Northam awards $8.2 million to combat homelessness in Virginia

Good News Notes: “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that he has awarded more than $8.2 million in grants for 46 projects throughout the commonwealth. “We have made historic investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund at a time when the importance of affordable housing has never been more evident,” Northam said in a statement….

Kindness spreads in Haywood County for 7th annual tradition

Good News Notes: “One local community is making sure everyone has a smile on their face. “We need to have it more often in this town and everywhere else,” said Brownsville resident Anita Morris. “We need to have more kindness in this world.” For the past seven years, Haywood County has recognized January 13 as Act of…

Meet Mr Trash Wheel – and the other new devices that eat river plastic

Good News Notes: “The Great Bubble Barrier is just that – a wall of bubbles. It gurgles across the water in a diagonal screen, pushing plastic to one side while allowing fish and other wildlife to pass unharmed. The technology, created by a Dutch firm and already being used in Amsterdam, is being trialled in the Douro…

Teen organizes fundraiser to help classmate with rare disorder

Good News Notes: “J.P. Ferguson didn’t really know Gavin Lambert in 7th grade. But now they are both sophomores and have a friendship that goes beyond school. For the 4th year, the star basketball player at River Ridge High School is organizing a fundraiser for Gavin and his family. “I just feel really happy. It’s…

Newly discovered rainfrog species named in honor of climate activist Greta Thunberg

Good News Notes: “A new species of rainfrog was officially named in a scientific article published on Monday.   The new species, Pristimantis gretathunbergae, has been named the Greta Thunberg Rainfrog and described in a new article in thePensoft scientific journal ZooKeys.  The new rainfrog species was discovered by an international team headed by Abel Batista and…

Coventry student designs a filter to reuse washing machine water

Good News Notes: “Coventry University student Joe Baker designed a system which removes contaminants like dirt and microplastics, allowing the water to be used for things like cooking. He has won an award in DesignSpark’s People Planet Product competition, and a £1,000 grant for its development. Mr Baker now hopes to develop a prototype of…

Progress for Pacific Ocean cleanup

Good News Notes: “The Ocean Cleanup, the non-profit developing and scaling technologies to rid the oceans of plastic, have shared their proof of technology upon returning to Victoria Harbour with trash collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. With this confirmation, the organization will immediately return to the infamous gyre to start cleaning the ocean’s…