Dancing police, Battlefield survivors

last updated 8 January 2015

Twenty policemen in Timisoara, Romania, are taking dance classes from two former members of their city’s ballet company to help them direct traffic more effectively. The idea is to make the cops’ signals clearer and to help them catch the attention of drivers. “Why shouldn’t policemen be pleasant and well guided when they pull drivers over?” asked Sorin Baltica, one of the instructors. “Instead of having robots guiding the traffic, we can have very graceful agents doing the same thing.”

On patrol in Iraq last fall, Marine Maj. Brian Dennis came across a friendly stray dog that bore the wounds of war. The German shepherd/collie mix had lost both ears, been badly bitten, and even had stab wounds. Dennis decided to take the dog in, naming him Nubs. When Dennis’ unit was ordered back to its command post 70 miles away, though, he had to leave the dog behind. But two days later, Nubs showed up at the base, tail wagging. Realizing he was meant to be Nubs’ master, Dennis raised $3,500 to send the dog to the U.S. Nubs arrived last week in San Diego, where Dennis’ old comrade Capt. Eric Sjoberg will care for him until Dennis’ scheduled return in March.

Born with the genetic disease juvenile nephronophthisis, which destroys the kidneys, 8-year-old Sarah Dickman of Atlanta was desperate. Without a new kidney, there was a good chance she wouldn’t live much longer. Her family posted fliers requesting that a compatible donor come forward. Soon enough, someone did: Laura Bolan, 34, who saw a flier at the school that Sarah and two of Bolan’s own children attend. Last week, both Sarah and Bolan underwent surgery, and both are doing fine. “We definitely need more people like Laura in the world,” said Sarah’s mother.