Ray and Carol Steiner found Ringo, a red tabby Manx, living in a shed when he was 10 days old. Despite already having three cats, the couple decided to open their hearts to the friendly feline — a decision that would one day save their lives. Ringo the Tabby Saves His Family A NOSE FOR TROUBLE
Years after adopting Ringo, Ray and Carol began to oversleep and experience high blood pressure, dizziness, and headaches. The couple attributed these troubling symptoms to their recent health problems — Ray had just undergone heart surgery, and Carol was recovering from a car accident with her leg in a cast. But Ringo realized something was amiss. One blistering day in August, the usually mellow cat caused a ruckus. He meowed loudly and banged his body against the front door. Carol let him dart outside, but the moment she closed the door, Ringo began to aggressively meow again. This
was unusual behavior, and Carol realized Ringo wanted her to follow him. The red tabby brought Carol around to the side of the house, where large bushes hid the air conditioner and gas and water meters. Ringo started to dig in the jagged lava-rock landscaping, cutting his paws on the sharp stones. When Carol leaned over to get a better look, she was nearly overwhelmed by the smell of natural gas. The gas company discovered an old steel coupler had broken open, leaking dangerous levels of gas into the Steiners’ house. A single spark outdoors could have set off an explosion that would have
consumed six other houses, potentially killing 22 people. Ray and Carol’s doctor told them that even if they avoided an explosion, they would have died from methane poisoning if they’d been exposed much longer. The gas meter did not register the leak, but Ringo did. Once they aired out their home, the Steiners’ health improved immensely. Because of his dedication to his family, Ringo became the 11th cat in history to be awarded the American Humane Association’s national William O. Stillman Award for bravery.
THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH DAY
When you think of holidays in June, Juneteenth Day probably doesn’t come to mind. Though it originated over 150 years ago, this little-known day of observance is just beginning to gain traction in many U.S. states. In May 2016, Maryland became the 45th state to recognize Juneteenth as a sanctioned celebration — only 10 years after its first legislation was presented. It’s so new that the most recent iPhone update added it this year; just open an iOS calendar and navigate to June 19. So what is this holiday about? The Emancipation Proclamation ordered that all slaves be freed as of Jan. 1, 1863. However, this didn’t apply to slaves everywhere in the U.S. Because Texas was not a battleground of the Civil War, there was not a significant presence of Union troops, so the Emancipation Proclamation was not widely enforced there.
oppression, the federal government finally decided to step in. In June, Union Army General Gordon Granger marched to Texas with 2,000 federal troops and declared, “All slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property.” Former slaves took to the streets to rejoice, and Juneteenth was born. But what started off as a consistent day of celebration in Texas slowly began to fade into obscurity. From 1890 to 1908, the hope of the day started to die out as Jim Crow laws and other political movements gained traction in Texas legislature. It wasn’t until the civil rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s that Juneteenth began to be revitalized. An event during this time known as the “Second Great Migration” caused many African Americans to leave Texas and find new homes all over the country. When they moved, the history of Juneteenth went with them. During the hopeful era of civil rights, many African Americans began to take renewed pride in the freedom Juneteenth represented. And now, with its celebrators in states across the country, Juneteenth has spawned into a national celebration.
Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865, but the news did not reach Texas until later the next month. With the slaves of Texas given no choice but to flee to now- free states or continue living under
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