$100 Raffle Drawing for Chance to Win $1M Dream Home

A million-dollar home complete with high-end appliances, cathedral ceilings and other perks is up for grabs in a $100 raffle ticket drawing.
Proceeds from the raffle for the two-story house, about 40 minutes northwest of Orlando, will go to charity. Sons of Toil, a nonprofit organization, builds high-end homes and sells them for charity.
Organizers hope to raise enough money from the raffle of the home, in Lake County, Fla., to pay for the construction of the house and fund charity programs.
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International Space Station Where The “Speed Limit” Is......

Bird Having A Bad Day

Lost Voicemail of Wife Restored by Phone Company

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — An 80-year-old man who thought he'd lost the only recording of his dead wife's voice can hear her again, any time he wants. When Verizon upgraded Charles Whiting's telephone service, his wife's voice, saying, "Catherine Whiting," disappeared from his voicemail system.
She had died in 2005 and Whiting said he listened to her voice every day for comfort. He blamed Verizon for the loss, saying, "Now they took her voice away."
But Verizon had archived all the old greetings and messages. Company spokesman John Bonomo said Tuesday that a contractor found the recording and restored it to the new voicemail system.
"I'm glad they rescued it," Whiting said. "I'm very happy."

Michigan Girl's Birthday Hope Comes True

SANFORD, Mich. — At her seventh birthday party, Amber Birdsall thought the huge gift box wrapped in pink paper likely hid a pair of bicycles.
She was wrong. Inside was something she wanted even more _ her stepfather, a soldier who had been deployed overseas.
"This is way better than bikes," Amber said.
The surprise began a few weeks ago when Amber told her inquiring mother that all she wanted for her birthday was to have her stepfather return home from serving 10 months in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Her mother, Trisha Johnson, 34, relayed Amber's wish to her 39-year-old husband the same day that the girl expressed it. Army Spc. Glenn Johnson immediately started on the paperwork, not expecting his request for a leave to be granted because he is scheduled to come home for good in June.
Much to their surprise, his request for more than a week of leave was granted.
The soldier's flight arrived in Flint, Mich., early Sunday afternoon and he was whisked away to Northern Lanes Recreation, a bowling alley in Sanford where his stepdaughter's birthday party was taking place.
Northern Lanes employees were in on the ruse and kept him hidden in the bar.
When Amber and her 9-year-old sister, Kathy Birdsall, opened a colorfully wrapped refrigerator box, Glenn Johnson was inside.
In addition to spending a lot of time at home with his family, Glenn Johnson and his wife planned a late celebration of their five-year wedding anniversary, which was on Valentine's Day.
"I told her she needs to get a baby sitter and a new outfit," he said. "I'll take care of the rest."

Meet Sam the agoraphobic dog too scared to go outdoors

Its one word guaranteed to have almost any dog scrambling to the front door in a bundle of excitement. But for Sam the German shepherd cross just the merest mention of "walkies" is enough to have him scurrying in the other direction. The 12-year-old suffers from agoraphobia and is terrified of venturing outdoors. For him, the idea of splashing around in a muddy puddle in the middle of a raid-sodden field is a nightmare. Any attempt to take him out into the great unknown will see him dig his paws into the ground and arch his back in a bid to remain within the safety of his home. Mystery surrounds why Sam has developed a fear of the outside but one theory is that he spent too much time confined in a small area when he was puppy.