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Vote for IndyStar Student of the week for April 28

Vote for IndyStar Student of the week for April 28

Each week readers vote on central Indiana students who were nominated by their schools for their excellence in the classroom and beyond.
Readers can vote for their favorite student throughout the week at the bottom of this story on IndyStar.com, with polling closing at noon on Thursday, May 1. Winners will be announced every Friday.
This contest aims to introduce readers not just to the student who winds up winning but to all of the highly accomplished nominees.
Here's what nominating school leaders had to say about this week's nominees:
Anna Ellery, a senior at Guerin Catholic High School
Anna Ellery radiates positivity, always seeking the good in every situation. She consistently puts others first, showing unwavering compassion and support for her classmates. Her deep faith shines through in everything she does, guiding her actions and interactions. Anna's kindness and dedication make a profound impact on those around her, and we are incredibly grateful to have her in our community.
Ian Tharp, a sophomore at Franklin Central High School
Ian is a student who has a great deal going for him, and he works daily to reach his potential. He is a committed runner and excels at cross country and track. In class, he's also committed; he gives his best daily, works excellently with others, has an infectiously positive attitude that makes my world a better place, and Ian is always willing to help. I cannot think of a more deserving person for Student of the Week!
Hailee Guada, a sophomore at Ben Davis High School
She is a phenomenal student and student assistant. We are nominating her because she is always trying to help her teachers and the students around her. She always has a bright and cheery attitude. She is empathetic, a good listener, patient, and does not hesitate to help out where she is needed. She is a leader in the classroom and values her education.
Chris Griffin, a senior at Roncalli High School
Roncalli Science teacher Ben North states, "Chris is a hard worker in class and always gets his work done. He does a nice job asking questions if there are problems with his code. But more importantly, he does an excellent job helping out his peers if one of them is having an issue. He participates well in class and serves as a model for the other students to follow." Intellectual curiosity within the classroom and keen and insightful participation in classroom discussions are also cited.
Cameron Rutledge Gee, a senior at Martinsville High School
Cameron is a Vernon E. Jordan Scholar, AP Honors Scholar (National), and an Internationally Recognized Thespian. He is a LEO Club member, NHS member, and a Student Council Member. He volunteered 15 hours for the State Chess Tournament at Martinsville High School recently and also volunteers at the Morgan County Public Library. He is a prominent member of the successful Academic Decathlon, Academic Quiz Bowl, and Academic Super Bowl Teams at M.H.S., as well as the Journalism and Yearbook staffs. Cameron is a member of the Cross Country and Track & Field Teams and F.C.A. The Staff at M.H.S. appreciates his energy, enthusiasm, and devotion to so many things at Martinsville High School. He plans to enroll at DePauw University upon Graduation.
Alina Eckert, a senior at Lawrence North High School
Alina Eckert is an outstanding student at Lawrence North, excelling academically, athletically, and in community service. She is on track to earn academic honors and the International Baccalaureate diploma, ranking among the top 30 GPA in her class. In addition to her academic success, Alina is an accomplished swimmer and performs in the orchestra. She also dedicates time to serving others through our Dance Marathon club and other organizations. We are fortunate to have her as part of the Lawrence North community, and I am honored to nominate her for Student of the Week.
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Florida county spearheading high-tech 911 system that sends texts and video to 911 dispatchers
Florida county spearheading high-tech 911 system that sends texts and video to 911 dispatchers

New York Post

time15-07-2025

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Florida county spearheading high-tech 911 system that sends texts and video to 911 dispatchers

When an emergency happens in Collier County, Florida, the 911 calls go to one of the most high-tech communications centers in the U.S., where callers can send text and video from the scene to dispatchers. Moving to what's known as an NG911 — or Next Generation 911 — system is a journey Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and Bob Finney, the county's director of communication, have been on for much of the past decade. It's a long way from Feb. 16, 1968, when Alabama's then-House Speaker Rankin Fite made the nation's very first 911 call in Haleyville, Alabama, on a bright red, rotary-style landline telephone. 7 Collier County, Florida has implemented an NG911 — or Next Generation 911 — system. AP That ceremonial call came just 35 days after AT&T announced plans to use 911 as a nationwide emergency number. Today, most calls to 911 originate with cellphones, with dispatchers in upgraded centers using geo tracking to get accurate geographic locations from callers. But the response time in an emergency depends on the type of technology being used at any of the 6,000 emergency communications centers in the U.S. that receive 911 calls. There is no uniform emergency system in the U.S., so individual cities, counties, states or geographic regions are responsible for operating their own 911 call centers. While some states have fully updated to NG911 systems, others are still using legacy 911 systems that rely on antiquated equipment. 'We're just reminded in these last two weeks, with the flooding in Texas, just how important the work of 911 is,' said Michael Martin, CEO of RapidSOS, which provides infrastructure that passes critical data to emergency centers across the United States. 7 Today, most calls to 911 originate with cellphones, with dispatchers in centers using geo tracking to get accurate locations from callers. AP The future is now for 911 The Collier County Sheriff's Office covers 911 calls from an area of about 2,030 square miles (5,258 square kilometers) that stretches from sandy beaches at the southernmost tip of the Gulf Coast on Florida's peninsula inland to the Everglades. It's a region that has been ravaged by hurricanes this century, including Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricanes Ian and Milton most recently. 7 There is no uniform emergency system in the U.S., so individual cities, counties, and states are responsible for operating their own 911 call centers. REUTERS 7 While some states have fully updated to NG911 systems, others are still using legacy 911 systems that rely on antiquated equipment. AP That's why Sheriff Rambosk wanted a high-tech emergency operations center. 'We just believe that when we can reduce the response time using technology, it will improve safety and survivability of those calling in,' said Rambosk, who has been sheriff since 2009. 'And that's really what we're all about, keeping people safe and rescuing them when they need it.' Today 61 full-time employees and three part-timers staff two emergency operations centers around the clock. They rely on data that RapidSOS collects from connected buildings, devices, vehicles and even smart watches to send first responders to emergency scenes. The baseline data is provide free of charge to all 911 centers, Martin said. Mixing technology with emergency response 7 The Collier County Sheriff's Office covers 911 calls from an area of about 2,030 square miles. AP As Hurricane Helene was tracking toward north Florida last September, forecasters were predicting it could hit Tallahassee as a major Category 3 storm. Officials in Leon County, which serves the state's Capitol and nearby counties on legacy 911 equipment, reached out to Collier County, some 430 miles (692 kilometers) to the southeast, to see if they could take over emergency calls if the storm knocked their center out. Helene moved to the east of Tallahassee, but Collier County was prepared to help if needed. 'Because of the partnership with Rapid SOS, they were able to create a map to where not only did we see our own calls, but we could see exactly where the calls were coming in Tallahassee,' Finney said. Collier County has also partnered with Charleston, South Carolina, as a backup 911 center. Each region is fully prepared to take on 911 calls for the other in case their emergency system goes down for any reason. 7 Today 61 full-time employees and three part-timers staff two emergency operations centers around the clock. Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It's a similar story in North Carolina, where legislation in 2017 helped establish funding for a next generation 911 system, said Pokey Harris, who serves as president of the National Association of State 911 Administrators and executive director of the North Carolina 911 Board. Harris said Hurricane Helene provided validation for the upgraded system by being able to direct 911 calls from areas that were devastated by the storm to other parts of North Carolina that were not affected. 'During Helene, if a citizen could reach a dial tone, even though their local 911 center may have been impacted because of infrastructure devastation, another center somewhere in the state could answer their call,' Harris said. 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Gran Wants New Cat—Horror As Family Then Learn What Happened to Her Old One
Gran Wants New Cat—Horror As Family Then Learn What Happened to Her Old One

Newsweek

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Gran Wants New Cat—Horror As Family Then Learn What Happened to Her Old One

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A family helping their grandmother bring home a new cat, after believing her previous one had passed, was left stunned to learn the truth from the veterinarian. When Rachel Gibbs graduated from high school, she and her friends thought it would be a good idea to adopt a cat; however, since she was going to college, her grandmother offered to take in the feline. All was fine until her grandmother brought home an orange cat. The original cat, Molly, didn't love sharing her home. But, eventually, Gibbs and her family were informed that Molly had passed. Or so they thought for about two years. When her grandmother's second cat passed, she wanted another. The family helped her adopt a new kitty. Part of the process of being approved meant the animal shelter checking with your veterinarian as a reference. However, the vet asked the family if the grandmother wanted her cat back, who had been staying with them for two years. Shocked by the news, the family uncovered that the grandmother's caregiver brought the cat to the vet and left her there, saying she had passed. And with her grandmother's dementia, she never remembered. Gibbs shared the unbelievable story, which occurred in 2018, on her Instagram account, @rachonlife, saying the family had zero clue about this situation. The caption reads: "I cannot make this up. It is indeed as weird and confusing as it sounds." Newsweek reached out to Gibbs via Instagram for additional information and comment. Screenshots from a July 3 Instagram video of a woman explaining how her grandma left the cat at the vet office for two years. Screenshots from a July 3 Instagram video of a woman explaining how her grandma left the cat at the vet office for two years. @rachonlife/Instagram Gibbs said that she and her mom immediately went to pick up Molly, horrified that this had happened. But at least the cat was in good hands at the vet office. The feline lived another three years before the caregiver took her back again to be euthanized, an unfortunate ending they hoped to have avoided. But, as Gibbs said in the video, there had been situations with this specific caregiver before. 'Enrages Me' Instagram viewers immediately flooded the clip with questions, bringing in over 185,000 views and 6,000 likes as of Saturday. They wondered why the vet never called during those two years. "This whole thing just enrages me. Like all of it," commented one person. Another added: "I'm surprised that they kept the cat the whole time!" A third user wrote: "The fact the vet took care of the cat that long is crazy!!!" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Man Rescues Stray Dog During Hurricane—Realizes She Was Hiding a Surprise
Man Rescues Stray Dog During Hurricane—Realizes She Was Hiding a Surprise

Newsweek

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  • Newsweek

Man Rescues Stray Dog During Hurricane—Realizes She Was Hiding a Surprise

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man who showed kindness to a stray dog struggling to survive after a hurricane was rewarded with a litter of puppies, after she gave birth in safety after he took her in. Joe Tulgan, 33, originally from Massachusetts, now lives in Greenacres, Florida, with his wife, Marissa, and 13-year-old stepdaughter, Abby. In 2022, Hurricane Ian devastated the west coast of Florida, along with the Carolinas and Cuba, at a category 4 intensity. It caused over $112 billion worth of damage, with millions losing power and 156 people dying in the United States alone, according to the National Hurricane Center. Among the horror of the storm, there were stories of heroes risking their lives to save others—both humans and animals. Tulgan was among those helping out in the area; he, along with friends Travis and Todd, were cleaning up debris and rubble when they were approached by a stray dog, who was "wagging her tail and searching for food amid the rubble." The men fed her, and while she left, she returned to them later that night, and remained close to them during their entire stay at the Airbnb. Tulgan "fell in love with her." "It was evident she didn't have a home; she was dirty and skinny," Tulgan said. He told his wife and stepdaughter about the dog—only for him to get the call he had hoped for. His family wanted him to keep her. Joe Tulgan's rescued stray dog, Gypsy, left, rests at home with her puppies, right. Joe Tulgan's rescued stray dog, Gypsy, left, rests at home with her puppies, right. Joe Tulgan / Reddit u/BloodyMurderBloody The plan was to feed her up, take her to the vet and get her checked for a microchip, and as weeks went by, she began to fatten up. But Tulgan quickly noticed that she was "getting even bigger." "I instinctively knew she was pregnant, even though Travis and Todd insisted I was overfeeding her. The vet later confirmed my suspicion," Tulgan said. And on December 12, the rescued dog—whom they named Gypsy—gave birth to six puppies, safely indoors. At the time, Tulgan and his friends were still traveling around Florida in different Airbnbs, and as the puppies grew, they and Gypsy "traveled with me everywhere," he said. "I loved having them around, although they were a lot of work," Tulgan added. I constantly had to clean up after them once they were old enough to run around, and they were pretty loud, making it difficult to sleep. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything." Eventually, once the puppies were old enough, it was time to find them new homes—and four of the siblings went to Tulgan's friends and family. "I am the designated dog sitter, and the puppies love to see their mother," Tulgan said. "She enjoys playing with her children!" Joe Tulgan's rescued stray dog, Gypsy, left, rests at home with her puppies, right. Joe Tulgan's rescued stray dog, Gypsy, left, rests at home with her puppies, right. Joe Tulgan / Reddit u/BloodyMurderBloody Tulgan shared Gypsy's story to Reddit's r/mademesmile sub via his account u/BloodyMurderBloody on July 6. He shared photos of Gypsy and her six adorable puppies, and wrote: "I rescued a stray dog after a hurricane. Turns out she was pregnant! Here's her puppies!" Reddit users had a big reaction, awarding the post more than 8,400 upvotes, as one wrote: "Bless you for rescuing her! What precious pups." Another described them as a "six pack of love." "She held on through the storm so her babies could have sunshine," one commenter said, and yet another thanked Tulgan for being a "kind and compassionate soul." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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