Stolen rings returned after 15 years, and more

Stolen rings returned after 15 years

A set of gold rings stolen at a house party 15 years ago has been returned by a self-professed “dumb kid who wants to right a wrong.” The four rings disappeared in 1998 after Margot Riphagen, then 16, hosted a party at her parents’ house in Portland, Ore. They included her mother’s wedding ring and her grandparents’ wedding bands. The contrite but still anonymous thief mailed the rings to Riphagen’s parents along with a letter of apology. “As an adult I realize how sentimental items like this can be,” he wrote.

From the streets of Kabul to Hollywood

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An Afghan teenager will travel from Kabul to rub shoulders with Hollywood stars, after the short film in which he stars was nominated for an Oscar last week. Fawad Mohammadi, 14, was plucked from his curbside job selling chewing gum to tourists by American director Sam French to star in Buzkashi Boys, a short movie about an equestrian sport popular in Afghanistan. Mohammadi, who still works in the streets of Kabul, wept when he heard the film was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film. French has pledged to fly him to Los Angeles for next month’s Academy Awards.

Students elect classmate with Down syndrome for homecoming queen

Students at a Bolivar, Tenn., high school last week elected a classmate with Down syndrome to be homecoming queen. Kara Marcum, 19, easily beat three other candidates in a victory one teacher chalked up to her considerable personal charm. Kara also has a life-threatening heart defect, but both her family and classmates say she doesn’t let her disabilities get in the way of her positive attitude. “She makes everybody’s day better,” said Caleb McKinnie, the basketball player who escorted Kara to the ball. “I wouldn’t want to walk out anybody but her.”