Bestselling author James Patterson just gave $300,000 in Christmas bonuses to employees at independent bookstores around the U.S.  600 people got $500 each.  They were all nominated by their boss, or members of the community. (James holds the record for most #1 New York Times bestsellers.  His books include “Along Came a Spider”, “Kiss the Girls”, and the Alex Cross series.)………A poll on charity work found most volunteers in the U.S. do it because they want to help others and have an impact on their community.  The average volunteer donates $1,869 worth of their time each year………And finally…………… 

A MN cop risked his life to save two fishermen who fell through the ice on a lake, and he also saved their dog.  He didn’t have protective gear or anything.  A special rescue unit was on the way, but he thought they might take too long. He just tied a rope to himself and slid out on his stomach.  Other cops pulled them all back in, and their chest-cams got the whole thing on video. (Here’s the footage.  He steps on the ice at :46, they pull the first guy in at 2:30, the dog shows up around 4:00, and they pull the second guy in at 4:42.)