Wildlife Refuge Throws Sweet 16 Party For Polar Bear's Birthday

The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in Ontario, Canada, held a “sweet 16” birthday party for a polar bear named Ganuk, complete with an oversized driver’s license. The party featured a large toy car stuffed with tropical fruit, a pumpkin-based birthday cake, and wrapped gift boxes loaded with snacks. Refuge staff created the oversized driver’s license, which Ganuk promptly shredded and turned into a comfy napping spot. Amy Baxendell-Young, Manager of the Animal Care Team, said 16 is a big birthday for a polar bear. “In the wild, especially for males, that would be getting toward the end of life,” said Amy. With human care, it’s common for polar bears to live into their early to mid-20s. Ganuk is fully grow and is expected to celebrate many more birthdays at the bear habitat. 

 

 

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Montana Town’s Lady Justice Statue Finally Gets Scales After 100 Years

For 113 years Lady Justice has been proudly standing atop the Butte Courthouse, but without the scales of justice in her left hand. John Sullivan, Butte’s Government Building Manager has been wanting to put a scale in the statue’s hand after discovering it had a spot for it two years ago. "She has a spot for scales, but no indication that there have ever been scales there before. The hole was there, there was still all the fired glazing terracotta, no wear marks, no discoloration, no nothing,” said Sullivan. The city bought a scale on eBay for just over $50. Custom Construction, which was already replacing windows on the courthouse, let the city crew borrow their lift to attach the scales to the statue. Many of the residents had no idea the statue was missing her scales. Sullivan, who said some in the community thought that one of the Lady Justice's eyes may be peeking out from the blindfold, verified that while workmen were up there, they made sure that the eyes were completely covered by the blindfold, as seen in the photo below. The city hopes Lady Justice will now truly represent blind justice. 

 

 

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The Silent Stalkers

Technology has significantly enabled and enhanced "silent stalking" by providing new, often undetectable, methods for perpetrators to monitor, track, and control victims. This phenomenon — known as cyberstalking or tech-facilitated abuse — exploits common digital tools and platforms for harassment and surveillance. Stalkers use a variety of technologies to maintain a persistent, terrifying presence in a victim's life, often without the victim's immediate knowledge. 

STALKERWARE/SPYWARE: One of the methods used is malicious software that is secretly installed on a victim’s smartphone or computer, giving the stalker access to real-time location data, messages, call logs, and even the ability to remotely active the device’s camera and microphone.

SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING: Stalkers frequently monitor victims' social media accounts for check-ins, tagged photos, and interactions to piece together daily routines and gather personal information.

PHISHING: Perpetrators use deceptive emails or messages to trick victims or their friends and family into revealing passwords, personal information, or new contact details.

The silent nature of this abuse makes it hard to detect. Signs might include a rapidly draining phone battery, unexpected charges on phone bills, or the appearance of unknown apps or devices. The core of prevention is limiting the personal information a potential stalker can find. Here are some tips that will help you.

• • Be cautious about personal details you share online. 
• • Avoid posting your home address, phone number, date of birth, workplace, or specific daily routines. 
• • Adjust your privacy settings to make all social media accounts private, and disable geolocation services and GPS on your devices and social media apps. 
• • Avoid “checking in” to locations and posting real-time travel plans. 
• • Only accept friends or followers from people you know or have met in person. 
• • Periodically Google yourself to see what information is publicly available. 
• • Use a neutral screen name or pseudonym that doesn’t reveal your real name, gender or personal interests. 
• • When using dating services, do not provide your full name, phone number, or email until you have met the person in a public place and feel comfortable sharing more information. 

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High School Supported its Star Student When She Needed it Most, 20 Years Later She Pays It Forward

Sonia Lewis was raised by a single mom and grandmother, both of whom were teachers. Lewis, who always excelled academically, was class president, made the honor roll consistently, and worked in student government. Unfortunately, she was forced into a caregiving role when her mother came down with bacterial meningitis and was hospitalized, leaving Lewis to care for her grandmother. School suddenly got moved to the back burner. Set to graduate in 2005, Lewis came to the attention of Bodine High School principal Karen Hill, who noticed she hadn’t applied for student loans. Lewis explained that her family didn’t have the money because her mother couldn’t work and her grandmother’s retirement wasn’t enough. She went on to explain that she planned to work for a year and then apply for college loans the following year. Hill was having none of it and set up an academic fund, eventually collecting $16,200 for Lewis. That allowed Lewis to enroll at Bloomsburg University and pay for her first year of tuition. Once there, she earned scholarships, worked several jobs, and kept moving forward. She earned her master’s degree, and eventually her doctorate. Now, Lewis is paying it forward by setting up a student loan repayment firm called Student Loan Doctor. Lewis and her 13 employees coach clients on how to create plans to pay off student loan debt through repayment, loan consolidation, and more. She’s a sought-after expert, offering free weekly classes and growing her business. Student Loan Doctor has now served over 50,0000 clients, helping to get an estimated $55 million in student loans forgiven. This year, a few days before winter break, Lewis entered the Bodine auditorium with a massive smile on her face and big surprise. She donated $16,200 to the school, enough to pay for the senior trip, senior brunch, and yearbooks for the whole senior student body.

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