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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Saluting Veterans and Securing Legacies
Your Holiday Reading List: Expert Financial Advice for Every Generation
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Crunchy Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Guard Squirrel on Duty: The Rodent Who Sent a Burglar Running
A $14,000 Christmas Miracle
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A $14,000 Christmas Miracle
in gratitude when Eaton announced he had one more surprise left. He then handed Carl a cashier’s check worth $10,000 to spend however he wanted. “Thank you so much,” Carl replied emotionally before trailing off, “You don’t know …” It’s unclear how East Idaho News and their Secret Santa chose Carl as the subject of this generosity, but the selection was no accident. Carl had lost a leg above the knee 37 years prior but still worked four days a week at age 72, sometimes clocking 14-hour days. He’d also suffered more recent setbacks; his wife died from a brain aneurysm in 2010. Meanwhile, he had three COVID-19 infections in less than three years. Despite worsening health and pain caused by his amputated lower leg, Carl continued to begin work at 2 a.m. while also making time to attend his grandchildren’s sports games.
When truck driver Carl opened his trailer door to a news crew in 2022, he did not appear to be in the mood for company. The 72-year-old East Idaho resident initially seemed standoffish and skeptical of the unexpected correspondent and his camera, asking several questions about why they were visiting him. But when reporter Nate Eaton handed Carl an early Christmas gift from “an anonymous person,” he warily relented and invited the crew inside. When he opened the gift box, Carl found a stack of gift cards inside. He appeared surprised and puzzled, so Eaton explained that four gift cards were worth $500 each for gas for his truck. Another $2,000 was included on four additional cards from a local supermarket so he could purchase groceries. In shock, Carl responded, “Holy crap!”
Carl explained the gift meant he could finally retire.
He repeatedly requested the identity of his Secret Santa, but East Idaho News refused to say. So, Carl instead thanked his anonymous gift-giver through the camera. His hard exterior melted away, leaving only gratitude and awe behind. In his last words in the broadcast, Carl promised to “pay it forward” by finding a way to help someone else.
He began to tear up at the unexpected generosity and shook the reporter’s hand
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