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Watch: Young Girl With Cerebral Palsy Enjoys a Roller Coaster
Abby McNamara has cerebral palsy and can't walk or talk. She loves to ride roller coasters at Disneyland. Her mom, Michelle, shared a video of her on a recent visit. She can't help but smile! Share this story with your friends!
Score (98)
These High Schoolers are Repairing Cars And Gifting Them To Single Moms In Need
In an automotive garage in Mineral, Virginia, a group of high school students has been quietly changing lives, one rebuilt car at a time. Their teacher, Louisa County High School instructor Shane Robertson, doesn’t teach auto repair as an abstract exercise. His students work on real vehicles donated to Giving Words, a nonprofit that supports single mothers. When the cars are fixed, the students hand over the keys to families they’ve never met. “These repairs are real,” Shane said. “This is somebody's real car and you're really making a change in the world, which is something that's kind of unique.” Giving Words was founded in 2018 by Eddie Brown and his wife, shaped by their own experiences navigating parenthood without reliable transportation. “My wife and I were both single parents and struggled with transportation,” Eddie said. “So that's one reason why we created Giving Words.” Since then, more than 60 single moms have received cars. But for one mother, the gift went far deeper than a way to get from point A to point B. When Jessica Rader received the keys to a 2007 gold Prius, she broke down in tears. She soon realized the car represented something much larger: stability. Access. A chance to get her family back on track. “People that didn't even know me cared enough to care about my kids because of giving words,” Jessica said. “I not only got a vehicle, I got back custody of a child because I was able to give rides to and from school, to and from football practice.” Transportation is one of those invisible threads that holds daily life together. Without it, appointments are missed, jobs become impossible, and custody cases can hinge on basic logistics. With a single repaired Prius, Jessica suddenly had the ability to show up where she needed to be. It was enough to change a court decision and reunite her with her child. “You never know what one act of kindness will do,” she said. For Shane’s students, the lesson comes with grease, bolts and a sense of purpose. They repair brake lines and replace alternators, but they also get something harder to measure: the understanding that what they build has weight in someone else’s life. And for the families on the receiving end, those keys open doors that had been shut for years.
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Metal Detectorists Uncover Rare Roman-Era Lead Casting in Western Wales
They went looking for a signal in the soil. They found the Roman Empire. Two metal detectorists searching grazing land in western Wales have uncovered a pair of Roman lead ingots dating back nearly 2,000 years. According to Amgueddfa Cymru, the pieces are the first of their kind ever found in the region. Nick Yallope and Peter Nicolas made the discovery on land owned by farmer Geraint Jenkins in Ceredigion, a coastal area steeped in Celtic heritage. The pair had permission to search and dig. They found the ingots about 45 centimetres underground, less than 1.8 metres apart. Museum curator Carrie Canham said Ceredigion’s “rich mineral and ore deposits” were a major reason the Romans targeted the area for conquest. Lead mined there during the Roman era travelled widely across the empire, she said. The ingots, sometimes called lead “pigs,” were used to make tools and weapons. Lettering stamped into the metal dates them to AD 87, placing them in the reign of Domitian, a ruler known for expanding Rome’s reach. It is one thing to read about Roman industry. It is another to hold it. “I feel incredibly proud to have uncovered something so rare and important to our local heritage. Unlocking a new chapter of our area's past, is incredibly exciting,” Yallope said in a museum news release. Jenkins, who now farms the land organically, reflected on the contrast between past and present. “It's remarkable to think that land we now farm organically once played a role in a much wider Roman landscape,” he said. Ceredigion has long hinted at that wider story. In 2005, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a Roman lead smelting site in a nearby peat bog. Historians believe local mines fed that operation, with the refined metal then shipped throughout Roman territories. These newly found ingots add weight to that theory. Literally. Lead pigs were typically cast in standardized shapes, making them easier to transport. From remote corners of Britain, they could travel by road and sea to construction sites, military outposts and workshops across the empire. What makes this discovery stand out is location. While Roman artifacts have surfaced in Wales before, intact lead ingots from this period are rare in the region. The fact that two were found so close together suggests they may have been buried intentionally, lost in transit or stockpiled for collection. For now, experts are still piecing together the details. In Wales, metal detectorists must obtain landowner permission and report potential treasure to the country’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, which assesses finds and determines their significance and value. The two ingots will eventually go on public display. Canham said they are set to feature in a new archaeology gallery opening in spring 2027 at Amgueddfa Ceredigion. Wales has seen other headline-making discoveries in recent years. Between 2020 and 2022, metal detectorists unearthed a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts, including axes, spearheads, rings and a sword scabbard. The government declared that collection treasure in 2023. Still, there is something especially tangible about lead. It does not glitter like gold or flash like bronze. It is heavy, industrial, and practical. And yet, stamped with imperial lettering, it becomes a time capsule. Nearly two millennia ago, someone in Roman Britain handled these same blocks of metal. They marked them, moved them, perhaps guarded them. Then they vanished into the Welsh earth.
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Score (95)
Drone Drama: Mother Manatee And Calf Airlifted To Safety With Help From a Rescue Team
When you need a rescue team, sometimes it helps to have eyes in the sky. This week in southwest Florida, that is exactly what an injured mother manatee and her calf got. Officials say the pair were pulled from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Wednesday and transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation. Drone pilots hovered overhead, feeding rescuers a live aerial view and guiding a boat toward the struggling animals. Video shared by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows the boat making a wide circle around the two manatees, corralling them in what appears to be a large net. The rescue was not delicate. Half a dozen people heaved the thrashing animals onto the vessel, sliding the mother and calf up over the open stern and onto the slick deck. Adult manatees, often called sea cows, can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh as much as 544 kilograms. Even a calf carries serious heft. At one point in the footage, at least one of the animals is offloaded in a sling at a nearby boat ramp. The sheriff’s marine unit and advanced technology support unit assisted in the effort, working alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Officials did not release details about how the mother was injured or the current condition of either animal. Kelly Richmond, research communications director for the wildlife agency, said the manatees were transported to SeaWorld Orlando for care. The mother and calf are not alone. They are among at least six manatees rescued in Lee County since 19 February due to cold stress, boat strikes and malnutrition. Across Florida, at least 24 other manatees have been rescued this year. More than 20 rehabilitated animals have already been released back into the wild through the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership. Earlier this month, another manatee looking for warmer water had to be pulled from a storm drain in Melbourne Beach. Florida’s manatees, officially known as West Indian manatee, are no strangers to human intervention. The large, slow-moving marine mammals often seek out warm-water refuges during cold snaps, sometimes venturing into canals, marinas and drainage systems. Their size and gentle nature make them vulnerable to boats and changing environmental conditions. This rescue, though, had a modern twist. The drone footage shows just how coordinated wildlife operations have become. Pilots buzzed overhead, relaying the animals’ positions in real time as crews maneuvered below. From above, the manatees look almost small against the dark water. Up close, they are anything but. As the boat circles tighten and the net comes in, the water churns. Then, in a matter of moments, the massive bodies are hauled aboard. It is messy, physical work. But it is also precise. A wrong move can injure the animals further. For now, the focus shifts from river to rehabilitation tank. At SeaWorld Orlando, veterinarians and marine specialists will assess the mother’s injuries and monitor the calf. Cold stress, one of the main reasons for recent rescues, can weaken manatees and make them susceptible to infection. Watercraft injuries, often caused by propellers, can leave deep scars. The hope is always the same: stabilize, heal and release. Florida’s rescue numbers reflect both the pressures manatees face and the network built to protect them. State agencies, local law enforcement and marine parks coordinate closely, sharing resources and manpower. Drones, slings and nets are all part of the toolkit.
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Yukon Healthtech Company Launches AI Tool That Helps Doctors Finish Admin Work Fast by Voice
A healthtech company in the Yukon has launched a new artificial intelligence tool designed to help clinicians cut down on paperwork using simple voice commands. The tool, called CoWork, was developed by Whitehorse-based startup PeerSupport.io. It functions as an autonomous AI browser that completes administrative tasks inside electronic medical records (EMRs) and other web systems after receiving spoken instructions from doctors or nurses. Instead of navigating multiple tabs and forms, clinicians can tell CoWork to send referrals, renew prescriptions, finish clinical notes, or pull up patient charts. The system then carries out the steps automatically, navigating screens and filling out documentation, often in under 11 seconds, according to the company. PeerSupport says administrative workload remains one of healthcare’s biggest challenges. The company estimates clinicians spend one to two hours working in EMRs for every hour spent with patients, with roughly 75 percent of burned-out physicians identifying these systems as a major contributor. Unlike many healthcare technologies, CoWork does not require software integrations or APIs, allowing it to work across existing web-based health applications. “Autonomous tooling is the only way to meaningfully reduce administrative burden at scale,” said PeerSupport founder and CEO Chirag Jadhwani in a statement. The company says early pilots in Yukon clinics show clinicians saving an average of 10.5 hours per week. Founded in 2020, PeerSupport operates out of Whitehorse, Vancouver, and Toronto and is backed by Panache Ventures and angel investors. CoWork builds on the company’s earlier AI platform, Spotlight, which Yukon Health has used since 2024 to help reduce referral wait times. PeerSupport expects its technology to support more than one million patient files across five major healthcare providers in Canada and the United States by the end of 2026. Jadhwani recently wrote in Canadian Business that the company is on track to reach $5 million in annual revenue while expanding its Canadian team from six to 10 employees this year. As AI tools increasingly enter healthcare settings, experts continue to stress responsible adoption. Jadhwani acknowledged that human oversight remains essential, writing that while AI can assist clinicians, every action must still be reviewed by a provider. Alongside the launch, PeerSupport announced the North of 60 Scholarship, a $5,000 award supporting healthcare professionals connected to Canada’s northern territories. “The North of 60 Scholarship is our commitment to easing that weight for those who serve northern communities,” Jadhwani said, noting that financial pressures also contribute to healthcare burnout.
Score (98)
Support Dog Helps 8-Year-Old Girl Cope With Autism
Before Howard arrived, eight-year-old Piper’s world felt small. Crowded places overwhelmed her. Social situations often sent her running. Even short car journeys left her dysregulated and exhausted. Her mum, Laura, described life as “difficult, challenging and restrictive,” the kind of constant planning that squeezes the spontaneity out of family life. Then came Howard. The black labrador, trained through the Support Dogs charity in Sheffield, joined the family after a long matching process — fittingly, on Piper’s dad’s birthday. And from the moment he padded into their home, Laura said everything shifted. “Her world was a little bit smaller and a little less colourful, until Howard came along,” she said. Howard works as Piper’s autism support dog, unbothered by noise, movement or unpredictable moments. “He’s not phased by any unusual sounds or noises or behaviour so we felt really confident with him around our children,” Laura said. The change has been steady and unmistakable. Piper used to manage only 10 minutes in the car before becoming overwhelmed. Now, she can handle longer journeys and enjoys outings to the cinema, the shops and even birthday parties. School, once a daily struggle that required physical assistance from teachers, has become more manageable. Laura said Howard’s presence reshaped the family’s day-to-day life. “We can't imagine life without Howard now. He’s part of the family and I know that Piper is safer when she's with Howard because she's more regulated.” Piper feels it too. She says Howard notices when she’s distressed and responds the way a best friend does — with hugs, kisses and quiet comfort. “Having Howard means we can access a lot more things,” her mum said. “It’s easier, we have a bit more freedom and Piper’s more relaxed so she enjoys things a little more.” The challenges of autism haven’t disappeared. “Those sudden decisions, those impulses are still there,” Laura said. But now, instead of spiralling, Piper turns to Howard. He anchors her. He gives her a way back to calm. Piper just calls him “really, really special.” And for this family in Etwall, that special bond has opened up a wider, brighter world.
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Two Library Books Turn Up 50 Years Late — And No One Owes a Penny
If there’s such a thing as a victimless crime, returning your library books 50 years late might be it. Especially when the fines get wiped out somewhere along the way. That’s what happened with a pair of antique books written nearly 200 years ago, which finally made their way back to Leeds Central Library after vanishing in March 1976. They didn’t resurface in an attic or a long-forgotten box. Instead, they appeared in a charity shop in Beverley, East Yorkshire, where staff spotted the Leeds library stamp and realised they were holding something special. The books, written in 1836 by pioneering geologist Rev William Buckland, are thick with intricate drawings of fossils and prehistoric creatures. They were created at a time when scientists were only just starting to decipher Earth’s ancient history. Buckland himself produced the first full scientific account of a fossilised dinosaur in 1824 and proved that North Yorkshire’s Kirkdale Cave had once been a prehistoric hyena den. Leeds library staff were stunned to learn the long-lost volumes still existed. “It was a huge surprise to find out that these beautiful books had somehow turned up in such an unlikely place after all these years,” librarian Sally Hughes said. “We’re delighted to have them back home at the library, even if they are half a century late. We’ll never know who it was who borrowed them and why, but it speaks volumes about how interesting and influential Rev Buckland’s observations were that enthusiasts were clearly still keen to read them more than a century after they were written.” The mystery borrower avoided what could have been a jaw-dropping bill. Before fines were scrapped in 2019, many UK libraries charged about 20p to 25p per day for overdue books. At that rate, each volume would have racked up more than £3,500 over 50 years, or more than £7,000 combined. In practice, most councils capped fines at around £10 to £15 per item, which means the total would have topped out around £30. Still, it’s hard to beat the satisfaction of returning a book five decades overdue and being welcomed without so much as a raised eyebrow. “It’s astonishing that these books have turned up after so much time and we’re grateful to everyone involved in their safe return,” said Cllr Asghar Khan. For now, the books are back where they belong, with experts giving them a careful once-over. Silence in the library — even the long-lost volumes have finally obeyed the rules.
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Black Fathers are Embracing New Roles in Maternal Health, and It's Transforming Pregnancy Experiences
It’s not every day you see a grown man in Indianapolis rocking a newborn to sleep with the kind of laser-focus usually reserved for bomb squads and first dates. But there was JaKobi Burton, gently patting his 1-month-old daughter on the back, making good on a promise he’d made long before she was born. His commitment started months earlier, when he showed up to every prenatal appointment and signed himself up for classes with Dads to Doulas, a program from Dear Fathers that teaches Black dads-to-be how to support their partners physically, mentally and spiritually before and after childbirth. Burton and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, went into the pregnancy knowing the risks. They were in their 40s, but the bigger concern was something they couldn’t control. Federal data shows Black women are almost 3.5 times more likely than white women to die around childbirth. The numbers are bleak enough that some dads, like Burton, say they feel a responsibility to learn everything they can. “I want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning, and I’m always going to be your biggest protector,” Burton told his daughter. “That’s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.” The reasons behind the mortality gap range from racism in hospitals to unequal access to prenatal care. Two viral cellphone videos this year, including one in Indiana, showed staff dismissing the concerns of Black women in labor. The disparities show up starkly in federal data: in 2023, Black women suffered 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. The rate for white women was 14.5. Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7. Against those numbers, health advocates say one overlooked factor can make a difference: fathers. Programs around the country are starting to put resources directly into the hands of dads-to-be, hoping their presence can shift outcomes. The National Healthy Start Association, created in 1998 to improve maternal and infant health, now has fatherhood practitioners at 116 sites. They offer everything from webinars to texting support and even cooking lessons. Kenneth Scarborough, who has worked as the group’s fatherhood and men’s health consultant for a decade, says attitudes are changing. “There’s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,” Scarborough said. The bigger problem, he added, is “still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.” Doctors, advocates say, still tend to treat Black fathers like props at best and threats at worst. Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University, says she has heard “countless anecdotes” of dads being pushed to the sidelines during appointments, even though research connects engaged fathers to better outcomes. She added that society still stereotypes Black fathers as “scary and rough,” a perception that seeps into exam rooms. Meanwhile, Black families are often told to find an OB-GYN who understands their experiences. Wilmot-Burton did exactly that. “I thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,” she said. But Black doctors are still rare in obstetrics. Out of the country’s roughly 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, only 7.5 percent are Black women and just 2.3 percent are Black men, according to 2023 data from the American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges. That scarcity puts pressure on programs that bring dads into the process. Deborah Frazier, the CEO of National Healthy Start, says medical organizations need to drop outdated assumptions about absentee fathers. “We have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,” she said. Some of the push comes from families who experienced the worst outcomes. In 2017, Charles Johnson IV founded 4Kira4Moms after his wife, Kira, bled to death during a cesarean section at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Johnson later sued the hospital, saying she died because of a culture of racism. The group now trains fathers to stay calm but assertive in medical settings. “What if you happen to be 6-foot-5 and 200-something pounds? If you speak up, what’s gonna happen?” said the group’s executive director, Gabrielle Albert. “Let’s role-play conversations. How do you push back against the doctor?” That type of preparation is exactly what Burton found helpful. Two months before his daughter, Phoenix, arrived, he sat in a Dads to Doulas workshop holding a Black baby doll while facilitator Kyra Betts Patton walked the group through the research. She told them present fathers can help reduce the chances of premature births. She reminded them that the riskiest window for maternal mortality is 43 to 100 days after delivery, when no one is around as consistently as the partner. Burton left those classes with a checklist of questions he brought to every appointment. “I pushed hard prior to the delivery to make sure that our birth plan was followed, even though it wasn’t completely. But she (Phoenix) still turned out great and was delivered successfully,” he said. He also took workshops through the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition. Wilmot-Burton says his involvement was a steadying force, especially when she felt sick or anxious. “I would encourage other Black women to make sure their partners are on board to attend some classes or read books,” she said, “and definitely go to as many appointments as they can.” Back at home, Burton kept rocking his daughter as he talked about the months ahead. It turns out the promise he made wasn’t just for the pregnancy. It was for everything after.
Score (73)
Ukrainian Women Over 50 Are Finding Hope and Healing in Cheerleading Amid War's Shadows
In a mirrored basement studio in Kharkiv, just 32 kilometers from the Russian border, seven women in their 50s and 60s are practicing jumping splits. They shake silver pompoms to Tom Jones’ “She’s A Lady,” wearing matching Ukraine T-shirts, smiling as if the ground above them isn’t routinely shaken by airstrikes. They call themselves Sunrise, a competitive cheer squad created not for trophies, but for survival. “We train no matter what,” says captain Iryna Nesterenko. “When it’s dark, and we’re walking through the street while everything is burning. When there’s no light. I tell my girls: ‘We are the light.’” The name itself is a reclamation. “We used to be fearful of the sunrise,” Nesterenko says. The full-scale invasion began at dawn, and their city was often bombed at daybreak. She wanted the team to turn that fear into something joyful. Ukraine has embraced cheerleading since the early 2000s, says Andriy Bolyak, president of the country’s Cheerleading and Cheer Sport Federation. Many teams fled after the 2022 invasion. Today, numbers have rebounded, with new squads forming — including teams made entirely of women over 50. Sunrise, and another team called Nice Ladies, both come from Kharkiv, one of Ukraine’s most heavily targeted cities. For every Sunrise member, the war left deep emotional marks. Nesterenko, 63, used to be a competitive gymnast. Her home was bombed in February 2022. “We hid in the basement for five days,” she says. “Then our food ran out, our cat food ran out, everything ran out.” She and her husband fled west with their cats, returning only after Ukrainian troops forced Russian soldiers from the region months later. Her friend and teammate, chemistry teacher Inna Skryl, says nightly strikes pushed her into depression. “We were bombed every night at the same time,” she says. “We huddled in the hallways.” The stress was constant. There was no “after,” just the endless now. “You think, tomorrow the war will be over, or in a month, or soon,” Nesterenko says. “But no no no, we are living with this war. So we decided to stop waiting and start living.” In 2024, Nesterenko brought pompoms to an aerobics class she taught. The moment the group moved in sync, something clicked. “We moved as one, like a united Ukraine, everything synchronized,” she says. “And suddenly cheerleading was the only choice.” The women renamed themselves Best Friends before finally settling on Sunrise. The emotional lift was immediate. Economist Halyna Plakhuta, 63, had spent the war as a full-time caretaker and felt physically weakened. She told Nesterenko she had bad knees and a bad arm — hardly cheerleader material. Now she jumps high enough to impress her granddaughter, who made lucky charms for the team’s competitions. Another teammate, 59-year-old accountant Natalia Pivovarova, cared for her bedridden mother as explosions shattered their windows. Cheerleading, she says, has been her therapy. “My friends abroad call me, saying they’re depressed. And I say, come to Kharkiv. We will heal you.” The team includes a doctor, an accountant, a beautician who designs their costumes, and a handful of women who admit they never imagined cheerleading in their 60s. At rehearsals, they dance to ABBA. Nesterenko beams as she leads them. “We are living our best life,” she says. “We may train underground, we may huddle in shelters from bombs, but no matter what, this is going to be our best life.” Weeks later, they travel to Kyiv for a national competition. Sunrise is the only team in the over-25 age category — a detail they treat as a punchline, not a problem. They arrive in navy leotards dusted with glitter, ready to perform in an arena packed with teenagers and children who cheer them on as if they’re rock stars. “We always compete to win,” Nesterenko says. “But really, we have already won.” She isn’t talking about medals. She means the victory of finding joy in a place that tries daily to steal it. “Look around,” she says. “Listen to all that joy.” And when Sunrise runs to center stage, the room roars — a reminder that resilience, like cheerleading, is something you can practice until it shines.
Score (95)
First-Ever Fetal Stem Cell Trial Offers New Hope for Babies With Spina Bifida
If medical breakthroughs had a “leap of faith” category, this one would be near the top. Scientists have now shown that stem cells can be delivered safely to a fetus still in the womb — and early signs suggest the treatment might help children born with spina bifida live healthier lives. Researchers at the University of California, Davis conducted the world’s first in-utero stem cell trial for spina bifida, pairing the therapy with prenatal surgery. Six pregnant women took part between 2021 and 2022, each carrying a fetus diagnosed with the condition. “Putting stem cells into a growing fetus was a total unknown. We are excited to report great safety,” said lead author Diane Farmer, chair of the UC Davis Department of Surgery. Spina bifida happens when the spine and spinal cord fail to close properly during early development. Even with standard prenatal repair surgery, many children grow up facing serious challenges, from mobility issues to bladder and cognitive complications. Researchers have long wondered whether stem cells — prized for their ability to promote healing — could improve those outcomes. This trial, called CuRe, offered the first real test. During prenatal surgery, doctors placed a stem-cell patch derived from donor placentas directly onto the exposed spinal tissue before closing the fetal wound. Phase I trials focus on safety, and this one delivered. There were no signs of tumor formation or other complications tied to the stem cells. Every surgery went smoothly, and all fetal wounds healed fully. The babies were born without infections and showed promising early results. MRI scans revealed that each newborn experienced a reversal of hindbrain herniation, a key indicator that the repair worked. None required a shunt for hydrocephalus before leaving the hospital, another common complication. The study, published Friday in the Lancet, stops short of declaring long-term success. Researchers will follow the six children as they grow, tracking mobility, independence and neurological outcomes. Still, the early data has generated cautious optimism. “It paves the way for new treatment options for children with birth defects. The future is exciting for cell and gene therapy before birth,” Farmer said. That future is already taking shape. UC Davis has begun enrolling participants for a larger Phase I/IIa trial involving 35 children. If results continue to look promising, fetal stem cell therapy could become a major new tool in treating spina bifida — and potentially other conditions that begin before birth.
Score (98)
Firefighters Pull Off ‘Bank Heist’-Style Rescue to Save Rare Books From Collapsing Sicilian Library
On the edge of a yawning 4-kilometre chasm in the Sicilian town of Niscemi, a library now hangs partly in mid-air — the aftermath of a January landslide that sheared away an entire slope and forced more than 1,600 residents to evacuate. With the building perched so precariously that a section appears suspended above the void, firefighters had to improvise a rescue that felt closer to a movie script than a municipal operation. Their mission: save about 400 rare books before the structure gives way. The team began on Monday, after studying floor plans and interior photos to pinpoint exactly where the most valuable shelves stood. Firefighters then drilled through the wall of a building behind the library, entering for only minutes at a time. Once inside, they strapped bookcases together and hauled them backward to reach the volumes. Among the collection are roughly 4,000 works of literature, history and general nonfiction, including editions on Sicilian history published before 1830. One of the most precious pieces is a volume from the 16th century. “It was like pulling off a bank heist,” said Salvatore Cantale, the provincial fire brigade commander in Caltanissetta. “We had to be quick and try to take away as much as we could.” Speed wasn’t the only concern. A drone streamed live images overhead, while laser sensors fixed to the section of the building hanging over the drop could detect even slight movement. Another device tracked vibrations and changes in the building’s tilt. The goal was simple: get the books out before the library moved — or fell. The landslide, which began on 25 January, ripped open asphalt, cracked buildings and swallowed part of a road lined with parked cars. Several structures later collapsed into the void. Geologists working alongside firefighters believe the landslide’s front will retreat another 10 to 15 metres, likely pulling down more buildings, including the library itself. The basement still holds many of the remaining volumes, but that area is considered the highest risk. Officials are discussing the use of robots to retrieve them, though none are currently available in Niscemi. “If we can find the robot, we’ll use it immediately,” Cantale said. “Otherwise, we’ll have to wait.” He added that because the library is effectively a single reinforced-concrete block, if it collapses, it will fall as one. In an odd twist, that might make recovery of the remaining books easier once the building has slid downhill. Some of Italy’s most celebrated writers publicly urged authorities to recover the collection, which sits inside what officials call the “black zone.” Stefania Auci, author of The Florios of Sicily, told Adnkronos: “I don’t know whether our appeal truly helped ensure that some of those ancient volumes were saved, but I like to think it played at least a small part.” For now, the rescued books are safe — a small victory pulled from the edge of a cliff.