Cares Krewe's gas giveaway delights local community members
More Cares Krewe community surprises
Alex Meachum is back at it again with the Cares Krewe, performing random acts of kindness to unsuspecting community members.
Alex Meachum went to a local Walmart and offered to pay for people's gas. Upon doing so, she met Rick, a former US Marine. When asked if purchasing his gas brightened his day, he responded, 'Oh, it brightened my day a whole lot.'
Alex then got a chance to surprise a lovely lady by purchasing her gas as well, and she said, 'I'm still in shock over that. It wasn't something I was expecting.'
Cares Krewe's kind act brings joy to a deserving recipient
The Cares Krewe looks for deserving recipients each week! You can nominate someone to receive a surprise today. Just click here to submit your nomination or to give us an idea of an organization deserving of a surprise.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- Newsweek
Homeowner's Solution to Neighbor's Dog Using Their Lawn as Toilet Applauded
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. What started as a polite request turned into a neighborhood "smear campaign" that left one pet owner rethinking his habits—and his landscaping. A Reddit user who goes by the name VryCuteAjaBharDuChut shared how their neighbor's dog, a large golden retriever named Duke, repeatedly defecated in the center of their front lawn. Causing a Stink After asking the dog's owner, Rick, to address the issue, the original poster (OP) was met with indifference. "It's all nature, bro. You don't own the Earth," Rick apparently replied, wearing a tank top that read "Weekend Warrior" and holding a Coors Light at 10 a.m., according to the post. Unwilling to let it continue, the homeowner escalated matters creatively. They collected two weeks' worth of Duke's waste in a bucket and redecorated the perimeter of Rick's backyard with it, especially around his fire pit. "Smells like nature, bro," the OP said when Rick noticed the stench. Stock image: Person picking up dog waste in a grass field, while a dog looks on. Stock image: Person picking up dog waste in a grass field, while a dog looks on. iStock / Getty Images Plus The campaign didn't stop there. The homeowner began posting "Lost Dog Poop" updates in the local Facebook group and planted tiny handmade signs with glitter and googly eyes that read, "Dear Duke the Pooper/This is not your golden throne/My grass feels betrayed." Rick confronted the OP, accusing them of trying to embarrass him. "Buddy, I don't need to try," the homeowner replied. As more neighbors chimed in with similar complaints, Rick eventually built a fenced dog run and began walking Duke on a leash. Dog waste disputes are more than just a neighborhood nuisance. According to DoodyCalls, "dealing with a neighbor's dog that poops in your yard can be unpleasant and quite irritating," and they suggest direct communication as the first step. The service also recommends motion-activated sprinklers and natural repellents to deter unwanted visits, though the homeowner in the Reddit post noted that Rick laughed at the sprinkler, claiming "Duke's built different." Countermeasures Another guide from Reolink outlines legal and community-based methods to handle such issues, including installing cameras for evidence, placing warning signs and contacting local animal control. While the Reddit poster's approach might not be in any handbook, the result aligned with what Reolink advocates: evidence-backed neighbor accountability. Responses to the Reddit thread included similar stories and support. As one user wrote, "I had a neighbor that did this. "After repeatedly asking them politely to keep their dog out of my yard I started picking up the poop, putting it in a bag and leaving it in their driveway... I finally started throwing it from my shovel all over their front yard." Another supporter added, "I've always hated folks leaving their dog poop without cleaning 'em. Now that I'm a dog owner, I hate it even more." The Smell of Victory The OP now makes poop-themed haiku signs as a hobby: "Victory smells like fresh-cut grass and not dog crap," they wrote. "I have some dehydrated dog poop remnants from Duke's mischief," VryCuteAjaBharDuChut told Newsweek in reply to an invitation to comment via Reddit. "As [the] story went viral, those should go up in value. I'd sell those samples to anyone who wanna acquire it for $1,000." Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek. To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
Chicago Tribune
03-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Fox Valley Marines growing a proud legacy
When the Fox Valley Marines walk by you and your family and friends at Friday's Fourth of July parade in downtown Aurora, make sure to give them a special shout-out. The U.S. Marine Corps is celebrating its 250th birthday this year – reason enough to show your appreciation. However, this local Detachment 1233 of the Marine Corps League, which covers Kane and Kendall counties but extends outreach beyond those borders, deserves a special round of home-grown applause. That's especially true because about a decade ago, the detachment had lost so many members – through death or relocation – it nearly shut down. In fact, Ted Clinnin, who was senior vice commandant of the group at the time, notified Marine Corps League headquarters in Washington, D.C., about the dilemma. But when he learned all remaining funds of a shuttered detachment must go to the national organization rather than stay local, those surviving members became determined to not only stay afloat but find ways to grow. Chalk it up to a Marine's 'gung-ho attitude,' noted Clinnin, proudly noting the Fox Valley roster has gone from seven to nearly 60 since 2015, with about half those members showing up regularly at each monthly meeting at the Oswego American Legion Post. And yes, its reach is also growing. For example, the group is one of a handful of the Illinois region's 40 detachments that have formed a partnership with Scouting. According to Clinnin, in one year alone, members have presented 44 Eagle Scouts – from Hampshire to St. Charles to Aurora to Naperville to Sandwich – with its Good Citizenship Award, along with the coveted Marine's Ka-Bar combat knife that stands on a wooden eagle, hand-carved by one of its members as a way of dealing with PTSD. 'The kids love seeing us there and we have a good time,' said past Commandant Tom Bulin, who told me he's done about 215 of these presentations over the years. The local Fox Valley Marines also team up with Scouts to do service projects for veterans. Most recently, Montgomery Troop 12 put in a full day doing yard work Saturday at the Batavia home of Marine veteran Kyle Moser, who lost both his legs above the knee in 2011 during a combat mission in Afghanistan. You may remember from a previous column that Moser was having issues after a property reassessment upped the tax bill on his specially-adapted home – a gift from Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors – that disqualified him from a state tax exemption for disabled veterans. Multiple veterans groups rallied behind Moser's situation, including the Fox Valley Marines and member state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, who convinced the Batavia Township Assessor's Office to take another look at the numbers. And earlier this week a 'certificate of error' was issued, which means Moser will receive a 100% refund on the $7,000 he paid in property taxes this year, and that going forward the value of his home will not exceed the exemption cap. Helping veterans is a huge part of what this local detachment does. Members offer educational scholarships for Marine families, provide honor guards as well as 'casket watches' at funerals, and help support the Fox Valley Young Marines of Elgin, as well as the award-winning Marine Corps JROTC program at Romeoville High School. In addition, members contribute to local food pantries in Aurora, Naperville and Sugar Grove, and for a number of years the group has held its own drive-through food distribution at Phillips Park in Aurora. A huge chunk of funding comes through its Fox Valley Marine Corps League Golf Classic, an annual event that on Aug. 13 will bring 144 golfers together at Bliss Creek in Sugar Grove. 'They are amazing. It is the best outing you can go to,' insisted Shari Frieders, executive director of Between Friends Food Pantry in Sugar Grove. 'We show up with a tent, have a great time. And they make a generous donation at the end.' 'Our goal is to help,' said Clinnin, who was a college student in 1967 when he decided that rather than be drafted, he was better off enlisting in the Marines where 'they would teach me the best way to survive' and return home. 'We have a great group,' he added, pointing out that the men and women who are members of the Fox Valley Marines range in age from the mid-20s into the 80s, and includes professors, police officers, business executives, truck drivers and other professionals who can offer a wide variety of ideas and opinions. And fortunately, new blood is replacing those who die or move out of the area. Troop 12 Assistant Scout leader and Senior Vice Commandant Andrew Kajtsa, who joined the Fox Valley Marines last year 'after a pamphlet was left on my car,' told me the group is committed to getting more exposure and stepping up recruitment, particularly for the younger generation of veterans who will carry this proud legacy forward. 'Supporting local veterans means standing with those who stood with us,' noted Nelson Santos, founder and CEO of Scientel Solutions LLC, which contributes a significant dollar amount to these veterans from its own annual golf fundraiser. 'Organizations like the Fox Valley Marines exemplify this commitment, making a real, lasting impact in the lives of veterans right here in our community,' he continued. 'Their dedication reminds us that honoring service begins at home.' It all comes down to helping veterans and the community, insist longtime Fox Valley Marines members Clinnin and Bulin, who look forward to seeing you at the Independence Day Parade in Aurora on Friday morning. Show them (and all veterans, for that matter) your appreciation, not just for what they've done but for what they continue to do.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Retirement Memoir: Help is on the Way
This is Chapter 3 in our Mighty MilSpouse Retirement Memoir, a monthly series written in real-time by military spouse Lindsay Swoboda. Read Chapter 1: Now What, and Chapter 2: Don't Stay for the Comfort. When we were stationed in Hawaii, we lived in a small Ohana house behind a local family. And by family, I mean they became our island grandparents. An adorable couple in their seventies who carried plates of sweet pork up our house steps when their kids came over for a BBQ, made a quilt for our newborn daughter, and welcomed all our island visitors with a warm wave and smile. As I start to reminisce about our journey in military life, I can't help but notice the common threads that bind us. We have always had support from others woven throughout our story. We were surrounded by our military family on the island, too, which was a balm to my weary military spouse's heart when Ryan deployed two times. I remember standing in our small house, the palm trees swaying outside, and stroking my enormous pregnant belly. I stared up at the Christmas decorations, far out of my reach, that were stashed in the annex space of our bedroom. I bemoaned to my friend Miranda later in the week that it would be so lovely to get them down, but I dared not climb the shaky ladder necessary for their retrieval. With a health factor that made my pregnancy high-risk, I was warned from carrying heavy weight (and I'm sure, but proxy, climbing high ladders). By that evening, her husband, a fellow Marine in my husband's battalion, showed up at my door. 'I hear you need your Christmas decorations,' he said, and asked me where the ladder was and where to go. It took him less than fifteen minutes to accomplish the task. I was stringing lights and pulling out ornaments, full of contented joy, all evening. When Ryan came back from deployment, he came home to the extra comfort of the Christmas season. There are perhaps hundreds of these instances across our family's time in the military—gifts of time and help, with no need for payback. I have watched someone's child for a week because she needed to get home for an unexpected funeral. This trusting mama had never even seen me before. I'll never forget finally meeting her when she returned, and the hug we exchanged. I had been able to take care of her most precious someone, and her service member was able to remain on mission. I told her it was my honor. I know she would have done the same for me. Is this rare? The community exchange of caring for one another? During our time in the greater military family, there has been a general understanding that we show up and we take care of one another. We haven't been able to control world conflict or the rampant grief cycle that is military life. However, we can bring over hot meals, offer a free ride to the airport, and provide spontaneous babysitting. We can sit with one another in the painful moments, and also have evenings where tears of laughter stream down our faces. These seemingly small efforts have a significant ripple effect. Hope is renewed in the everyday actions we have taken to pull one another along. I should have known the same would be true as we approach the end of active-duty life. Help has been abundant. The help swung into full effect as I made my way to the Military Influencer Conference in Atlanta in September 2024. It was here that I met countless new contacts, all asking similar questions, 'What do you need? How can I help? Tell me your story.' I discovered numerous connections between all of us, and the courage to share that my first book was going to be released in May 2025. One night in the lounge over a late-night dinner, my long-time friend Amanda Huffman encouraged me to read a snippet of the book aloud to the group. With a shaky voice and sweaty palms, I read my favorite part. The reading was met with warm applause and kind boosts of confidence. I also interviewed for a new work opportunity at the conference. I felt that military spouse and veteran-owned companies often want to hire from within 'the family' of existing service and military family members. On another evening, I met the firecracker team of the MilSpouse Transition Program, Anna Larson and Selena Conmackie. It was a friend-at-first-sight kind of meeting. They connected me with the in-person program offering they were holding at a base near me in the fall. I made the trip and received valuable information during the day session. It was comforting to know I wasn't alone in all the questions and concerns I had about Ryan retiring. This journey wasn't just for him. Just as military life had involved all of us moving and weathering uncertainty, getting to the finish line of his time in was going to take all of us, too. The transition program provided us with an incredible workbook of questions to work through as a couple. Ryan and I scheduled a trip to see my parents, and they graciously watched our little ones as we set off on the hiking trails of Arkansas with our workbook. On a high mountain peak, we broke to rest and pulled out the workbook, batted around ideas, unpacked complex topics, and allowed ourselves to talk it out. Help wasn't just on the way, it was here. The conference, the connections made, and the furthering of my education and awareness for what we needed to discuss became healthy catalysts to help us enter retirement season. The help hasn't made our subsequent decisions any easier, but it has brought clarity. Where we were once surrounded by a community that would stand up to defend and fight together, I find that we are now surrounded by those who have gone before, and they want us to succeed. Lately, that has looked like quieter conversations with veterans for my husband. Help looks like asking our extended family for some extra support with the kids, so that we can get a dose of respite. It also looks like forging deeper connections where we now live, as we are starting to think it's the place we intend to stay. We recognize that we don't want to leave the military community completely. We need to be near those who have walked this journey, too. It makes all the difference to have help, and to know that we're not alone. We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter. Transition Memoir: Leaning in Infertility Memoir: An uncertain future Cancer Memoir: Not done just yet
