ACROSS AMERICA – Mondays are sometimes not easy. In fact, a recent Monday was particularly difficult for Jimmy, 6, of Port Monmouth, New Jersey.

Jimmy, who is autistic, did not want to get on the school bus.

It was rush hour on a busy road. The bus was stopped, the lights flashing, and a long line of cars had started to form on either side. Some cars had started honking. Jimmy’s mother, Theresa, didn’t know what to do.

It wasn’t until a local policeman arrived that things started to improve. With a single punch from the officer, Jimmy was on his way to school.

Now Jimmy’s mom is desperate to find this officer and make sure he gets the thanks and recognition he deserves. She called him “the angel of her family”.

“It was amazing. I am so filled with gratitude right now,” she said. “There are some good people out there and I was lucky enough to meet one this morning.” By Carly Baldwin For Middletown, New Jersey, Patch

Heroic UPS Driver Honored

Bridgewater, New Jersey, was among several communities that suffered deaths in the dangerous flooding caused by Hurricane Ida on the east coast. Even more people could have lost their lives without the heroism of UPS driver Nick Dirla, who was honored by Bridgewater Council this week. Dirla is credited with saving eight people when he took them in his truck when floodwaters flooded Highway 22. By Alexis Tarrazi For Bridgewater, New Jersey, Patch

---

A “cheesy” start

Years after meeting at the School of Rock in Doylestown, Pa., Three teens rose to prominence as the stars of a new music video for 7-Eleven. After writing a song called “7-Eleven Nachos,” the convenience store chain heard the song and turned it into a music video. “It’s a typical nacho clip,” the company said in a press release. “On the one hand, it’s cheesy – really cheesy. Like 200 pounds of decadent cheesy nacho cheese.” By Jason Addy For Doylestown, PA, Patch

---

Hera the Husky seeks a home forever

Hera the husky has undergone a physical and emotional transformation since the Arizona Humane Society rescued her in early July. Hera was underweight and covered in burns when an emergency animal medics technician from the Humanitarian Society found her. Thanks to a special team of humans, almost all of Hera’s fur has grown back and she is ready to find a home forever. By Caitlin Sievers For Phoenix, Arizona, Patch

---

The oldest ranger turns 100

Betty Reid Soskin turned 100 this week, but the California resident is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. She was celebrated this week by the US National Park Service, where she works at Rosie the Riveter / World War II Home Front National Historical Park. Soskin was 84 when she started with the agency, telling untold stories of black Americans on the home front during World War II. Today, she is the oldest ranger in the park. By Michelle Rotuno-Johnson For El Cerrito, California, Patch

---

Storytime “On Fire”

When Michael Cassidy is not fighting the fires, he can be caught on camera filming “Story Time with Chief Cassidy,” a publicly accessible children’s show that has been airing in Holliston, Massachusetts, since the start of the pandemic. . This week, Cassidy had the chance to share her on-screen talents with a wider audience when she took “Story Time” to the Fire & Life Safety Education conference. By Christine Charnosky for Holliston, Massachusetts, Patch

---

A pipeline of fraternity

Even the coronavirus pandemic can’t stop a decorated Newark nonprofit from helping girls “live, love and laugh” in Brick City. It’s been 12 years since Allison James-Frison founded Girls: Live, Love, Laugh Inc., a non-profit organization that mentors young women living on limited resources. Eighteen months after the start of the pandemic, the organization is still going strong. By Eric Kiefer For Newark, New Jersey, Patch

---

Gone but not forgotten

Melanie Demi, who owns a popular dog blog in Austin, Texas, is raising funds to commemorate 75 dogs that were killed in a recent fire at a pet resort. His hope is to order animal portraits for each lost animal. “When I first read the title on Sunday, it really touched me,” Demi told Patch on Tuesday. “It was one of those things where the situation was absolutely devastating, and a pet owner’s worst nightmare. I wanted to do something that brought some joy to the lives of these families.” By Meagan Falcon For Austin, Texas, Patch

---

A new set of wheels

The determination and leadership that Sean Lattimore put forward to graduate from the YouthBuild apprenticeship program in Atlanta is paying off in unexpected ways. Recently, his hard work also won him a one-of-a-kind scholarship – a car from used car dealership Carvana. “It’s a blessing,” Lattimore said of the car. “I just thank God for the instructors and YouthBuild and my parents for bringing me here so that I can just prepare to go to work and come home safely.” By Marcus Garner For Atlanta Patch