Fencing coach scares thieves, and more

Fencing coach scares thieves

A fencing coach foiled a robbery in Nashville last month by using his épée with brilliant effect. Franco Scaramuzza was returning home from fencing practice when he saw two men pepper-spray a couple and steal a purse. He grabbed his sword and charged, yelling at the top of his lungs. “They completely panicked,” he said, “dropped everything they stole and really took off.” Police later arrested two suspects. Scaramuzza said his fencing training had prepared him for action. “You have to overcome your own fears,” he said.

A reunion after 30 years

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A pair of siblings have been reunited after 30 years apart, having discovered that they both serve in the U.S. Navy in the same state. Cindy Murray, a Navy commander stationed in San Diego, lost touch with her brother Robert Williamson in the 1970s after her parents divorced and she moved in with her mother. Unable to find Williamson on the Internet, she finally tracked down her father, who told her his son also served in the Navy. Murray quickly traced her brother to a base in Lemoore, Calif. “One little phone call ended 30 years of no contact,” said Williamson. “Amazing.”

Retracing the Underground Railroad

An endurance cyclist from Miami has completed a 2,200-mile journey retracing the route of the Underground Railroad, despite having his bike stolen along the way. Erick Cedeño decided to make the journey in homage to his ancestors, fugitive slaves who traveled the famous route to seek freedom. But his dream was almost dashed: After riding 10 hours a day for several weeks, his bicycle was stolen just a few miles from his destination, Niagara Falls. A local family lent him another bike so he could complete what he called his “homage to freedom-seekers.”