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Joy

Newlywed couple gets their wedding ring back after it was found by a Lego man with metal detector

Yep, you read that right.

lost wedding ring, Jersey, metal detector, lego man
Photo by Carlos Esteves on Unsplash. Photo by Austris Augusts on Unsplash.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some go around with a metal detector

Imagine: You’re on your honeymoon with your beloved. You celebrate newlywed bliss with a beach day, nothing but listening to the ocean waves while feeling the sand in-between your toes. Euphoria quickly turns to dread, however, as you discover you’ve lost the very important trinket meant to symbolize your undying love—the wedding ring!

Chaos ensues, then resignation. But suddenly, out of nowhere, you receive a message that your ring has been found and recovered by a friendly … Lego man? Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

Strange as it sounds, this was a very real situation. The Independent reported that Richard Whetter, 44, and his new bride Anne, 42, had been strolling along Portelet Bay in Jersey, Channel Islands, during their honeymoon when Richard realized his wedding ring had gone missing. Not quite used to wearing it yet, Richard had taken the ring off to go swimming, then forgot to put it back on. “My heart sank,” he lamented. For all they knew, the ring was probably long gone, likely picked up and pawned by one the area’s famous Jersey cows.

wedding ring found by lego man metal detectorThis adorable face is up to no good.Giphy

The worried couple alerted the porter at their hotel, who thankfully knew exactly who to contact for such a crisis.


Luckily for the Whetters, Jersey is home to Steve Andrews, a local metal detectorist who is extremely good at what he does. Andrews’ Instagram is full of recovered relics—everything from old coins to vintage WW2 explosive shells.

Turning his passion into service, Andrews regularly offers his metal detecting skills at no charge to those who need help. For each find, he takes a picture of the recovered item next to a Lego replica of himself, metal detector and all. Cause why not?

“I got it as a jokey present from my sister, and it just stuck,” Andrews said, according to Good News Network. “The Lego man is just a nice thing to send to people – I find their item and take a photo as a sort of ‘I’ve found it!’ It certainly does make good news feel even cheerier."

Andrews found the Whetter’s ring after only about 10 minutes, one of his “quickest searches ever completed,” and now Richard and Anne have not only some welcome relief, but an adorable little memento.

Metal detecting is a bit of an obscure hobby, but one with evident benefits (not just counting the potential payoff of certain finds). In addition to getting outdoor exercise, there’s also quite a bit of mental stimulation that goes into the pastime. Metaldetector.com boasts that a hobbyist will learn about geology, biology, electronics and even meteorology as they perfect their treasure-hunting skills. Not to mention the built-in history lessons one could acquire, or the fact that each successful haul can help clean up the environment.

Plus, as this story has shown us, it can help bring people together in heartwarming ways. Keep doing what you do, Steve Andrews! You and your Lego mini-me are making the world a better place, one epic find at a time.

"I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for."

In HBO’s “The Last of Us,” actress Melanie Lynskey plays Kathleen—a tough, formidable villain and ruthless leader of a rebel alliance, not to mention apocalypse survivor.

Do these attributes require any particular sort of body type? Common sense screams no. And yet, outdated views dictate that the answer must be yes.

Case in point: former "America's Top Model'' winner Adrianne Curry recently criticized the legitimacy of Lynskey for the role solely because of her naturally soft body frame, implying that only someone toned and athletic could pull it off.

Referencing a photo of Lynskey in a dress for InStyle Magazine, Curry tweeted, "her body says life of luxury...not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord. where is linda hamilton when you need her?"

Lynskey, who is no stranger to standing up to body critics, had some choice words to say in response.

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Community

Georgia school board refuses the resignation of outed superintendent. Community in full support.

"Cheers erupted among hundreds of students and other community members and colleagues who gathered in support."

Georgia school board refuses the resignation of outed superintendent

It should go without saying that having your private business shared with people you didn't consent to hearing about it can be upsetting. But imagine having it shared publicly, with the entire town after you took on a prominent role. It would be devastating. Except what happened to Dawn Clements, interim superintendent of Ben Hill County Georgia, was even more upsetting. Someone publicly outed her as gay.

Coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community is something that someone does on their own time in the way they feel most comfortable. It can take years for someone to build up the courage to do it, and some people never feel comfortable enough to share that part of themselves with the world. But no matter when or if someone comes out, their existence within and outside of the queer community is still valid.

And while many people respect that the decision to come out is deeply personal, not everyone does and Clements was on the receiving end of hateful behavior. According to LGBTQ Nation, Danny Pate wrote the letter outing Clements as gay and sent it to local pastors before the letter began circulating the community. This led to Clements handing in her resignation.

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Rescue dog saves her blind sister from drowning.

Who's a good dog? That's a question dog owners ask often just because their dogs merely exist. Of course, the answer will always and forever be, "You are!" to whatever dog you're speaking to. But some dogs take their status of good girl or good boy to a whole new dimension, elevating them from just a good dog to the goodest dog.

Yes, I know goodest isn't a word, but dogs don't know that. Dogs don't speak our language and certainly don't understand the rules of grammar, but that doesn't stop them from being the best full-body-wagging companions there are, and it doesn't stop them from claiming their "goodest dog" title.

Today that title goes to Caipirinha, the rescue dog who saved her blind sister after she fell into the pool.

Luna is a 14-year-old blind dog who recently started to become disoriented according to her owner, Dustin. While the family was inside the house, Luna lost her orientation and fell into the pool. If you've never had a blind dog, it may be surprising to know that they can get around pretty well so long as you don't change the layout of your home or backyard set up often.

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Education

Alabama community rallies around author after school district cancels Black History Month event

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There's something special about having a book read to you by the actual author. It means a lot to adults, so one can only imagine how children feel when they find out that the person preparing to read them a story is the person who wrote it. It's a small piece of childhood magic that never really goes away.

That's exactly the treat that several classrooms were primed to get when award-winning children's book author Derrick Barnes was scheduled to read to students at three schools in the Hoover City Schools public school district near Birmingham, Alabama. It's an event that was inquired about back in April 2022, nearly a full year in advance to ensure the author would be available for February. But just days before the start of Black History Month, the superintendent of Hoover City Schools abruptly canceled the scheduled readings.

The cancellation came as a surprise to Barnes, his team, as well as the parents and teachers within Hoover City Schools. The superintendent of the school district, Dee Fowler, cited one parent's concerns about the visits and the author's "controversial ideas." Fowler also stated there were contract issues, according to CNN.

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via Pixabay

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The good news is that they have little reason to be afraid. Only one in 20 million flights result in a passenger’s death. Whereas the average American's lifetime odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 101.

I think that solves the "Should we fly or drive?" debate.

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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

Looking for a reason to smile? Here are 10.

Need a little dose of joy? How about 10?

Welcome to this week's roundup of delights, which includes an inspiring haka, a gorgeous duet between Pink and Kelly Clarkson, the sweetest little pancake maker, the most adorable acorn people you've ever seen and more.

If you're looking for some reasons to smile, we've got you covered. Enjoy!

1. The magical world of "Becorns" taps right into our childlike wonder.


David Bird was a toy designer at LEGO before he started creating the acorn characters he dubs "Becorns." The scenes he creates by setting up Becorns and waiting for wildlife to find them are peak joy. They even have their own names and personalities! See more and learn about how the idea came about here.

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