This Startup is Recycling Solar Panels And Turning Waste into Valuable Material

If you thought solar panels were only good for generating renewable energy, think again. Solar Cycle, an American company, is recycling solar panels into valuable raw materials, like copper, aluminum, silver, and silicon. This new recycling method reduces the panels to just 2% of their material weight. With the world expected to generate millions of metric tons of solar panel waste in the next few decades, this recycling process is crucial to keeping solar panels out of landfills.

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Paralyzed After a Car Crash, He Learned to Walk Again and Became a Teacher

Seven years after a crash changed his life, Ronnie “Tre” Lawson is teaching young students in Macon, Georgia, writing about his recovery, and planning a school in his hometown. Lawson, an educator from Macon, survived a 2017 car crash that caused a spinal cord injury and is living beyond what doctors first expected. Since then, he has regained mobility, built a career in teaching, and shared his story through writing. He was 17 when he was involved in the crash on the way home from a summer track meet. A friend who was driving fell asleep, causing the car to veer off the road and fall into a 30-foot ravine. Lawson suffered a brain injury, an incomplete T12-L1 spinal cord injury, and abdominal trauma. The injuries resulted in a loss of sensation from the waist down. In the months after the crash, Lawson said he faced serious mental health struggles and uncertainty about his future. He described a period when he questioned if he would survive, while relying on support from family, friends and faith to keep going. According to 11Alive, Lawson later underwent rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Therapists there helped him relearn basic daily functions and rebuild strength. Over time, his condition improved beyond initial expectations. He progressed to standing and walking short distances with assistance. Lawson also continued his education during his recovery. He attended Fort Valley State University and graduated with honors in early childhood and special education. He later pursued graduate studies at Louisiana State University. He began his teaching career in February 2021. Lawson now works in special education at Southfield Elementary School in Macon, where he teaches kindergarten and first-grade students. He has said the classroom became a central part of his recovery and purpose through daily interaction with children. In January, Lawson published a book titled The Hurdle That Broke Me. The book covers his life before and after the crash, including his injury, mental health challenges and the recovery process that followed. He is also planning his next step in education. Lawson wants to open a school in Macon called Roll of Hope Academy to create more educational opportunities for students in his hometown while continuing his work in special education. 📸 credit: 11Alive

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104-Year-Old WWII Veteran Becomes Oldest Organ Donor in US History

Two hours after Dale Steele died, his son got a call that turned a family loss into something else. Officials from the organ donation nonprofit Live On Nebraska told Steele’s children that Dale’s liver could be donated. Even at 100 years old, it was 100 percent healthy. “How could that even be?” his son Roger wondered. Live On Nebraska explained that the liver constantly replaces cells and regenerates, so its “functional age” is usually less than three years old. Dale’s liver was transplanted into a patient one day after his death. At 100, Dale became the oldest organ donor in US history. “One of the myths we hear out in the community often, is that ‘I’m too old to be an organ donor. I might not be healthy enough to be a donor.’ And I think a case like this truly proves that there is no age limit,” Kyle Herber, president and CEO of Live On Nebraska, told Nebraska Public Media. Dale was born near Ainsworth, Nebraska, in 1925. He served in Europe during World War II, then returned home and met his wife Doris. They were married for 72 years. He stayed active throughout his life. He raised cattle, worked at a farming co-op, and sold irrigation and grain handling equipment. “If he could help people, he would. But he wasn’t showy about it,” Roger said. “He had a strong body that was able to carry him through his 100th birthday. I think that came from hard work.” As Dale’s life was nearing its end in February, the organ donor group asked about donating his organs. Roger said the family did not hesitate. “We consented without any hesitation,” Roger said. “We thought, this is the kind of thing, if he were able to be asked, he’d agree to.” “I just know his response would be, ‘Well, if I can help somebody else, fine.” Herber said Dale’s case pushes back on a common belief that age rules people out from donation. He also pointed to the need. According to Herber, more than 100,000 patients in the US are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including nearly 400 in Nebraska alone. About 17 people die every day while waiting for a transplant. Dale was able to save at least one of them. “This is a story about a life of service that didn’t end at death,” Herber told Live On Nebraska. “Mr. Steele lived a full century giving to others, and through (organ) donation, that generosity continues in a way that will impact lives for years to come.” 📸 credit: Courtesy of Live On Nebraska

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North America’s Largest Wildlife Overpass Opens in Colorado for Safe Animal Crossings

For wildlife trying to cross Interstate 25 near Larkspur, the traffic problem just got a lot smaller. Moose, elk, black bears and mountain lions can now cross six lanes of highway traffic on a new wildlife overpass in Douglas County, Colorado. The Colorado Department of Transportation completed the structure in December after covering the surface with dirt and vegetation. The Greenland overpass is now North America’s largest wildlife overpass. State officials said it was built in less than a year, ahead of schedule and on budget. The overpass was designed specifically to give elk and pronghorn safe passage because those animals need more space. It links 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of the six-lane highway between Larkspur and Monument. The project also completes a wider system of wildlife crossings along an 18-mile stretch near Castle Rock. That system includes smaller overpasses and underpasses built to improve safety in the area. Before the system was built, there was an average of one wildlife-vehicle crash per day in the fall and spring, when wildlife is most active. State research shows the five underpasses are already being used successfully by both large and small mammals. “The I-25 Greenland overpass is a momentous feat,” Governor Jared Polis said. “Colorado is leading the way in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and protecting critical habitat for generations to come.” Transportation Director Shoshana Lew said the crossing system, known as the I-25 South Gap Project, is expected to cut wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90 percent. The bridge measures 200 feet wide and 209 feet long. It covers 41,800 square feet, or 3,900 square metres, making it the single largest bridge structure for wildlife in North America and one of the largest in the world. The structure is supported by 76 girders under the bridge deck. It was built to allow big game animals including moose, bear, mountain lions, elk, mule deer and pronghorn to cross above the interstate, while 100,000 vehicles travel below each day. “After more than nine years of planning and work, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited,” Wildlife Manager Matt Martinez said. “We look forward to deer, elk, bears, mountain lions and many other species safely crossing I-25, once a major barrier to migration and wildlife movements.” Funding and expertise came through a multi-agency public-private partnership that included the Federal Highway Administration. The bulk of the construction cost came from a federal grant award known as the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The final construction cost was $15 million. 📸Credit: Colorado Department of Transportation

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This Man is Running 8,000 Kilometers Across Canada for Mental Health, Aiming to Raise $50,000

Most people would call one cross-country trip enough. Myles Dininio spent his first one thinking about the next. The Zephyr father of two says the idea for his latest challenge goes back to when he was 18 and riding his mountain bike across Canada. “I came up with the idea when I was 18 years old and I was riding my mountain bike across the country,” Dininio says to Newmarket Today. On that trip, he packed a tent and sleeping bag and headed west from Mount Albert with no training. He had no cellphone, no support and no sponsors. He rode for 49 days until he reached Nelson, British Columbia. Instead of treating that ride as a one-time feat, Dininio decided the next cross-country trip would be on foot. Now, 22 years after that solo bike ride, Dininio plans to start a cross-country run on April 1. This time, he says, the motivation is raising money and attention for mental health issues. His goal is to raise $50,000 for CAMH, which the source describes as the country’s largest mental health hospital. So far he has raised $11,000 and says he is hopeful the rest will come. “A lot has happened in that time,” he says to Newmarket Today, pointing to his home, his marriage to Jessica and their children, Oliver, 11, and Florence, 10. Dininio, who works as a carpenter in the film industry, plans to start in St. John’s. He will dip a Mason jar in the Atlantic Ocean and begin running west. He is travelling with a camper marked with a Myles Across Canada 2026 logo and a QR code linking people to details about the trip. His father will drive the camper for the first month. Dininio says he wants the run to help start conversations about mental health as well as bring in donations for CAMH. “I think it’s a good opportunity to talk about the mental health issues that people struggle with on a daily basis,” he says. “I have had no involvement with CAMH until I started this. I just have my daily struggles like most people.” He says the lead-up has been hard as he gets ready to leave home for months. “The build-up’s been a killer,” he adds. “I’m going to leave my wife and kids and go out and try this crazy idea. I think once it gets going, I think it will be easier. “I’m a carpenter, I’m not a super-star runner.” His plan is to run 60 kilometres a day for 130 days. He says there will likely be rain days and days when his body needs a break. He describes the run in simple terms. The run, he says, will be like daily life: just pushing forward. After the first month, his father will return home and friends will take over as his support team. On July 1, Jessica and the children plan to join him for the rest of the trip. He expects to finish in Vancouver at the end of August or the beginning of September. He has packed a second Mason jar in the camper. After completing the 8,000-kilometre run and reaching Vancouver, he plans to dip it in the Pacific Ocean so he has a pair of mementos from the trip. “Once the campgrounds are open, we’ll stay in campgrounds. In the beginning, it’s going to be a lot of Walmart parking lots and Crown land,” he says. Dininio says he has done the odd race, including the Oak Ridges Moraine Adventure Relay with Jessica and others, but he describes himself as a rogue runner. He trains on the road or in the basement gym when work and life allow. The trip also comes with costs. Dininio will not be working during that time. He says current gas prices mean it costs $250 to fill the truck with diesel. He also bought the camper for the trip and a back-up power system, and he expects to spend money on hotel rooms. Jessica says the family is behind him. “I think it’s great,” says Jessica, adding that it will also be an adventure for the kids to see their dad in action. “He proposed the idea for me a few years ago. Obviously, it’s going to be tough for the both of us.” If things go as planned, the family has also talked about doing a cross-country bike ride together one day, possibly when the children are older and off to school. 📸 credit: Newmarket Today

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TIME’s Greatest Places of 2026 Includes China Bridge, Egypt Museum and More

If your travel wish list was already out of control, here’s some bad news, or good news, depending on how you look at it. It just got 50 stops longer. That’s thanks to Time, which has released its 2026 edition of the World’s Greatest Places, a curated list of destinations that range from brand-new museums to remote eco retreats and even an underwater art installation you can snorkel through. The list, built from nominations across Time’s global network of contributors, splits neatly into two halves: places to stay and places to visit. It is the latter that reads like a globe-spanning itinerary for the endlessly curious. Some entries have been a long time coming. In Cairo, the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum finally reached completion in October 2025 after years of setbacks. Time Out’s North America head of content Will Gleason visited just before its official opening and described a preview that already felt historic. “The mummified reptile in front of me is one of 15,000 fascinating cultural artefacts that have been on display over the last year during GEM’s soft opening,” he wrote. “Visitors will also be able to experience the institution’s main attraction: the Tutankhamun galleries, containing 5,000 objects discovered in the famous pharaoh’s tomb in 1922, including his iconic gold funerary mask.” Across the world in Western Australia, another site offers a very different kind of history. The Murujuga Cultural Landscape, newly added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2025, features Indigenous rock carvings dating back as far as 50,000 years. That makes some of them older than both Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, a reminder that the world still holds stories that stretch far beyond the usual tourist trail. Then there are places that feel like they belong in the future. Off the coast of Miami Beach, The Reefline blends art and environmental design into a snorkel trail where sculptures double as a living coral reef. It is equal parts gallery and conservation project, built with low-carbon materials to help restore marine ecosystems. Elsewhere, the list leans into variety over any single theme. In London, the V&A East Storehouse offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most famous museum collections. In Philadelphia, Netflix House turns streaming fandom into a physical experience. And in Abu Dhabi, Surf Abu Dhabi brings artificial waves to the desert. Some picks are less about a single attraction and more about the journey itself. Highway 1 in California makes the list not as a new destination, but as a renewed one, a reminder that even familiar routes can feel different depending on when, and how, you travel them. Others highlight hyper-local creativity. Dib Bangkok in Bangkok and Ephedra Restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama point to a growing appetite for experiences rooted in place, not just spectacle. Canada makes an appearance too, with Naagan in Owen Sound earning a spot on the global list, a nod to the country’s quieter but increasingly recognized destinations. And then there are the outliers, the ones that are harder to categorize but harder to forget. Universal Epic Universe in Orlando promises blockbuster-scale entertainment, while El Camino de Costa Rica offers a multi-day trek across one of Central America’s most biodiverse countries. Taken together, the list does not try to define what travel should look like. Instead, it reflects how wide the definition has become. A museum can be as compelling as a mountain trail. A restaurant can carry as much weight as a historic landmark. A reef can be both art and infrastructure. And maybe that is the point. There is no single way to see the world anymore. Just a growing number of reasons to go.

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Markham Adds Protected Bike Lanes to Improve Cycling Safety

Getting around Markham by bike is set to get a little safer. The federal government and the City of Markham have announced a combined investment of more than $2.2 million to build about nine kilometres of protected bike lanes on seven streets across the city. The federal government is contributing $1,335,000 through the Active Transportation Fund, while the City of Markham is putting in $890,000. The new protected bike lanes will be added on Allstate Parkway, between Valleywood Drive and Highway 7; Calvert Road, between Woodbine Avenue and Warden Avenue; Carlton Road, between Kennedy Road and McCowan Road; Clegg Road, between Rodick Road and South Town Centre Boulevard; Ferrier Street, between Gibson Drive and Steeles Avenue; Gillingham Avenue and Elson Street, between Hillcroft Drive and Markham Road; and Main Street Markham, between Parkway Avenue or Bullock Drive and 16th Avenue. The project will involve reconfiguring traffic lanes to make room for cyclists, along with adding pavement markings and signage for safety and to support active transportation. The upgrades support Markham’s priority cycling network and its Active Transportation Master Plan. The announcement says active transportation supports more equitable, vibrant and livable communities. It also says it reduces noise pollution, improves air quality and helps cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of Canada’s response to climate change. “Cycling is an important way of getting around for many Markham residents. Adding new bike lanes to roads across the city will make it easier and safer for cyclists, encouraging more people to grab a helmet and ride to their destinations,” said Tim Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Markham-Thornhill. “By supporting active transportation projects like this around the country, the federal government is helping communities cut carbon emissions, promote healthy lifestyles, and reduce traffic congestion,” he said. The city says residents across Markham will soon have more chances to cycle safely through their communities because of the funding partnership. The work will add protected bike lanes across several parts of the city, including industrial corridors, residential streets and Main Street Markham. In total, the upgrades will cover about nine kilometres of roadway across the seven listed streets, with work focused on lane reconfigurations, pavement markings and signage. The project is backed by $1,335,000 from the federal government and $890,000 from the City of Markham. Photo by Emre Gokceoglu on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/bicycle-lane-symbol-on-a-blue-path-in-ankara-36772979/)

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It Took 11 Years, but a Philadelphia Woman Has Finally Reunited With Her Missing Dog

For 11 years, Jourdyn Koziak thought her dog was gone for good. Then the phone rang. A man told her her long-lost pit bull, Forty-Cal, had been found. Koziak did not believe him. "I said to him, 'This is a prank. It's not funny,'" Koziak told CBCAs It Happens host Nil Köksal. "He said, 'No ma'am, we have your dog.'" It had been more than a decade since Koziak had seen Forty-Cal, who disappeared from the backyard of her former home in Philadelphia along with the family's second dog. That other dog came back soon after, but Forty-Cal never did. Koziak said she had always suspected he was stolen from the yard. After the call, staff at Animal Care and Control Team, or ACCT, Philly sent her photos of the dog. "Immediately, I could remember his markings from a mile away," she said. "That's him." In the years since Forty-Cal vanished, Koziak got married, had a new child and moved to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. She said she never stopped updating Forty-Cal's microchip with her contact information. "I never gave up hope because, obviously, I'm relentless," she said. Koziak said a little girl in Philadelphia found Forty-Cal. "He's super docile and friendly. Always has been. And he walked right up to her. He made a friend," Koziak said. "She brought him into the house with her parents and they made him some hotdogs. They could not keep him because they have another animal. So they called Animal Control." Koziak said ACCT Philly scanned Forty-Cal's microchip and contacted her. In an email, ACCT Philly spokesperson Mikayla Allen said the case also carried a message for pet owners. "This reunion is emotional and inspiring, but it’s also an important reminder: microchipping your pet is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help ensure they can find their way back home," Allen said. Koziak drove to Philadelphia on Sunday to bring Forty-Cal home. She brought her family with her, including her three children. She said her hands were shaking on the way there and she was caught up in a rush of emotions. But when she saw Forty-Cal coming down the hall, everything else dropped away. Shelter staff told her the dog might feel overwhelmed at first and might take time to recognize his old family, so they approached him carefully. "We put our hands out, he sniffed us, and then proceeded to pull us towards the door, like, 'Let's go,'" she said. The reunion marked the end of an 11-year gap that had stretched across major changes in Koziak's life, but she said Forty-Cal has settled back in quickly. She said he was sick and sleepy on the first day home, but has since returned to "his normal self." "He acts like he's a puppy again," she said. "He wants to go for a walk. He's wagging his tail." Koziak said bringing Forty-Cal into her current household has been especially meaningful because of the bond they had before he went missing. "I had other animals in the house, as well, that were family pets, but Forty was my dog," she said. "I paid for him with my own money at 16 years old." She said she still has hard moments, especially late at night, when she thinks about all the years they lost. But that feeling changes in the morning, when she sees him at home again. "I'm over the moon," she said. "It's like Christmas morning every day." 📸 credit: Jourdyn Koziak

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School Teacher Performs Heimlich Maneuver, Saves Choking 8-Year-Old

It started with a lunchroom snack and turned into a lesson in quick thinking. An 8-year-old student at Norwood Intermediate School in Pennsylvania is thanking his classmates and a teacher after choking on a chip during lunch. "I was looking forward to eating my chips, and the chip went sideways, and it got stuck in my throat," said Damian Pascale, a third-grade student to 6abc. The incident happened Tuesday while Damian was eating a salt-and-vinegar chip at lunch. His friends noticed right away that something was wrong. "I was looking at him; his face was all red," said Jaxson Chin, a third-grade student. Jaxson and two other classmates, who are also Damian's friends, moved quickly to help. "I went to go pat his back, then I told the other kids to go get the teacher," Jaxson said. "I was looking for a teacher, and I ran over, and I was panicking and told her Damian needs help, and Lincoln said he's choking," said Hunter Shields, another third-grade student. Health and Physical Education teacher Tara Vaughn was on lunch duty nearby when the students called for help. "I ran over, quickly assessed the situation. Tried to ask Damian some questions, and he wasn't able to answer me, so I immediately knew he was choking," Vaughn said. Vaughn then performed the Heimlich maneuver to remove the chip. "I didn't want to scare him anymore, but I knew that's what needed to be done in a minute to get that chip dislodged from his throat," Vaughn said. Vaughn said she teaches the skill to her eighth-grade students, but had never needed to use it in her 24-year career. "Thankful that she could do it," said Lincoln Thomas, a third-grade student. Damian said he was grateful for everyone who stepped in. "I feel good, and I feel thankful for them and my teacher," Damian said. Afterward, Damian gave Vaughn flowers at school to thank her. School leaders also recognized the students for their quick response and presented them with a "superhero award." Damian said that after the choking scare, he just wanted to go back to class. He has since eaten chips again, but his family has told him to take smaller bites. 📸credit: 6abc

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A Half-Blind Senior Dog Fought a Bear To Protect Her Family, Earns New Nickname

In Cordova, a family dog is getting a new nickname after a violent run-in with a bear left her badly hurt but alive. Honey, a 12-year-old dog who is half-blind, is being celebrated by the Martinez family after what they say was a fight to protect their rural property and the animals on it. Earlier this month, Honey was outside on the family’s land, where the Martinezes keep chickens, horses and other animals, when Denise Martinez noticed she had locked onto something. “She was tracking something at the time. We didn’t know what, but we knew she was tracking something,” Denise Martinez said. The next morning, the family found Honey lying in the driveway with serious injuries. Around the property, they saw what they described as signs of a struggle, including scratches on fences and trees that pointed to a bear coming onto the land. Leanna Martinez said the extent of Honey’s injuries became clear right away. “Her face was swollen on the left… and that’s when I saw, like her whole neck was just ripped from the back all the way down,” she said. Despite those injuries, Honey had made it back to the house. The family rushed her to an emergency veterinarian, where she stayed overnight for treatment. “It was just devastating. You know, I never thought I would ever see our dog in that shape,” Darren Martinez said. As medical costs grew, the family sought help from Española Humane. The clinic treated Honey’s deep neck wound and continued her care with bandage changes and medication at a lower cost. Mattie Allen described how severe Honey’s condition was when she arrived. “Her face was so hugely swollen I mean you couldn’t even tell features in her face,” Allen said. Honey is still recovering, and the family says she has a long way to go. Her wound remains open and is expected to take months to heal fully. Still, the Martinezes say what happened that night showed exactly what kind of dog Honey is. They believe she stepped in to protect not only the family, but the animals that live on the property. “She’s our little savior,” Denise said. “She’s been nicknamed the bear slayer.” The family’s praise for Honey comes with one detail they say makes the story even sweeter. “She’s afraid of the vacuum cleaner.” 📸 credit: KOB 4 News

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A Breastfeeding Volunteers Team is Helping Struggling New Mothers After Birth

For some new mothers, feeding a baby can quickly become the hardest part of the day. At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Norfolk, England, a team of volunteers is helping women who are struggling to breastfeed after giving birth, according to the BBC. The group shares tips and offers support to mothers facing problems with nursing their newborn babies. Jen Rudd, a volunteer support coordinator, said the extra help can matter at a difficult time. "The moms are emotional, they're tired, they've possibly had a long labor or a complicated recovery, and that's where we can step in to really help support that," she told the BBC. The volunteers are trained with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, a U.K.-based charity, the BBC reported. One of the volunteers is Elizabeth Judge, who helps mothers on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's Brancaster Ward. Judge, 33, has three children, aged 11, six and three. She successfully breastfed her second and third children, but said she had problems when trying to do the same with her eldest child. "I was really stressed, because I was just looking at my baby, and I thought, 'Why won't you just feed? What am I doing wrong?' " Judge told the BBC. Now she is providing the kind of support she said she wanted when she was having her own breastfeeding difficulties. "I can give them all the time that they want, and I think that does really help, to just say to them that it's okay, it will be okay," Judge said. According to the U.K.'s National Health Service, breastfeeding issues can happen for several reasons. The NHS says they can be caused by sore or cracked nipples, infection, mastitis or a breast abscess. The NHS also lists a blocked milk duct, breast engorgement, or having too much breast milk as possible causes. At the hospital, volunteers can spend long periods with mothers during feeds. Catherine Hood, manager of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's Brancaster Ward, said that gives them time to provide close support. The breastfeeding volunteers offer "focused support for a prolonged period," Hood said. "We know a feed can last up to an hour, and, as a volunteer, you can absolutely sit with that mom for that whole hour, which means you can watch a whole feed, and you can amend things along the way," she added. The support comes after birth, when women may be dealing with exhaustion and recovery while trying to feed a newborn. Rudd said that is the point where volunteers can help. At Brancaster Ward, that help includes sharing advice and being present with mothers as they feed their babies, according to the BBC. Judge said the time she can give is part of what helps. She told the BBC that being able to stay with a mother and reassure her can make a difference when feeding is difficult. The volunteers' role is centered on support for women who are trying to breastfeed and running into problems listed by the NHS, including pain, infection, blocked ducts and engorgement. Hood said a single feed can last up to an hour, and volunteers can stay for the whole time to observe and adjust things as the feed continues. Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-tank-top-lying-on-bed-6849529/)

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