Good News Headlines 10/30/2023

Photo©CraigSterken/123rf

This Car-Free Michigan Island Is Leading On Composting

by Paige Hodder, Civil Eats

On a hot July day on Michigan’s vehicle-free Mackinac Island, people swarm the downtown streets on foot and bikes and in horse-drawn carriages. Sitting high atop a cart emblazoned with the mission of “Keeping Mackinac Beautiful,” a city sanitation worker maneuvers a two-horse team through the fray, stopping periodically to collect trash and compost. This iconic Great Lakes vacation spot has been running a composting program since the 1990s. Tourists often stop to gawk at the novelty of a horse-drawn garbage cart—and many look no further than that. But a closer look reveals far more than a gimmick: Mackinac’s system of small-town composting has been in place for decades and now thrives despite its limitations.

‘A Historic Agreement’: UAW Reaches Tentative Deal With Stellantis

by Olivia Rosane, Common Dreams

The United Auto Workers has reached a tentative deal with Stellantis, the union announced on Saturday. The news comes three days after the UAW announced a tentative agreement with Ford. The union has been on strike against the Big Three U.S. automakers since September 15 in its first ever work stoppage targeting all three companies at once. General Motors is now the only one of the three that has not agreed to a tentative deal. “We’ve achieved what just weeks ago we were told was impossible,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video posted on social media. “The power of the Stand-Up Strike cannot be understated.”

‘There’s Still Beauty’: A National Park Bounces Back After California’s Biggest Single Fire

by Dani Anguiano, The Guardian

The fire was coming. Roughly 30 miles of dense forest withering under extreme drought stood between Lassen Volcanic national park and the Dixie fire – land ready to ignite. The historic town of Greenville had already been reduced to rubble by the flames. Entire communities had fled. Jim Richardson, the park superintendent, understood the blaze would soon be at his doorstep despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters. The question on his mind was what could be spared in the fire’s march across the Sierra Nevada. “We knew that all the fuels in the forest around us were very flammable,” Richardson said. “Within the first two days I recognized that our park was at risk from this fire.”

She’s From Ukraine. He Was A Refugee. They Became Dedicated To Helping People Flee War – And Saved 11

by Caitlin O’Kane, CBS News

When Russia invaded Ukraine, countless Americans watched the images of war in horror. But for one couple in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the conflict hit close to home in a number of ways. Anastasiya Veli is Ukrainian and Orhan Veli is half Russian – but he also knows all too well what it’s like to be a refugee. At the age of 11, Orhan’s family fled Azerbaijan when conflict began in the region after the Soviet Union broke apart. “I was a kid without anything. My parents had nothing. And little by little we were able to kind of build that,” Orhan told CBS News. His dad, once an engineer, became a pizza delivery driver when he moved to the U.S. Eventually, he became a business owner, running several Saladworks locations. Orhan became his business partner.

14-Year-Old Innovator Wins Prestigious Science Award For Skin Cancer Soap

by Sunny Skyz

An aspiring young scientist hailing from Annandale, Virginia, has secured the coveted title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” for his groundbreaking creation – a bar of soap designed to combat skin cancer. At just 14 years old, Heman Bekele emerged as the victor of the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge with his innovative creation known as the Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS). In recognition of his exceptional achievement, this ninth-grade prodigy is set to receive a substantial cash award of $25,000. Bekele’s revolutionary concept, presented through a concise two-minute video submission, centers on the development of a soap that is not only affordable, priced at less than $10 per bar, but also has the potential to reactivate dendritic cells.