ https://happygood.news/story/doonella-bridge-upgrade-reaches-retaining-wall-milestone-4d46123ec650/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:10:44 GMT Work on the Doonella Bridge upgrade has reached another significant milestone, with all retaining walls now completed. The work allows backfilling of the excavated road to start. Acting Major Projects and Transport Manager Kyrone Dodd said the project remains on schedule. Additional nightwork over the past six weeks has helped progress the project as it moves into the complex stage of relocating the sewer rising main and reconstructing the Telstra pit. Source: https://noosatoday.com.au/news/10-10-2026/bridge-hits-milestone/ https://happygood.news/story/donnie-s-beats-rusch-s-in-colgate-pub-grub-poll-b47d06cd79c5/ https://happygood.news/story/donnie-s-beats-rusch-s-in-colgate-pub-grub-poll-b47d06cd79c5/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:00:16 GMT Donovan’s Pub, known on campus as Donnie’s, took 221 of 340 votes, or 65 percent, in an Instagram poll run by The Colgate Maroon-News. The question put to students: when you crave pub grub, are you headed to Rusch’s or Donnie’s? Rusch’s Bar and Grill came second. Voters said Donnie’s was easier and more convenient, especially with its place in Colgate’s meal plan. Sophomore Poppy Marrano, a member of the Colgate dining committee, sided with Donnie’s, pointing to its accessible location and the familiar faces there. Source: https://thecolgatemaroonnews.com/72456/bakers-dozen/who-does-it-better-ruschs-or-donnies/ https://happygood.news/story/foundation-awards-scholarships-to-488-students-for-2026-205995608031/ https://happygood.news/story/foundation-awards-scholarships-to-488-students-for-2026-205995608031/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:45:00 GMT The Greater Worcester Community Foundation awarded scholarships to 488 students for the 2026 academic year. Michael Sobolewski received a record $104,000 through the Becker Scholarship Fund to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute. A Worcester student inspired by his younger sister’s heart condition hopes to become a cardiologist. The foundation also awarded 247 new scholarships to students entering college this fall. Source: https://theworcesterguardian.org/f/greater-worcester-community-foundation-awards-scholarships-to-488-students/ https://happygood.news/story/rare-animals-return-across-the-blue-mountains-after-black-summer-bushf-eb6dc444ffc6/ https://happygood.news/story/rare-animals-return-across-the-blue-mountains-after-black-summer-bushf-eb6dc444ffc6/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT More than one million images show threatened mammals and birds, along with a native rodent not recorded for decades, enduring or returning across the Blue Mountains between 2023 and 2025. The assessment covers 845,000 hectares, after 72 per cent of the site was burnt. Source: https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/9365728/blue-mountains-wildlife-returns-after-black-summer-bushfires/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/big-tex-auction-and-scholarship-programs-raise-more-than-2-7-million-f-9be68b1bb8e2/ https://happygood.news/story/big-tex-auction-and-scholarship-programs-raise-more-than-2-7-million-f-9be68b1bb8e2/ Thu, 08 Oct 2026 19:55:22 GMT Frank Deel and Family, along with the Big Tex Champion Club, bid a record $227,000 for the Grand Champion Market Steer on Friday, October 2. The sale opened the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center in Fair Park. More than 600 Texas youth exhibitors took part. With the scholarship programs, the auction brought in more than $2.7 million for Texas students in 2026. The State Fair of Texas says 100% of donations go directly to students. Source: https://bigtex.com/more-than-2-7-million-raised-in-2026-for-texas-students-through-the-big-tex-youth-livestock-auction-and-scholarship-programs-2026-big-tex-youth-livestock-auction-celebrates-more-than-600-youth-exhib/ https://happygood.news/story/lake-illawarra-dad-and-children-set-up-kindness-hotline-receive-1300-c-5d42d8e9c090/ https://happygood.news/story/lake-illawarra-dad-and-children-set-up-kindness-hotline-receive-1300-c-5d42d8e9c090/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT Primary school teacher John Penno and his children, Jack, 8, and Daisy, 5, have set up the Call 4 Kindness Hotline in Lake Illawarra. Callers can dial (02) 3814 5511 at any time to hear one of 40 affirmations recorded by Jack or Daisy. The hotline has received 1300 calls. It grew from messages of affirmation John Penno and his wife, Grace, shared with their children during bedtime. Mr Penno said he hoped the messages could help people reframe their day. Source: https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/9364537/illawarra-dad-launches-call-4-kindness-to-turn-a-blue-day-around/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/flukler-returns-to-the-sea-after-rescue-in-shetland-3f23085a0196/ https://happygood.news/story/flukler-returns-to-the-sea-after-rescue-in-shetland-3f23085a0196/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:42:58 GMT Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary rescued a common seal pup from St Ninian’s Isle beach in late June and released it back into the water after nearly three months. The pup, named Flukler after Fetlar’s mythical giant wizard, had been washed up on the beach. Staff waited several hours to see whether its mother would return, but she was nowhere to be found. As the tide came in and birds gathered, the team decided to lift the pup because the birds might have pecked its eyes out. Source: https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/news/seal-pup-fluker-named-after-fetlar-s-mythical-giant-wiza-446914/ https://happygood.news/story/thousands-of-handcrafted-nest-boxes-spark-endangered-gouldian-finch-po-australian-wildlife-conservancy-gouldian-finch-nest-boxes/ https://happygood.news/story/thousands-of-handcrafted-nest-boxes-spark-endangered-gouldian-finch-po-australian-wildlife-conservancy-gouldian-finch-nest-boxes/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 08:45:23 GMT Field ecologists with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy documented a dramatic recovery of endangered Gouldian finches across the Kimberley and Top End savanna woodlands. Famed for their brilliant rainbow plumage, the finches face severe shortages of natural tree hollows due to destructive unmanaged dry burns. Conservationists installed thousands of termite-resistant wooden nest boxes and implemented traditional Indigenous cool-season prescribed burns. Annual bird counts confirmed thousands of chicks fledged safely from the managed boxes this breeding season. Source: https://www.australianwildlife.org/wildlife/gouldian-finch/ https://happygood.news/story/glasshouse-christian-college-year-5-students-take-gold-at-ethics-olymp-27e6da05e66d/ https://happygood.news/story/glasshouse-christian-college-year-5-students-take-gold-at-ethics-olymp-27e6da05e66d/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMT Glasshouse Christian College Year 5 students won Gold at the 2026 Junior Schools Ethics Olympiad. Competing for the first time, Laci, Hugo, Dorothy, Alex and Alana faced teams from schools across Australia and international competitors from New Zealand. Judges praised their ability to listen carefully, respectfully challenge ideas and build thoughtful, structured arguments. The competition covered questions including whether e-sports should be considered a sport and whether there is such a thing as a “white lie”. Students were assessed on the quality of their reasoning, discussion and engagement with others, rather than on finding a single “right” answer. Source: https://gcnews.com.au/gcc-students-take-away-gold/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gcc-students-take-away-gold https://happygood.news/story/100-fold-improvement-in-sight-seen-after-gene-therapy-trial-28ebbe880a13/ https://happygood.news/story/100-fold-improvement-in-sight-seen-after-gene-therapy-trial-28ebbe880a13/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:20:04 GMT Vision improved 100 times on average in 15 people with Leber congenital amaurosis after gene therapy targeted mutations in the GUCY2D gene. The Phase I/II trial, co-led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and published in The Lancet, included three pediatric patients. Some patients receiving the highest dose experienced a 10,000-fold improvement. One patient reported navigating outdoors at midnight with only the light of a bonfire. Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-sight-gene-therapy-trial.html?utm_source=embeddings&utm_medium=related&utm_campaign=internal https://happygood.news/story/cancer-survivor-delivers-100-homegrown-succulents-to-oncology-patients-3f90206903e5/ https://happygood.news/story/cancer-survivor-delivers-100-homegrown-succulents-to-oncology-patients-3f90206903e5/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT Stage-three breast cancer survivor Leonie Robson delivered 100 potted succulents to the oncology department at Manning Base Hospital on October 1. She filled each cardboard pot with cuttings from her garden and her neighbour's garden. The fine-motor work supports her recovery after chemotherapy caused severe peripheral neuropathy. Robson uses her recovering motor skills to brighten the days of patients receiving treatment during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Source: https://www.greatlakesadvocate.com.au/story/9362937/breast-cancer-awareness-month-survivor-aids-hospital-patients/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/male-koala-taken-into-care-after-rescue-at-forresters-beach-e4688bb32d24/ https://happygood.news/story/male-koala-taken-into-care-after-rescue-at-forresters-beach-e4688bb32d24/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:43:03 GMT A male koala found near a main road in suburban Forresters Beach was taken into care on Monday, October 5, after rescuers raised concerns about his condition and safety. Residents alerted wildlife carers and emergency services in a neighbourhood with many dogs. Experts assessed the animal as dehydrated and stressed before arborists helped bring him safely down. Council, Fire and Rescue NSW and National Parks staff assisted over the public holiday, alongside rescuers from WIRES, Wildlife ARC and Campfire Collective. Debbie Breen was thanked for co-ordinating the rescue and catching the koala. He will receive care while a suitable release location is considered. Source: https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2026/10/koala-rescued-at-forresters-beach/ https://happygood.news/story/secret-world-wildlife-rescue-opens-new-wildlife-diagnostic-suite-482bc0869d72/ https://happygood.news/story/secret-world-wildlife-rescue-opens-new-wildlife-diagnostic-suite-482bc0869d72/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:08:13 GMT Wildlife carers at Secret World Wildlife Rescue in East Huntspill opened a new diagnostic suite on Thursday October 1st, completing the See the Unseen: Wildlife X-ray Project. The facility provides on-site digital X-ray and ultrasound equipment for injured and orphaned British wildlife. Animals previously travelled to external veterinary practices for imaging. Staff have already used the ultrasound equipment to confirm that a female hedgehog found in a rat trap was pregnant. Source: https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/secret-world-wildlife-rescue-opens-new-wildlife-diagnostic-suite-in-boost-for-animal-care/ https://happygood.news/story/wildheart-anniversary-raises-almost-27-000-ffdad7502856/ https://happygood.news/story/wildheart-anniversary-raises-almost-27-000-ffdad7502856/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:11:04 GMT Wildheart Animal Sanctuary celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Sandown sanctuary on Saturday, September 19, with entertainment, family activities and animal encounters. Hundreds attended the event, which marked five decades of caring for animals on the Island. A drone display by LumaNation was cancelled because of high winds, then rescheduled for Saturday, September 26. Hundreds gathered to watch Wildheart-themed images and messages light up the sky above the sanctuary. Wildheart has confirmed the event will return in 2027. Source: https://iwobserver.co.uk/wildheart-anniversary-raises-almost-27000/ https://happygood.news/story/rugby-club-raises-funds-to-help-island-youngsters-697208857215/ https://happygood.news/story/rugby-club-raises-funds-to-help-island-youngsters-697208857215/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:58:12 GMT While Ventnor Rugby Club’s 1st XV won their opening game of the season, the club held a brief ceremony. Indra Riches, wife of club president Warren Riches, presented a cheque to Sarah Dunsterville of The Wave Project charity. The money was raised by volunteers led by clubhouse manager Roly Toombs, who provided food and refreshments for participants in the round-the-Island Randonnée cycling event earlier this month. The charity’s award-winning surf therapy courses now help more than 60 youngsters annually. Source: https://iwobserver.co.uk/rugby-club-raises-funds-to-help-island-youngsters/ https://happygood.news/story/knights-beat-panthers-22-14-to-reach-first-grand-final-in-25-years-a4eff06112f7/ https://happygood.news/story/knights-beat-panthers-22-14-to-reach-first-grand-final-in-25-years-a4eff06112f7/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 03:05:00 GMT Newcastle beat minor premiers Penrith 22-14 at Accor Stadium on Sunday and are into the NRL grand final for the first time in 25 years. They played down to 12 men and still came from behind. Twelve months earlier, the Knights had collected the wooden spoon. Veteran Dane Gagai called it “one of the greatest wins of my career”. Captain Kalyn Ponga said he had “never experienced anything like that before”. Source: https://www.dungogchronicle.com.au/story/9358271/nrl-grand-final-2026-newcastle-knights-v-sydney-roosters/?src=rss https://happygood.news/story/thousands-of-roosters-fans-pack-the-scg-to-greet-double-premiers-6d299b90a8b7/ https://happygood.news/story/thousands-of-roosters-fans-pack-the-scg-to-greet-double-premiers-6d299b90a8b7/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 02:58:20 GMT A sea of red, white and blue filled the SCG on Monday morning as thousands of Roosters fans welcomed home the NRL and NRLW champions. The players had been partying since the fulltime whistle, yet they still turned up for the 10am start. The men claimed a 16th title. The women won their third grand final, and did it through an undefeated season. It is the first time the Roosters men and women have won in the same year. The teams then paraded on an open-top bus. Source: https://citynews.com.au/2026/roosters-party-with-fans-after-grand-final-double/ https://happygood.news/story/brothers-drilling-in-mexico-s-naica-mine-break-into-cave-of-11-4-metre-e2bf4c21802f/ https://happygood.news/story/brothers-drilling-in-mexico-s-naica-mine-break-into-cave-of-11-4-metre-e2bf4c21802f/ Sat, 03 Oct 2026 10:00:45 GMT Brothers Juan and Pedro Sánchez found the Cave of the Crystals in April 2000 while drilling in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. The chamber sits 300 metres down and is about 109 metres long. Its selenite crystals are among the largest natural crystals ever found, and the biggest measures 11.4 metres. Scientists in the Naica Project have been studying the caverns. As of October 2015, the mine had reflooded, and the cavern filled again with mineral-rich water the crystals need to grow. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Crystals#/media/File:Cristales_cueva_de_Naica.JPG https://happygood.news/story/fnuniv-students-run-clothing-drive-ahead-of-winter-season-32b1eb7cf843/ https://happygood.news/story/fnuniv-students-run-clothing-drive-ahead-of-winter-season-32b1eb7cf843/ Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMT Social work students at the First Nations University of Canada Northern campus held a warm clothing drive outside the school grounds Thursday afternoon, collecting coats, jackets, sweaters, pants, blankets, mittens and other essentials for people in need. Volunteers also served hot dogs, coffee, hot chocolate, water and snacks. Student volunteer Nicole Matheis said the event gave the Indigenous social work students a chance to support and learn from their community. Source: https://paherald.sk.ca/fnuniv-students-run-clothing-drive-to-help-those-in-need-ahead-of-winter-season/ https://happygood.news/story/oregon-trail-sourdough-starter-draws-well-over-1-000-requests-in-a-wee-6085d7e5a53f/ https://happygood.news/story/oregon-trail-sourdough-starter-draws-well-over-1-000-requests-in-a-wee-6085d7e5a53f/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:00:00 GMT A TikTok video in January sent requests for Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail sourdough starter pouring into a Greeley mailbox. Mary Buckingham, who has kept the mailbox since 2000, called it "an unbelievable flood." This week brought well over 1,000 requests. A typical winter brings between 30 and 150. Anyone can mail a self-addressed stamped envelope and get a free starter back, one with a claimed lineage to the Oregon Trail. "It raises bread very nicely," Buckingham said. Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2024/02/01/carl-griffith-oregon-trail-sourdough-starter-greeley/ https://happygood.news/story/chicago-s-non-police-care-teams-now-answer-mental-health-calls-citywid-8126c853dbdb/ https://happygood.news/story/chicago-s-non-police-care-teams-now-answer-mental-health-calls-citywid-8126c853dbdb/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:12:00 GMT Chicago's Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program, known as CARE, has responded to 51% more 911 calls since it went citywide in May, according to data the city's public health department gave Borderless. Teams of clinicians and EMTs handled 127 calls between May and August. Most came from Lakeview, Uptown and Near West Side. CARE started in six police districts in 2021. It has served over 2,600 people since, and the city has hired more staff to meet growing demand. Source: https://borderlessmag.org/2026/09/22/chicago-mental-health-services-911-care/ https://happygood.news/story/orphaned-baby-giraffe-twiggy-rescued-in-tsavo-east-with-lions-nearby-4ff06405816a/ https://happygood.news/story/orphaned-baby-giraffe-twiggy-rescued-in-tsavo-east-with-lions-nearby-4ff06405816a/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 20:21:00 GMT An infant giraffe with no mother was found in the Ngutuni area of Tsavo East National Park as dusk approached, and lions were not far away. The SWT/KWS Burra Anti-Poaching Team tracked her, and KWS requested a rescue. The Field Works Manager leapt from a slow-moving vehicle and restrained her. Named Twiggy, she reached the Voi Reintegration Unit and drank a bottle of milk without hesitation. Keepers spent the next week brushing her from atop a bunk in her stockade. She loved the attention. Source: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/twiggy https://happygood.news/story/berlin-map-of-900-000-trees-tells-neighbours-which-ones-are-thirsty-c5deca73cde0/ https://happygood.news/story/berlin-map-of-900-000-trees-tells-neighbours-which-ones-are-thirsty-c5deca73cde0/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:57:02 GMT Amanda Gläser-Bligh carries about 20 litres of water to Linda once a week in the hotter months. Linda is the eight-year-old linden she adopted outside her door in Charlottenburg, Berlin, and the tree no longer wilts in the summer heat. Gläser-Bligh adopted the tree through Gieß den Kiez, a CityLAB Berlin project. Its map tracks more than 900,000 trees and calculates each one's water needs from age, species and local rainfall. The project has run since 2020, with 12,000 registered volunteers. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/02/open-source-tree-map-berlin-water-urban-forest https://happygood.news/story/new-orleans-churches-become-solar-powered-hubs-for-blackout-relief-24b9349d3037/ https://happygood.news/story/new-orleans-churches-become-solar-powered-hubs-for-blackout-relief-24b9349d3037/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:29 GMT Sixteen Community Lighthouses are already operating across New Orleans, pairing solar panels with battery storage to keep lights on when the grid fails. Together New Orleans says the network is the nation’s largest collection of resilience hubs. When the full complement of 86 sites is complete, every resident will be within a 15‑minute walk of one. The effort also creates jobs that pay living wages for local workers. Source: https://www.togethernola.org/community-lighthouse https://happygood.news/story/retired-agent-dave-benscoter-finds-30-apple-varieties-once-thought-ext-0ea2c5c263b2/ https://happygood.news/story/retired-agent-dave-benscoter-finds-30-apple-varieties-once-thought-ext-0ea2c5c263b2/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:53:00 GMT Dave Benscoter has found 30 apple varieties once thought extinct. The retired federal law enforcement agent began hunting old orchard trees in 2012, after learning eastern Washington once grew varieties now considered lost. He searched Whitman County first. The search later expanded into Oregon and Idaho. Together with the Whitman County Historical Society, he started the Lost Apple Project, mapping old orchards with community help and grafting scion wood so each variety survives. Benscoter described the work to host Erin Hoover on episode 61 of The Evergreen Thumb. Source: https://evergreenthumb.mastergardenerfoundation.org/episode061/ https://happygood.news/story/dickinson-student-turns-leftover-meal-swipes-into-food-for-carlisle-co-16231f360986/ https://happygood.news/story/dickinson-student-turns-leftover-meal-swipes-into-food-for-carlisle-co-16231f360986/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:00:59 GMT Every Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. in SNAR, AhnTam Pham ’29 brings a wagonload of food into Carlisle. Through Swipes for Good, Dickinson students can donate leftover meals from plans such as Any 21 to hungry individuals in the community. Students may hand over food in SNAR or scan a QR code on a Swipes for Good poster and place a mobile order through the GET app. Pham adds those orders to the wagon, which goes to Community CARES. Fresh, portable food is especially appreciated. Source: https://thedickinsonian.com/news/2026/10/01/swipes-for-good-innovative-student-effort-addresses-food-insecurity-in-carlisle/ https://happygood.news/story/caseworker-becomes-mother-to-19-year-old-she-mentored-in-foster-care-ed0ffb1e0ee0/ https://happygood.news/story/caseworker-becomes-mother-to-19-year-old-she-mentored-in-foster-care-ed0ffb1e0ee0/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:46:35 GMT Monyay Paskalides, 19, got her first hug from her new mom on Tuesday in Bradenton, Florida. Judge Teri Dees approved the adoption over Zoom. At 11, Monyay was placed in a foster care group home. Leah Paskalides was her caseworker and mentor at the Safe Children Coalition, but a conflict of interest with her job kept her from adopting her. "She was always a kid that did not deserve to go through life without a support system of a family," Leah said. Source: https://www.fox13news.com/news/she-is-wanted-caseworker-becomes-mother-to-19-year-old-who-spent-years-in-foster-care https://happygood.news/story/starship-reaches-orbit-for-the-first-time-despite-engine-failure-on-as-67333a7d3598/ https://happygood.news/story/starship-reaches-orbit-for-the-first-time-despite-engine-failure-on-as-67333a7d3598/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:30:34 GMT Starship reached orbit for the first time on its 14th test flight, lifting off from Texas at 7.48am local time. An engine failed on ascent, and some feared that would end the attempt. Controllers judged it safe to press on with the burn. Cheers broke out at SpaceX. Daniel Hewitt, an engineer narrating the live stream, then said: "Starship is in orbit." Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/28/spacex-starship-rocket-orbits-earth-texas https://happygood.news/story/backpack-the-bear-who-rode-his-mother-s-back-is-fat-bear-week-champion-57ca527e8754/ https://happygood.news/story/backpack-the-bear-who-rode-his-mother-s-back-is-fat-bear-week-champion-57ca527e8754/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:33:00 GMT Backpack, also known as Bear 89, is the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion. More than 2.3 million votes came in from around the world, and the result was announced Tuesday evening. He beat fellow finalist Bear 910 by roughly 5,000 votes. As a young cub he climbed onto his mother's back while swimming in the Brooks River, and the nickname stuck. She, Holly, won in 2019. Backpack is 20 years old. Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce estimates he weighs between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds. "People have watched him his whole life," Bruce said. Source: https://alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-09-29/meet-backpack-fat-bear-weeks-chunky-champ https://happygood.news/story/bronx-zoo-shows-off-new-snow-leopard-cub-born-may-31-db8ad86d7efe/ https://happygood.news/story/bronx-zoo-shows-off-new-snow-leopard-cub-born-may-31-db8ad86d7efe/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:01:00 GMT The Bronx Zoo put a female snow leopard cub on public view on September 30, 2026. Born May 31 to parents Dari and Moutig, she has passed her physical exams and routine vaccinations, and she is doing well. Visitors can see her exploring the Himalayan Highlands habitat. Her birth brings the zoo's snow leopard total to eight, the Wildlife Conservation Society said. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the species as Vulnerable to extinction. Source: https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/26684/Bronx-Zoo-Debuts-New-Snow-Leopard-Cub-Member-of-Elusive-Species-Threatened-with-Extinction.aspx https://happygood.news/story/lincolnshire-golf-course-becomes-wetland-reserve-where-avocets-have-ne-dd34e1021542/ https://happygood.news/story/lincolnshire-golf-course-becomes-wetland-reserve-where-avocets-have-ne-dd34e1021542/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:31 GMT A former golf course on the Lincolnshire coast has been turned into a nature reserve. National Trust Sandilands, near Sutton on Sea, opens officially on Saturday after six years of restoration work. The site, equal to 42 football pitches, is wetland and grassland with coastal scrub. Avocets and oystercatchers nested and bred there this year, and little ringed plover chicks were recorded for a second year running. Area ranger Katie Scott said: "Creating this new wetland will extend the safe refuges available to these birds, ensuring they can survive and thrive." Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5j9xdv1g820o https://happygood.news/story/r-union-airport-terminal-runs-without-air-conditioning-using-roof-driv-58cfe8121360/ https://happygood.news/story/r-union-airport-terminal-runs-without-air-conditioning-using-roof-driv-58cfe8121360/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:58 GMT Roland Garros airport on Réunion island opened an arrivals terminal in 2024 with no air conditioning. The roof curves up from each long side and stops short of the middle, leaving a "canyon" where low pressure draws wind in through vents. In humid 30C (86F) heat, the breeze cuts the perceived temperature by four to five degrees. "It was a risky bet, but the further we went with our studies, the more we realised that we were right," said Marc Delanoë, the airport's sustainable development director. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/25/didnt-need-air-conditioning-airport-cooled-natural-ventilation-reunion https://happygood.news/story/hubble-image-shows-ngc-772-with-one-arm-pulled-out-of-shape-by-a-satel-54875e750e66/ https://happygood.news/story/hubble-image-shows-ngc-772-with-one-arm-pulled-out-of-shape-by-a-satel-54875e750e66/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:05:00 GMT The Hubble Space Telescope has captured spiral galaxy NGC 772, its familiar mix of bright star-forming regions and dark dust lanes interrupted by something unusual: one spiral arm has been stretched and thrown out of symmetry by a satellite galaxy, NGC 770, which does not appear in the image. Like the Milky Way, NGC 772 has a few small satellite galaxies in close gravitational orbit around it. Unlike the Milky Way, NGC 772 has no central bar of gas and stars. NGC 772 is also classed as a peculiar spiral, meaning it is odd in size, shape or composition. Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2019/hubble-spots-a-curious-spiral https://happygood.news/story/nuns-plastered-over-them-in-the-17th-century-rome-s-villa-silvestri-ri-3c7ec7d441e6/ https://happygood.news/story/nuns-plastered-over-them-in-the-17th-century-rome-s-villa-silvestri-ri-3c7ec7d441e6/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMT On Rome's Via dei Fori Imperiali, a scaffolding-covered building draws almost no attention from tourists heading toward the Colosseum. Inside, conservators from the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro are stripping back centuries of plain brown plaster to expose 16th-century murals that a religious order found offensive and buried sometime in the 17th century. Whole scenes are coming through: marauding soldiers in battle, gods and goddesses, zodiacal symbols. The pose of the figure of Jupiter echoes Christ in the Sistine Chapel's Last Judgement, painted by Michelangelo under the patronage of Pope Paul III, whose right-hand man, Eurialo Silvestri, was the wealthy prelate who originally built the villa. Source: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/09/28/restorers-expose-trove-of-16th-century-nude-murals-in-rome-that-were-covered-by-disapproving-nuns https://happygood.news/story/orphaned-calf-found-trailing-a-bull-elephant-gets-a-home-at-nairobi-nu-a2ab4bd452ae/ https://happygood.news/story/orphaned-calf-found-trailing-a-bull-elephant-gets-a-home-at-nairobi-nu-a2ab4bd452ae/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:44:00 GMT A calf now named Talek had been following tour vehicles near Balloon Crossing in Kenya's Mara before a veterinary unit could reach her, and she vanished before anyone could confirm she was an orphan. On 26 June 2023 she reappeared in the Talek area, this time trailing a bull elephant for protection. The bull offered protection but not milk, so wardens authorized a rescue and the calf was driven to Keekorok Airstrip for a flight to the Sheldrick nursery in Nairobi. Keepers describe her as an "independent girl", though she has settled into a sibling-style bond with Pardamat, a calf rescued from the Mara a few weeks after her. Source: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/orphans/talek