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In Age of Bullying, Special Needs Student Elected Prom King

Scott Shaver and Katie Buell were crowned prom king and queen last week at Westview High School. Katie is an all-American girl, class president, champion in girls basketball, and an absolute sweetheart, according to her teachers. Yet, it seems every student, no matter their ability, is accepted here and treasured. Scotty, as the kids call him, is a HUGE personality at the school, brought out of his shell over four years by the nurturing attention given, not only by specialized staff who have tutored him as a special needs student with autism, but by the accepting student body.

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Global Software Firm Hiring More People With Autism

Software giant SAP yesterday announced a new employment push to hire more people with autism after a successful pilot program showed increases in office productivity and cohesiveness. "Only by employing people who think differently will SAP be prepared to handle the challenges of the 21st century," said a company official.

Amazing 3-D Light Festival Creates Illusions on Sydney Landmarks

Australia's Festival of Lights is transforming Sydney's famous landmarks using wild imagination and cutting edge 3-D projectors beaming images from a distance. The evening lit sails of the iconic Opera House overlooking the harbor suddenly appeared to break out in cracks and holes, with a giant woman tip-toeing across the surface.

'Greatest' American Hockey Player Calls it a Career

The highest-scoring American-born player in National Hockey League history officially bid adieu to the game on Friday. In a tearful speech, Mike Modano announced his retirement having scored 1,374 points, as the all-time goal-scoring and points leader of all American-born players.

Major League Baseball Player Thrills Child in the Stands who has Autism

Last week, Kansas City Royals baseball player Jeff Francoeur took time out from batting practice to say hello to an excited young fan -- a child with autism. According to a heartwarming thank-you note from the child's mother, Francouer signed the 7-year-old boy's hat, chatted with him, and posed for a picture. This isn't the first time that he has won admiration from fans for his quirky good deeds.

Runner Without a Country to Compete at Olympics

A fearful refugee, Guor Marial ran for his life to escape a Sudanese child labour camp. Now he will get to run at the Olympics after winning an appeal to the International Olympic Committee. The 28-year-old marathoner was cleared by the IOC to compete at the London Games under the Olympic flag.

Olympic Runner Rises Out of Poverty

World champion Lolo Jones will be making news this weekend, showing off her speed and fighting spirit as she makes her third attempt to qualify for Team USA with the ultimate goal of winning gold at the 2012 London Games to make her mom proud of the champion she created. I always wanted to use track as a way to get out of poverty, she says.

12-Year-old Boys Save Drowning Fisherman in New Zealand

It was hope in the form of a 12-year-old boy that saved Vincent Shao from sinking beneath the waves and drowning at Waihi Beach on Saturday. I thought I was going to die, the 32-year-old Auckland resident said after he lost his footing in waist-deep water while checking crab pots, and succumbed to a rip current.

Tiny Gulf Coast School Beats Powerhouse Georgetown in a Cinderella Story to Top All Others

Harvard pulled off a huge upset to start college basketball's March Madness, but all eyes have turned southward to a little school with a lot of confidence: No. 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast is in the midst of what could be the greatest Cinderella story in NCAA tournament history. In just their second year of postseason eligibility, the FGCU Eagles are headed to the Sweet Sixteen, having defeated No. 2-seed Georgetown and No. 7-seed San Diego.

SF Giants Pitcher Returns $500,000 After Noticing Mistake in Contract

Jeremy Affeldt makes $6 million a year pitching for the San Francisco Giants, but he gave a half-million back after a clerical error was discovered, despite already receiving the money back in 2010. Affeldt got three opinions saying the contract was ironclad and he could keep the extra $500,000, but realized he couldn't keep it and still sleep well knowing it was wrong.

In Money-tight Britain, Artists Decorate the Streets

Since 2009 street artist Christiaan Nagel has placed over a hundred giant mushrooms on derelict rooftops around the London's East End to be enjoyed and photographed by passers-by. Unauthorized art in public places is booming in austerity Britain, as public funding dries up

Most Valuable Find Ever for Antiques Roadshow in Oklahoma

Chinese rhinoceros horn cups brought to the Antiques Roadshow on Saturday in Tulsa became the highest-value appraisal ever made by the PBS television show in its 16 year history. The unidentified man, who started collecting the carved cups inexpensively and had no idea of their worth, was told they were valued at 1-1.5 million dollars.

EU Adopts Historic Policy to Protect Marine Fisheries

In an outcome hailed by environmentalists, European Union lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to overhaul the region's troubled fisheries policy to end decades of overfishing. The European Parliament voted 502-to-137 to impose sustainable quotas by 2015 and end the wasteful practice of discarding unwanted fish at sea.

Microchips to Protect Rhino Horns in Kenya

Efforts to conserve Kenya's dwindling population of rhinos is set to get a significant boost when WWF-Kenya hands over 1,000 microchips and 5 scanners to the Kenya Wildlife Service today. The equipment valued at over KES 1.3 million will be instrumental in strengthening active rhino monitoring. Vital to outsmarting the poachers who are getting more sophisticated in their approach, the deployment of specialized rhino horn tracking systems will allow for 100% traceability of every rhino horn and live animal within Kenya