This Former News Anchor Raised More Than $222,000 for an Elderly Veteran Pushing Shopping Carts

Former news anchor Karen Swensen spotted 90-year-old Air Force veteran Dillon McCormick pushing shopping carts in sweltering Louisiana heat on Memorial Day. Moved by his story, she started a fundraiser for him which quickly raised over $244,000. McCormick plans to donate a quarter of the money to his local church and has no plans to retire, saying "If you stop working, you will stop living." The community's united response showed that people can come together for a good cause regardless of their differences.

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This Landfill is Powering A Year-Round Farm In England — Here's How

Landfills are usually places where things go to disappear. But at one site outside London, garbage is doing something unexpected. It is helping grow food. About 145 kilometres from the city, a landfill in Wiltshire is turning methane gas from decomposing waste into electricity that powers a greenhouse farm. The project allows fruits and vegetables to grow year-round, even during cold English winters. The farm sits inside a large inflatable dome that functions as a greenhouse. The structure is roughly the size of three tennis courts, covering about 785 square metres, and rises about 9 metres high. Inside, crops grow under carefully controlled conditions. Heating, ultraviolet lights and fans all run on energy produced directly from the landfill beneath it. The system can produce around 10 tonnes of fruits and vegetables every year. The project was launched by Crapper and Sons Landfill Ltd, a family-run company that created a Community Interest Company called Sustain Wiltshire to operate the initiative. Revenue from the venture is designed to support community benefits. Project leaders say the greenhouse represents what they describe as a “world first.” Instead of traditional soil farming, the dome uses hydroponics and raised planters to grow produce. The system makes it possible to grow crops that normally would not thrive in Britain’s climate, including avocados, which are typically imported. The idea is not only to grow food locally but also to reduce costs. Sustain Wiltshire plans to sell the produce through a mobile app, delivering it directly to households. The company also intends to collect vegetable scraps from customers and bring the waste back to the landfill. There, it can contribute to the same cycle that powers the greenhouse. The energy system begins inside the landfill itself. As buried waste decomposes, it releases gases including methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Workers collect the gas through wells drilled into the landfill and pipe it to a central processing area. After the hydrogen sulfide is removed, the methane-rich biogas fuels a combined heat-and-power engine that generates electricity and heat. That energy keeps the greenhouse domes at ideal growing temperatures throughout the year. Even the engine’s exhaust plays a role. Carbon dioxide from the exhaust is captured, cleaned and pumped back into the growing domes, where plants use it during photosynthesis. “The process of photosynthesis will turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen,” the company said. If the first dome proves successful, the plan is to scale up the concept dramatically. Developers hope to install as many as 100 domes at the landfill site over the next decade. If built, the network could produce up to 8,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables each year. That would supply roughly 80 percent of the produce needed by three nearby towns: Royal Wootton Bassett, Purton and Brinkworth. The expansion could also create about 130 new jobs while preventing an estimated 3,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Project director Nick Ash believes the approach could reshape how landfills are used. “It has the potential to change the face of food production as we know it,” he said. Ash says the concept could go even further. The company is exploring ways to capture useful polymers from landfill plastics that cannot currently be recycled. If successful, the system could turn sites once known mainly for waste into hubs for energy production and local agriculture. “We believe our solution has the potential to transform the future of landfills internationally, turning it into one of the most climate friendly methods of waste treatment,” Ash said.

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Beavers To The Rescue: How Nature’s Engineers Are Reviving Drought-Stricken Rivers

In the desert, a river lives on a knife’s edge. Water is scarce. Rain is unpredictable. And when drought stretches on too long, even a healthy river can start to disappear. Across parts of Utah and Colorado, rivers connected to the Colorado River Basin have struggled through years of severe drought. As riverbeds dry up, fish and aquatic life die off, wildfire risks rise and nearby communities feel the impact. So researchers in Utah decided to try something unconventional. They brought in beavers. About six years ago, Emma Doden, then a master’s student at Utah State University, helped launch a project aimed at restoring fragile waterways. The idea was to relocate beavers from places where they were considered a nuisance and release them into struggling rivers like the Price River. The hope was simple. Let the animals do what they have always done. Beavers are famous for building dams, but those structures do more than block water. By slowing river flow, the dams create ponds and wetlands that hold water longer in the landscape. In drought-prone areas, those ponds can become lifelines. Fish and other wildlife can shelter in the deeper water when surrounding river sections dry up. The wetlands also help filter water, improve nutrient levels and support healthier ecosystems. Scientists often describe beavers as a “keystone species,” meaning their presence has an outsized effect on the environment around them. In this case, their engineering skills are proving invaluable. Since 2019, Doden and her colleagues have captured beavers that were removed from other locations — usually because they were interfering with infrastructure — and relocated them to the Price River after a short quarantine period. Not every beaver has stayed. Some struggled to adapt. Others were taken by predators or simply wandered away. But enough remained to begin transforming the landscape. Over time, the animals built dams and reshaped sections of the river. The results are now becoming visible. Water levels in the Price River are stronger than they have been in years. Fish populations are rebounding. And communities nearby are seeing the difference. A 2025 column in The Salt Lake Tribune described how the recovery changed life in the town of Helper. “A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper. On a warm day, you’re likely to find the river filled with tourists and locals kayaking, tubing and fishing along its shore. A decade ago, it was hard to imagine this scene—and the thriving recreation economy that comes with it—was possible.” The beavers were not working alone. Federal restoration programs helped remove debris from the river, dismantle failing dams and tighten rules on agricultural grazing that had damaged plant life along the banks. Still, many researchers say the animals played a crucial role. Across Utah, similar projects are now underway. Scientists are relocating beavers to struggling waterways and even building artificial dams designed to mimic their structures. The hope is that once conditions improve, real beavers will move in and take over the work themselves. One promising example comes from the San Rafael River. After a natural flood encouraged beavers to return to one section of the river, scientists noticed dramatic improvements. According to KUER, riparian habitat in that area increased by 230 percent, and the stretch developed some of the most diverse flow patterns anywhere along the river. The resurgence of beavers is a remarkable turn in environmental history. During the fur trapping boom of the 18th and 19th centuries, beaver populations in North America were nearly wiped out. For decades afterward, they were widely viewed as pests that flooded farmland and clogged waterways. Today, scientists see them differently. Their dams slow erosion, restore wetlands, store water in drought-prone regions and even reduce wildfire severity by keeping surrounding vegetation moist. In other words, the animals once hunted almost to extinction are now among nature’s most valuable river engineers. And as drought continues to challenge rivers across the American West, researchers are increasingly turning to these unlikely partners to help bring water back to the landscape.

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Cake Maker Works Her Magic To Inspire Other Bakers

In a delightful twist on traditional baking, Cornish cake designer Niki Lowe has whipped up an illusion cake that looks like something straight out of Victorian England. This impressive creation caught the eye of D'licious Magazine, earning her a spot on their front cover. Lowe, hailing from Liskeard in Cornwall, was approached by the editor to craft a cake tutorial. Though initially unsure about creating a masterclass, she embraced the opportunity and set to work on her masterpiece. Her cake design features an "oldie worldly Victorian" shop complete with cobbled streets and small window panes. The self-taught baker spent five days perfecting the illusion cake, carefully considering materials and techniques to make it as realistic as possible. She used ganache, fondant, and even tiny bits of crumbled cake to mimic moss aging around the building. "It's kind of the oldie worldly Victorian cobbled street kind of shop feel," Lowe explained. Adding whimsical touches inspired by Harry Potter, Lowe included an owl perched on the roof and a broom store at the side of the building. The attention to detail is what makes her cakes stand out; she aims for people to see more depth every time they look at her creations. Beyond this Victorian shop facade, Lowe crafted an entire platter designed to prank presenters on Gone Fishing. It featured a turkey cake with all the trimmings—roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, peas, and carrots—all made from sponge and buttercream. For those aspiring to try their hand at illusion cakes, Lowe offers some advice: start simple and find joy in what you're making. "Everyone starts somewhere," she emphasized. Her journey proves that practice leads to improvement over time. Lowe completed this intricate project by December 22, 2025, allowing friends and family to enjoy it over Christmas festivities. Her success story highlights how creativity can transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary art while encouraging others to explore their own baking potential.

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The Best Good News Stories From This Week

It is easy to think the world only runs on bad headlines. But every week, thousands of quieter stories push things forward. A scientist solves a problem. A city tries something clever. A stranger steps in to help. Here are some of the most encouraging developments making news this week. One of the most personal stories comes from actor Lupita Nyong’o, who recently revealed her long battle with uterine fibroids. In 2014, she experienced severe fatigue, pain and symptoms that left her nearly anemic. At the time, she assumed the discomfort was normal. Like many women, she had been taught that “pain was simply part of being a woman,” so she “didn’t question it.” Doctors eventually discovered she had more than 30 fibroids, noncancerous growths in the uterus that can cause intense symptoms. After surgery to remove them, they returned — this time totaling 50. Rather than accept that reality, Nyong’o launched a GoFundMe campaign with the Foundation for Women’s Health to support research into new treatments that are less invasive than surgery. The effort targets a condition that affects up to 80 percent of women by age 50, with Black women often experiencing more severe symptoms. Elsewhere, cities are experimenting with creative ways to adapt to rising temperatures. In Seville, Spain — one of Europe’s hottest cities — engineers are reviving a 3,000-year-old cooling idea. The city is installing underground aqueduct-style systems called qanats that cool water overnight when temperatures drop. During the day, the chilled water circulates through buildings and underground pipes to cool public spaces. Mist systems release fine droplets into the air to reduce outdoor heat through evaporation. The project, funded by the European Union, blends ancient technology with modern engineering to help cities cope with extreme heat. Some progress is also showing up in public health. In sports, one Paralympian’s personal challenge is helping athletes around the world. Mike Schultz, who lost his leg in a snowmobiling accident in 2008, struggled to find a prosthetic that could withstand high-impact sports like motocross and snowboarding. So he built one himself. Despite having no engineering training, Schultz designed a prosthetic strong enough for competition. In 2010, he founded BioDapt, a company that produces lower-limb prosthetics for para athletes. Today, 25 Paralympic competitors — including the entire U.S. Paralympic snowboarding team — use his designs. BioDapt recently announced a partnership with manufacturing company Autodesk to improve prosthetics and expand access for athletes around the world. Environmental progress also made headlines this week in South America. Indigenous communities in Bolivia helped create four new protected areas covering roughly 907,244 hectares — about 2.2 million acres — of rainforest and highland ecosystems. The new areas connect wildlife corridors between Indigenous territories and national parks. Conservationists say the protection could benefit species such as the endangered Bolivian river dolphin and the vulnerable harpy eagle. The move comes as Bolivia has faced rising deforestation in recent years. Transportation may also be quietly improving air quality. Researchers at the University of Southern California studied pollution levels across California between 2019 and 2023 and compared them with electric vehicle adoption. They found that every additional 200 electric vehicles in a ZIP code corresponded with a roughly 1.1 percent drop in nitrogen dioxide pollution. It is the first study of its kind to track the relationship using satellite measurements across nearly 1,700 locations. Even small shifts toward electric vehicles, researchers say, can deliver measurable improvements in air quality. Meanwhile, in the world of science and sports, one Paralympian is trying to solve a problem that affects her own body. Sydney Peterson, a Nordic skier on the U.S. Paralympic team, lives with dystonia — a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions in her arm and leg. She skis using one pole and a custom brace and won three medals at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics. Off the slopes, Peterson is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Utah, studying movement disorders like the one she lives with. Her goal is simple. After learning so much about her own condition, she now hopes to “see if I could help other people.” And the week’s smaller stories offered their own sparks of optimism. A mystery donor in Japan gave a city $3.6 million in gold bars to repair aging water pipes. A Chicago Girl Scout troop struggling to meet cookie sales goals ended up selling more than 25,000 boxes. And in Nevada, six skiers caught in a deadly avalanche were rescued after using an iPhone’s satellite emergency SOS feature to contact authorities. None of these stories will dominate the news cycle. But taken together, they tell a different story about the week — one where people keep finding ways to solve problems, help each other and move things forward.

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The Surprising Winner of Daylight Saving Time: Wildlife

Most people groan when the clocks change. Daylight saving time steals an hour of sleep in the spring and throws off routines for days. But the shift might come with an unexpected upside — not for humans, but for wildlife. Researchers say daylight saving time may actually reduce deadly encounters between animals and cars. In the United States, drivers collide with deer more than one million times each year, according to estimates compiled by the Federal Highway Administration. Other large animals such as moose and elk are also frequently struck. These crashes often kill the animals and sometimes the people involved. Many of those collisions happen at predictable times. They spike on Fridays when people leave town for the weekend. They increase during full moons when deer move more at night. And they rise sharply during the fall mating season. But the most dangerous moment tends to be dusk. “The animals get active right after dusk and start moving around, including crossing roads or browsing and grazing along roads, and that’s when they they’re hit by vehicles,” said Paul Langen, a wildlife ecologist who studies animal-vehicle collisions. That timing becomes especially important when the clocks change in autumn. When daylight saving time ends and clocks fall back to standard time, darkness arrives earlier in the evening. That pushes the evening commute closer to dusk — the exact time deer are most active. Research suggests that shift leads to more crashes. In a 2021 analysis of more than 35,000 deer-vehicle collisions in New York State, Langen and a colleague found that the return to standard time contributed to “far higher” accident rates, particularly on work days when commuters were on the road. Another study, published in 2022 by researchers at the University of Washington, explored what might happen if daylight saving time were permanent. Their conclusion: the change could save lives — both human and animal. The study estimated that keeping daylight saving time year-round could prevent about 36,000 deer deaths annually from vehicle collisions and save roughly 33 human lives each year. It could also reduce some of the nearly $1 billion spent annually on costs related to these crashes, including property damage and medical bills. The reason comes down to visibility and timing. “We were surprised to find that the increase in collisions that you get when it’s darker in the evening during standard time were not offset by reduced collisions in the morning,” said Laura Prugh, senior author of the study and a professor of quantitative wildlife sciences at the University of Washington. Her team found that deer-vehicle collisions were dramatically more common just after dark than before sunset. In fact, the collision rate was 14 times higher after dusk than it was before. That imbalance means earlier sunsets during standard time create a “net increase” in collisions, Prugh said. Moving the clocks forward in the spring changes that pattern. Although morning commutes become darker, researchers say the risk to wildlife does not increase much. Deer tend to be less active in the spring, and evening commuters are still traveling before dusk. The result is fewer opportunities for animals and cars to cross paths. Public opinion about daylight saving time has long been divided. Some people enjoy brighter evenings for outdoor activities. Others dislike the sleep disruption and health effects tied to the clock change. But when it comes to wildlife, the benefits appear clearer. A permanent switch to daylight saving time would likely reduce roadkill across North America, according to researchers studying the issue. For animals like deer, which rely on twilight hours for feeding and movement, even a small shift in human schedules can make a difference. And for drivers sharing the road with them, it could mean fewer sudden encounters in the fading light.

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Experts Reveal Why We Crave Chocolate and Its Surprising Health Benefits

Chocolate has a funny way of showing up when feelings run high. It appears on Valentine’s Day. It arrives in gift boxes during celebrations. And sometimes it’s just waiting quietly in the pantry after a long day. We crave it, celebrate it and even lean on it for comfort. The love affair runs so deep that chocolate’s scientific name literally translates to something divine. “its scientific name literally means ‘food of the gods’ in Greek,” says Jen Messer, a registered dietitian and president of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And the numbers show that devotion. Around Valentine’s Day alone, Americans buy about 26 million kilograms of chocolate every year. But chocolate’s hold on us is not only about tradition or taste. Scientists say its appeal also comes from what it does inside the brain. Chocolate begins its life far from candy aisles. It starts with cacao beans, the seeds of the cacao tree, which grows in tropical regions near the equator. After farmers harvest the cacao pods, the beans are fermented and dried. That step helps build the deep flavors people associate with chocolate. Once processed, the beans are ground into a thick paste. "The beans are then ground into a thick paste called cocoa liquor, which has both cocoa solids and cocoa butter,” Messer explains. From there, the balance of ingredients determines what kind of chocolate ends up on store shelves. Dark chocolate contains the highest percentage of cocoa solids and usually very little sugar. Milk chocolate adds milk or milk powder, creating a sweeter and creamier result. “different types of chocolate are made by varying the proportions of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and milk,” says Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist, author of “Finally Full, Finally Slim” and an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. White chocolate takes yet another path. It includes cocoa butter but no cocoa solids, meaning it lacks many of chocolate’s deeper flavors. “and doesn’t have the same beneficial antioxidant compounds found in dark chocolate,” Messer says. Still, no matter the variety, chocolate’s reputation as a mood booster has intrigued scientists for years. Researchers say part of the answer lies in chemistry. Chocolate contains compounds that affect blood flow in the brain. One example is epicatechin, a substance found in dark chocolate. “compounds like epicatechin in dark chocolate stimulate nitric oxide production, a known vasodilator that increases blood flow to the brain,” Messer says. Chocolate also activates the brain’s reward system. Cocoa contains substances that can raise levels of serotonin and dopamine. Those neurotransmitters help regulate mood and motivation, which may explain why a small bite of chocolate can feel surprisingly satisfying. There are other chemicals at play as well. Chocolate contains methylxanthines, including theobromine and small amounts of caffeine. These compounds can increase alertness and reduce fatigue. “These compounds can increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and further improve mood,” Young says. Chocolate even carries a compound sometimes nicknamed the “love chemical.” Phenylethylamine has been linked to feelings of attraction and excitement, though its real impact may be limited. “feelings of attraction and excitement,” Young says. “However, this notion is highly debated as the body breaks down phenylethylamine during digestion, leaving little to directly affect the brain.” Beyond mood, dark chocolate has also attracted attention for possible health benefits. One reason is flavanols, plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Researchers believe these substances may help reduce inflammation and support heart health. Some studies have also linked flavanol-rich dark chocolate to modest improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There may even be brain benefits. “the flavanols in cocoa can help support neurogenesis (the growth of new brain cells) in the part of the brain associated with memory and learning, which is known as the hippocampus,” Messer says. Still, nutrition experts say chocolate’s health reputation should come with a footnote. Many chocolate products contain high levels of sugar and saturated fat. Milk chocolate and candy bars in particular can contain large amounts of added sugar. “some chocolate can be up to 50% sugar,” Messer says, “so moderation matters.” Eating too much sugar has been linked to health problems including heart disease, weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Chocolate can also cause issues for certain people. Those prone to migraines may find that some compounds in chocolate trigger symptoms. Others with acid reflux or GERD may notice discomfort after eating it. Even so, nutritionists say chocolate does not need to be off limits. In moderation, it can still fit comfortably into a healthy diet, especially when people choose darker varieties with higher cocoa content. “especially when we choose dark chocolate and enjoy it intentionally,” Messer says. “Just keep portions reasonable so the added sugars and calories don’t overshadow the benefits.”

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Rescued Tiger Gets Root Canal To Save Massive Canine Teeth

Dentists usually work on teeth measured in millimetres. This time, the patient’s tooth roots were nearly eight centimetres long. A rescued tiger named Aqua has undergone a rare root canal procedure at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm after keepers noticed the big cat was struggling to eat. Veterinary specialists stepped in to treat Aqua’s top canine teeth, each measuring about 7 centimetres in length. The two-hour procedure required careful coordination from a team of zoo staff and veterinary experts. Six members of staff helped move the anaesthetised tiger, which weighs about 142 kilograms, onto an operating table while ensuring his jaw remained safely open. The dental work itself was carried out by specialist veterinarian Peter Kertesz. He described the procedure as similar to a root canal performed on humans, though on a far larger scale. “Of course, the size is enormous. While your tooth might have a 10mm root, in this case it's about 80mm,” he said. During the treatment, Kertesz drilled about 7.6 centimetres into the tiger’s teeth to remove decayed pulp before sealing the cavities. He said the operation required close cooperation with the anaesthetist. “I had to have total trust in the anaesthetist” while performing what he described as a “standard procedure.” Zoo curator Chris Wilkinson said specialist dental equipment designed specifically for big cats was used during the surgery. He added the operation was essentially “the equivalent of a human root canal,” and that Aqua has since recovered well. “He’s back on his feet and his usual self again,” Wilkinson said. Aqua’s story stretches far beyond the dental clinic. The tiger was rescued in 2019 after being discovered alongside nine other tigers at the Poland–Belarus border. Authorities found the animals crammed inside a horse box and “covered in faeces,” victims of illegal wildlife trafficking. After the rescue, Aqua spent several years recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Spain before moving to his new home in Somerset in October. Zoo staff say dental problems are unfortunately common among rescued big cats that have endured difficult conditions earlier in life. Thanks to the unusual surgery, however, Aqua’s powerful canines are now expected to remain healthy, helping the tiger eat comfortably again while continuing his recovery in a much safer environment.

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Historic Bridgerton Filming Location Reopens After Major Refurbishment

If the halls of Belton House look familiar, there’s a good reason. The stately home has played the backdrop for beloved period dramas, including the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and the Netflix hit Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Now the historic estate near Grantham has reopened to visitors following a series of conservation projects aimed at preserving the centuries-old property. The Grade I listed house closed at the start of January while staff installed new lighting and heating systems and carried out a deep clean throughout the building. Rooms including the chapel, the red drawing room and the breakfast room were among those carefully refreshed. Jennie Johns, collections and house manager at Belton House, said the closure gave the team time to restore and highlight pieces from the property’s historic collections. Staff have been working hard, she said, “bringing to life pieces in the collection.” The house itself dates back more than three centuries. Built between 1685 and 1687, it was home to the Brownlow family for over 300 years before being transferred to the National Trust in 1984. Today, Belton House is surrounded by 1,300 acres of parkland, roughly 530 hectares, featuring ponds, woodland and open spaces where deer and sheep roam. Some of the recent conservation work involved redisplaying parts of the house’s art and porcelain collections, as well as installing a new carpet in the breakfast room. “We want to be able to share this special place with people but we must also balance that with the need to protect it from damage and exposure,” Johns said. “The team have been hugely busy working on a number of conservation projects during the closure period, too, and we're now excited for visitors to see the results of this hard work.” The reopening also coincides with new exhibitions launching at the estate. One display, called The Garden of Hope, features 98 hand-painted steel butterflies created by schools and community groups across Lincolnshire. The installation focuses on mental health and suicide awareness. With the refurbishment complete, the historic house that once hosted scenes featuring Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice is once again welcoming visitors. For fans of period dramas — and lovers of historic homes — the setting that once appeared on screen is now ready to be explored in real life.

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Curling Sparks Bonanza In America After Olympics And Paralympics Success

Every four years, something unusual happens at curling clubs across the United States. People who had never picked up a broom suddenly want to try. This year’s 2026 Winter Olympics may be producing one of the biggest surges yet. Clubs from Maryland to across the country say interest in curling is climbing as fans watch the sport on television and decide they want to try it themselves. For some fans, the Olympic connection runs deep. Stacy Bishop, media director of the Potomac Curling Club, planned an entire family vacation around watching curling in Italy. After months of anticipation, Bishop packed her bags, grabbed her 6-year-old son and boarded a flight to watch the Olympic competition in person. Their signs were ready. “We made some signs that hopefully people will think are funny if they see them on TV,” Bishop said before leaving. “They say 'the triple's there' and 'peel the guard' — things that curlers would find funny and nobody else. My 6-year-old has a flag that he will be waving that just says 'sweep'.” Curling aired every day during Olympic coverage of the Milan-Cortina Games. According to data shared with NPR by USA Curling, the sport drew the largest viewership of any event during NBC’s Winter Olympic broadcasts. The impact has been immediate. Dean Gemmell, CEO of USA Curling, said clubs around the country have reported hundreds of people showing up for beginner events in recent months. “We do get a good bump every four years, but I think this year seems more significant than in the past,” Gemmell said. “That might be because our teams performed well. All of our teams are on ice for 30 hours of television time, so compared to other sports where athletes might get four minutes, we have a lot.” Early data suggests the Olympic spotlight is already translating into long-term participation. Several curling clubs have reported welcoming more than 100 new players into beginner leagues this season. USA Curling currently counts about 20,000 members nationwide. The fastest-growing group of newcomers is people aged 21 to 40, who now make up roughly 38 percent of the sport’s membership. At the Potomac Curling Club, league curler Elizabeth Tigner says the new wave of players brings fresh energy. “It keeps it fresh and interesting,” Tigner said. “I think that's also good for our club, because one of the best things that you can do to get better at your own game is to teach people.” For smaller clubs, the Olympic spotlight can be more than exciting. It can be essential. At the Chesapeake Curling Club, interest has surged this year as well. Club president Michael Ehrlich said more than 300 people have come through the doors during the current season. “We rent our space from the community center from mid November through mid March, and we try to pack as much curling into those like three three and a half months as we can,” Ehrlich said. “We've just been talking today about maybe extending that, but that's a function of people's willingness to keep curling and our desire to spend money to rent.” The club has scheduled three times as many beginner sessions as it would in a typical year. Longtime curler Martin Wyatt, who has been involved with the Chesapeake club since it opened in 1979, says growing participation helps keep the sport alive. “It's our desire to get more people,” Wyatt said. “The more people we have the more money we have and the longer the season we will be able to afford.” For some newcomers, Olympic coverage provided the final push. Curler Yana Willey said her boyfriend had been hesitant about trying the sport until he started watching the Games. “I did a 'learn to curl' three years ago along with my boyfriend and I've been trying to convince him to come back to the club,” Willey said. “Now that the Olympics are on he told me today he's got a shopping cart full of things for curling. He wants to be a member. He's like, 'I'm all in, like, I'm sold.'” Gemmell says the larger-than-expected bump in interest during the 2026 Games could have lasting effects. For a sport often introduced to new fans through the Olympics, the real goal comes after the cameras leave. Getting people from the couch onto the ice — and keeping them there.

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Washington Man Survives Avalanche Thanks To Wife's Intuition And Technology

A day on the slopes turned into a fight for survival for one Washington skier who spent more than four hours buried beneath avalanche snow — and lived to tell the story. Michael Harris had skied at Stevens Pass many times before. But while skiing through Big Chief Bowl, the mountain suddenly shifted beneath him. The snow gave way. “Because I was on skis I got caught between two slabs,” Harris said. He realized almost immediately that he had triggered an avalanche. As the snow rushed downhill, Harris tried to keep himself above the moving debris. “I used the swimming motion,” he said. The effort helped him avoid slamming into a boulder, but the powerful slide carried him into what he later described as a small “snow hole.” Within seconds, the avalanche buried him. Harris was trapped. Packed snow pinned his arms in place. His Apple Watch was on his wrist and his iPhone sat in his jacket pocket, but he couldn’t reach either device. Then he heard something unexpected. His phone was ringing. “Signed, sealed and delivered right here over my heart,” Harris said, describing the phone in his jacket. “My wife was calling me. I felt it vibrate. I could hear it ring… yet my hand couldn’t get to it.” Buried beneath several feet of snow, unable to signal for help, Harris began thinking about his family. In the darkness beneath the avalanche, he prayed. “I’m a religious guy,” he said. “I said, ‘God, I’m in trouble. I don’t know if anyone is going to know where I’m at, but I can’t get out of this on my own.’” Meanwhile, miles away, his wife Penny was starting to feel uneasy. “You get a feeling something’s just not right,” she said. “I followed my intuition.” She opened the Find My app and checked her husband’s location. Then she checked again. It hadn’t moved. After seeing the phone sitting in the same spot for hours, Penny called ski patrol and began driving toward Stevens Pass herself. When she arrived, rescuers used the phone’s location to narrow the search area and begin digging. As crews worked through the deep snow, Penny prepared herself for what they might find. “I was sitting there, just waiting to find my husband, anticipating the retrieval of a body,” she said. Instead, rescuers uncovered something remarkable. Harris was still alive. Despite spending more than four hours buried, he had an air pocket about the size of a beach ball in front of his face. The small pocket of air allowed him to keep breathing while he waited for help. With the precise location from his phone, ski patrol was able to pinpoint the burial site and dig him out. Harris later regained consciousness in the back of an ambulance. He was suffering from severe hypothermia, had fluid in his lungs, and had broken his leg. Even so, he knows how differently the day could have ended. “I would not have believed this story if I hadn’t lived through it myself,” Harris said. “I’ve been blessed. I have a second chance. I thought I was leading a good life, but I want to lead an even better one.” Harris spent five days recovering in the hospital before returning home to his family. The experience was just as frightening for them. “The first words my mom said were, ‘Your dad is missing,’” his daughter wrote. “My heart sank… I felt like I was going to vomit.” Then came the moment they had been hoping for. Rescuers radioed the words they had been praying to hear — Harris had been found alive. “It is a true miracle that he survived,” she wrote. “I have been thanking God since the incident that he is still here with us.” At the hospital, staff even gave Harris a nickname. “The miracle avalanche man.” But Harris says the person who deserves the most credit is the one who trusted her instincts and refused to ignore them. “She’s the best,” he said of Penny. “She’s my lifesaver.” After surviving something so few people ever do, Harris says his priorities are clearer than ever: faith, family, and making the most of the second chance he has been given.

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