FRIENDS BUILD WHEELCHAIR RAMP & GET HOME READY FOR TORNADO VICTIMS

By Tamara Evans

It's been several weeks since tornadoes devastated parts of Kentucky and Indiana.

One story that caught the attention of people nationwide involved a Henryville mother who lost her legs. 
While she's still recovering, friends of the family are working to make things a little easier on her.

"We're helping out Joe and Stephanie so they can have a home since theirs was destroyed," says Greg Armstrong, a friend of the Decker family.

FOUR GIRLS START BUSINESS TO BUY THERAPY DOG

Megan Ramirez, a fifth grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary shared with her students that she would like to one day get her daughter, Madison, a therapy dog.

Madison has Type 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease that deteriorates the muscles.  A therapy dog would help Madison with everyday activities.

That’s when four of her students decided to take matters into their own hands – bringing the teacher to tears.

PARAGLIDING 101-YEAR-OLD GRANDMA SETS GUINNESS RECORD

By Josh Loftin
 
A 101-year-old Utah woman who ushered in her birthday with a tandem paraglide ride last year soared into the record books Tuesday.

Great-great grandmother Mary Hardison, of Ogden, has been officially recognized as the “Oldest Female to Paraglide Tandem” by Guinness World Records.

She has supplanted a 100-year-old woman from Cyprus who took her flight in 2007.

Hardison flew with an instructor on Sept. 1, 2011, while four generations of her family watched and cheered. The flight went smoothly and even included a few tricks that Hardison encouraged.

Hardison said she wanted to paraglide because her 75-year-old son began doing it as a hobby.

“I didn’t want him to get too far ahead of me, so I decided that I’d go too,” she said Tuesday.

BOYS BIRTHDAY BASH BENEFITS FLIGHT FOR LIFE

By Sara Morris

Instead of planning a big birthday party, one nine year-old hosted a big fundraiser benefiting Flight For Life Colorado.

Andrew Madayag was all smiles as he showed off his bowling skills at Lucky Strike Bowling in Lakewood, CO. But unlike most kids his age, Andrew was bowling for much more than just those lucky strikes on his birthday.

Instead he was bowling for life and to raise money for Flight For Life Colorado.

BEAUTY QUEEN GOES BALD FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Long locks are part-and-parcel of the image-obsessed world of beauty queens. But one brave young woman has broken from the norm, choosing to sport a shaved head rather than her usual brown, bobbed hairstyle.

Debbe Ebben chose to complete the 'public service' section of her push for the Miss Alaska crown by taking clippers to her mane in aid of cancer research.

The reigning Miss Chugiak-Eagle River has raised more than $4,000 towards children's cancer research for the St Baldrick's Foundation, and last weekend, delivered on a promise to people who pledged by allowing her brown tresses to be buzzed off.

She's proud of raising money, but the underlying message is for children who lose their hair because of cancer treatments. 'You're proving it's OK to be bald regardless of whether you chose to be or not,' Ebben said.
Ebben, 23, stands five-feet-four inches tall, and her official talent is playing the piano. She has been entering pageants affiliated with Miss Alaska since 2007.

PARENTS DELIVERS BABY ALONG ROAD

By Catherine Holland

An Anthem, AZ couple welcomed their new baby alongside Loop 101 in North Phoenix early Thursday morning. Alayna Robbins said she went into labor at about 10:30 Wednesday night, but her contractions were about 10 minutes apart so she didn't want to wake her husband, Michael, right away.

Michael actually woke up as her contractions got closer together, but decided to take a shower, with Alayna's permission, before heading off to the hospital. The couple was en route to the hospital at about 4 a.m. when Alayna, whose contractions progressed quickly, realized the baby wasn't going to wait.

Knowing they were never going to get to the hospital in time, the couple pulled over near Seventh Avenue and called 911.

Baby Bennett, however, was ready to make his grand entrance into the world and he wasn't waiting for anyone. With help from the 911 dispatcher, Michael had to deliver his baby son.

EXERCISE DIRECTLY AFFECTS DNA

By Jonathan Cox

According to a group of researchers exercise is incredibly effective in a very short period of time and as such even the slightest bit of exercise is useful. The study was focused on exercise and its affect on DNA and cells, the results are good news for everyone because it shows that there is a more direct link than we previously though. Scientists already knew that exercise triggered various genes in the DNA strand which helped metabolism and muscle growth but they did not know exactly how fast, now we know that it occurs almost immediately.

STOLEN PURSE FOUND AFTER 16 YEARS

Construction site where purse was found

Spartanburg County, SC police say a purse, that was stolen in 1996, has been found at a construction site Tuesday. Police said a foreman at the construction site on East Broad Street in Spartanburg found the purse hidden in the drop ceiling of the women’s bathroom. The man gave the purse to police who were able to track down the owner. The 59-year-old woman told them the purse was stolen in June of 1996. The woman said nothing was missing from the purse.

MOM SACRIFICES LEGS TO SAVE KIDS

By Matt Gutman

As the sky glowered black and Stephanie Decker felt the monster tornado begin to suck her house into its vortex, she knew it would not hold and she had no choice but to shield her two young kids with her own body. She lost her legs in the process.

"I knew my leg was barely attached or it was severed. I didn't know which but I knew it was bad. If I didn't get help soon, I was going to bleed out," Decker said from her hospital bed in Louisville, Ky.

4TH GRADER FIGHTS GOV. BROWN'S ANIMAL SHELTER BILL

By Rick Boone

A Vista, CA fourth grader is determined to kill a bill proposed by Governor Jerry Brown to reduce shelter time for animals.

As a way to cut California's spending, Governor Brown proposed a bill to repeal a law that requires animal shelters to wait six days before they can euthanize a stray animal.  The new law would cut the days to three.
The state reimburses shelters providing food and veterinarian care to stray animals.  By reducing the number of days animals stay in shelters, the state said it could save up to $46 million.

Hannah Conway said if the law is overturned, it will put thousands of pets to death before their owners can retrieve them from the pound.

“I’m very disappointed with Mr. Brown,” Conway said.

Instead of complaining, the 9-year-old started a campaign called “Animals Don’t Have Voices But Kids Do”.  It began at her school, Calvary Christian in Vista, and expanded to the community.  She's collecting hundreds of signatures from people wanting to save those pets.

MAN SAILS NONSTOP AROUND THE AMERICAS FOR CHARITY

One Maryland man is making the journey of a lifetime, sailing 25,000 miles around the Americas by himself.

It’s all for a good cause. Matt Rutherford set sail in June from Annapolis.  His goal was to raise enough money to help sailors with disabilities fulfill their dreams.

A 27-foot sailboat has been 30-year-old Matt Rutherford’s home for the past nine months.
He’s sailed from the Chesapeake around icebergs near Canada and called WJZ off the coast of Brazil
on his way back to Annapolis.

He’s sailed into some dangerous situations– all in order to raise money for one organization: C.R.A.B, the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating.

COLUMBUS MAN CELEBRATES 500TH BLOOD DONATION

By Taylor Kinkade

March is Red Cross Month and to kick off the celebration, the Columbus, GA Red Cross Donation Center honored one of its most frequent donors.

Vance Waggener, who is 87 years old, started giving blood 61 years ago and hasn't stopped since. To date he has donated 500 units of blood and platelets to the red cross, helping save countless lives.

Waggener said, "Well, it's a real great feeling that you can do something for somebody else and all it costs you is a little time."

If you put all of Waggener's donations together, they would fill 42 boxes.

He has given 92 units of blood and 408 platelets. Waggener says he already has it scheduled to donate again next week.