Scottsdale man goes extra mile to return lost wallet

GILBERT, AZ (KPHO) - Jenna Cook was having a great time at the Scottsdale Kidsfest a couple weeks ago until it was time to go.

"I put my wallet on top of the stroller and when I put the stroller in the car it must have fallen out," said Cook.Inside was $300 saved for an upcoming trip to Payson so Cook's 4-year-old daughter, Cloi, could see her grandparents.

Cook went home to Gilbert and back to Scottsdale but could not find the wallet."At that point I figured it was gone. I had already canceled my credit cards, my daughter's bawling in the back seat because I told her we weren't going to Payson," she said.

"Suddenly I saw a thing there and I pulled the car nearby and I pick it up and there's a wallet," said Javier Del Carpio, who was at the Kidsfest with his family as well. Del Carpio immediately started brainstorming how he could return the wallet to its rightful owner."Part of me was thinking I could mail it tomorrow and my wife said you know if I was in that situation I would be relieved if I could get it today," said Del Carpio.

So on Sunday night, Del Carpio went the extra mile, well, 36 miles to be exact. He drove from his home in north Scottsdale to Cook's in Gilbert. Cook was still out retracing her steps so Del Carpio taped a business card to her garage door and stayed in the area. Cook drove up about a half hour later. "I went over and I pulled it down and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

Not only did Del Carpio drive to Gilbert, he knocked on neighbors doors so Cook would be sure to get the message and know that her wallet was safe. "I was really starting to think that there weren't any nice people left and it restored my faith. All the money was still inside, all $300, all my gift cards, credit cards, nothing had been touched," said Cook. That meant Cloi could go to Payson. "I went fishing with my grandpa," said Cloi, who is so bubbly you have to watch the video version of this story to see it for yourself.

Cook emailed CBS 5 and nominated Del Carpio for our Pay It Forward segment. We surprised him in Scottsdale with the $500 reward. And then, Cloi finally got to give Del Carpio the picture she made for him.

To watch the video, please go to: http://www.kpho.com/story/15767005/pay-it-forward-scottsdale-man-goes-extra-mile-to-return-lost-wallet?hpt=us_bn7

Source: KPHO.COM

Man Stops Runaway Bus And Saves Driver

Emergency crews pulled up to a frantic scene at Elm Grove Road and Bluemound last Thursday. There was a bus in the middle of the road, the driver laying on the ground and another man pumping his chest. "From my standpoint, I just believe in providence," said witness Matt Collins. "We were supposed to be there at the right time."

Collins and his business partner, Damon Padovano, were waiting to turn left at the intersection that morning. "We were wondering, What is the bus doing, why isn't it stopping? Then we were like, there is no bus driver," said Padovano.

They pulled out of the way. Collins jumped out of the car and jumped up onto the bus. That's when he saw the driver, slumped over. "I braked and slowed down the bus, stopped it, threw it in park, checked for a pulse," said Collins.

Collins couldn't find a pulse. But he did find something else, two special needs kids on board. He concentrated first on the driver. He pulled the man out of the bus and started CPR. Rescue crews eventually took over, and the bus driver was revived. Thankfully, Padovano and Collins say, the kids seemed unaware and unaffected. But Collins refuses to take any credit for saving anyone. He points to his former friend and business partner James Shore, who died in the Arizona sweat lodge incident while trying to rescue others.

"That's an actual hero or someone who's in the buildings in 911 or is actually in peril," said Collins, "I wasn't in any peril at all."

To watch the video, please go to http://www.wisn.com/r/29249709/detail.html

Source: WISN.COM

A Ramadan Story Of Two Faiths Bound In Friendship

It's Ramadan, the month-long holiday when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk as a way to cleanse the soul and reflect on their relationship with God. The faithful usually flock to their local mosques for prayer during the holiday, but last year, the Muslims of Cordova, Tenn., just outside Memphis, didn't have a place to go.

That's when Pastor Steve Stone put an unusual sign outside his church."It said, 'Welcome to the neighborhood, Memphis Islamic Center,'" he laughs. "It's been seen all over the world, now."

Stone invited the Muslim community to celebrate their holiday inside his church while their own cultural center was under construction nearby. It was the beginning of an unusual alliance that's still strong a year later.

To read the full story, please go to: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/21/139831309/a-ramadan-story-of-two-faiths-bound-in-friendship

You can also listen to the interview by clicking on "Listen to the Story" or by going to: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=139831309&m=139836422

Wounded Warrior Gets Hot New Set Of Wheels

LONG BEACH — Staff Sergeant Guillermo Tejeda lost both his legs to an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in Afghanistan.Driving, it would seem, would be more than just a bit of a challenge. Not for some local students — also veterans — who wanted to find a way to honor a hero. So, they designed and customized a hot Camaro (make that very hot! red and black!) so Tejada could drive using hand controls.

Tejeda had been confined to a wheelchair since he was wounded. But now he’s got some wheels that can really move. The four students (two Marines, one Navy vet and an Army vet) on the project, all are students, or graduates, of Wyotech in Long Beach.

When he first saw his souped-up car, Tejeda acknowledges that he was moved to tears.
Marine veteran Tom Stein who works with Wyotech explains, Tejada paid a huge price for his country, so the school and the Semper Fi Fund, have no problem giving back to him.

Tejada will use that car to get around … and train for more Marine Corps work. He’s already served 12 years but wants to serve for at least eight more.

To watch the video, please go to: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/08/14/wounded-warrior-gets-hot-new-set-of-wheels/?hpt=us_bn7

Source: CBS, LA

Forgiveness

In 2008 former freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout traveled to Somalia to research a story on the millions of people affected by two decades of war, drought and famine. Kidnapped by teenage criminals outside of the capital city, Mogadishu, Lindhout spent 15 months enduring unimaginable hardships as a hostage in one of the world's poorest countries. “I’ve been kept in a dark, windowless room in chains, without any clean drinking water and little or no food. I've been very sick for months without any medicine." she said.
15 months after the kidnapping, Lindhout's kidnappers released her. A ransom was paid with money raised through friends, families, and other supporters from Canada and Australia. After suffering the ordeal she went through when she was held as a captive she had no plans to return to Somalia but a visit to a Somali refugee camp inside Kenya changed her mind. The vision of malnourished children and women motivated her to work on her new project to deliver food aid to Somalia. Only four months after returning home, Lindhout founded the Global Enrichment Foundation and established the Somali Women's Scholarship Program to ignite female leadership in Somalia through university education. Her travels to over 50 countries - including Iraq and Afghanistan - have given Lindhout a unique and nuanced understanding of the consequences of the depravations caused by war and the subsequent effects on women. She is passionate about sharing her message of forgiveness and about creating awareness of the opportunities each individual has to create sustainable change in the world.

Good Samaritan Saves Officer Under Attack

ATLANTA -- An Atlanta police officer was hurt when she was attacked by a man in the middle of the street, officials said. Police were called to Martin Luther King Drive near Philips Arena. Investigators said Officer Navada Stucking was driving toward police headquarters when the man started kicking her police car.

"He appeared to be demented," said Capt. Barry Shaw. "She pepper sprayed him, and it didn't have any effect on the guy at all."

Michael Reed was driving his truck on Techwood Drive, saw the attack and decided to help. "He just kept hitting her in the head," said Reed "He grabbed her hair and I had already got out of the vehicle when he grabbed her. By the time I got there, he had beat her down to the ground. That's when I tackled him and I held him," Reed said.

Stucking was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with several bruises, police said. Reed suffered a few cuts on his hands.

"We were so fortunate to have this man on the scene. He was a blessing, a blessing in disguise," Shaw told Coleman.

Police detained the suspect, Efrem Thurmond, on the side of the road. Officers repeatedly doused the man with water while they tended to the officer in near 100-degree temperatures. He was taken to the hospital for a mental evaluation.

Swim lessons key for young lifesaver

LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) - An 8-year-old Lebanon boy who jumped into a pool to save his 2-year-old sister is spreading the message that swimming lessons save lives.The young hero, Christopher Mathews, talked Tuesday with 24-Hour News 8 reporter Daniel Miller. He’s your typical third-grader who loves being in the water.

"I really like swimming," he said.Christoper was in his back yard celebrating after a party. But the excitement changed to worry when his sister Kenslei went missing.

The 2-year-old girl was at the bottom of the family's swimming pool. Christopher said his was a simple choice: "I looked in the pool, and I saw her, and I jumped in and saved her." Christopher’s quick thinking likely saved his little sister’s life.

"When the first crew got here,” Lebanon Fire Department Lt. Tim Davis said, “the little girl was breathing on her own.”

Christopher received a certificate of achievement from the Lebanon Fire Department for saving his sister’s life.

To read the full story, please go to: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/north_central/swim-lessons-key-for-young-lifesaver?hpt=us_bn6