4,300 households in Pittsburgh earning close to the federal poverty level were just enrolled in a new program that can wipe out their existing water debt. All they have to do is keep up-to-date with their current water bill and their past debt can be forgiven. For every month the obligation is met, about 4 percent of their outstanding debt will be forgiven…………. A bloodhound named Beau recently helped rescue a missing boy in Maryland, after an hours-long search that stretched into the night. More than 30 officers and three K9 teams were out searching when Beau tracked the child through nearly three miles of thick brush. Luckily, the boy is now safe and sound. Her handler said, “She is second to none. She is literally my best friend.”…………….And finally……………….
A Mississippi wildlife rescue is helping dozens of orphaned baby raccoons prepare for life in the wild through a hands-on training program nicknamed “raccoon boot camp.” The raccoons lost their own mothers because of storms, traffic accidents and other traumatic events. The staff teach the young raccoons how to dig for worms, find seeds in pinecones and acorns, fish in shallow pools, and even swim in a pond. After about six months of training, the raccoons graduate in a ceremony and then are released into the wild. (Here’s a news report.)