An unexpected boomerang, Working cats
Boomerangs return, but not always as a result of being thrown. The town of Mount Isa, Australia, recently received a boomerang that had been mailed by an American who said he had stolen it from a local arts museum in 1983. “I was young
Boomerangs return, but not always as a result of being thrown. The town of Mount Isa, Australia, recently received a boomerang that had been mailed by an American who said he had stolen it from a local arts museum in 1983. “I was younger and dumber,” wrote the thief, who also enclosed a check. “It was the wrong thing to do, I’m sorry.” Although the culprit included his full name and address, Mayor Ron McCullough would identify him only as “Peter” from Vermont. “I think putting his name on it was part of his purifying effort,” he said.
Feral cats’ lives on the street are usually nasty, brutish, and short. And when municipal animal shelters catch them, they are almost always destroyed. But the Working Cats program of Voice for the Animals, an advocacy and rescue group, has found a way to save some of them. The program has given a half-dozen of the cats to the Los Angeles Police Department to help it deal with rat and mouse infestations at some of its facilities. The cats don’t usually kill the rodents; rather, once they get a whiff of the pungent predators, they generally run. “Once we got the cats, problem solved,” said Cmdr. Kirk Albanese. “I think it’s a very humane way to deal with a very stubborn problem.”
Brian and Ross DeVol of Bellevue, Neb., are not only identical twins, they’re shaping up to be identical scholars. Both have maintained straight-A averages throughout high school, and both are in the running to be class valedictorian. Now the 18-year-old brothers have another shared academic credential: Both have scored a perfect 36 on the standardized ACT college admissions test—a landmark achieved by only about one of every 4,000 students who takes the exam. “We’re pretty competitive,” said Ross.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Palazzo Durazzo Suites in Genoa: a palatial gem in northern Italy
The Week Recommends Live your Italian dream in this astonishing and recently restored palace in the heart of the city
By Nick Hendry Published