Veterans help Iraqi restaurant owners, and more

Veterans help Iraqi restaurant owners

Veterans staged an “eat-in” at an Iraqi restaurant in Lowell, Mass., to show support for its immigrant owners after their place was vandalized. Around 50 veterans of WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq ate at the restaurant one evening last week in solidarity with the Al-Zubaydi family, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2010. Vietnam vet Patrick Scanlon coordinated the response to let the family know they were welcome in the community. “There is no more fear in my heart because there are such nice people behind us,” said owner Leyla Al-Zubaydi.

87-year-old grandmother wins fantasy football championship

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An 87-year-old grandmother from Northfield, Minn., last week became the oldest woman on record to win a fantasy football league championship. After 25 years of playing with family, friends, and, more recently, online competitors, Pat Hanzlik came out on top of her 12-team league this year, beating her own son, Kevin, in the final game to secure victory. “She did her homework,” said Kevin. “She’ll be modest, but she knows what she’s doing.” Hanzlik said her victory had confused her fellow residents at the Northfield Retirement Community home. “About 95 percent of them don’t know what fantasy football is,” she said.

Cellphone game saves a man's life

An American couple has saved a man’s life in Australia with the help of a cellphone game. Beth Legler, of Blue Springs, Mo., met Simon and Georgie Fletcher of Queensland, Australia, through the popular game Words With Friends. When Simon fell ill, Georgie described his symptoms to Beth over the game’s chat function. Beth told her husband Larry, a doctor, who urged Simon to go to the hospital immediately. It turned out Simon had serious heart disease and was hours away from death. “It was almost like I was meant to pick Beth as a random opponent,” said Georgie. “She saved me from being a widow.”