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Michigan State Police and local volunteers located a miniature donkey named Dolly Parton after she escaped from a Holly Township farm; Dolly was found and returned home safely.

Erie County Public Library held an open house on planned renovations to the Mead Children's Library, which include themed areas such as a "fiction forest," more technology and reservable study rooms.

No adoptions were reported this week; the Animal Shelter of Martha's Vineyard is featuring Professor Sugar, a three-year-old tabby who enjoys cuddling, and is accepting jewelry donations for its annual Garden Party.

The California Heat Pump Partnership will hold Heat Pump Week April 11–19, 2026, with statewide in-person, virtual and hybrid events tied to The Switch Is On; the effort is described as supporting California’s goal to reach 6 million heat pumps by 2030.

Charity Pierce, who appeared on My 600-lb Life, has died at 50; her daughter announced she passed while surrounded by loved ones. She had been in hospice care for two months and no official cause of death has been released.

La Colombe, through Chobani’s Community Impact Fund, is awarding $100,000 in grants to seven Muskegon County organizations to support food access, school garden programs, pantries and nutrition education; the announcement follows approval of a $479 million expansion at La Colombe’s Norton Shores facility.

The Bloomington Fire Department is working to expand social service offerings while maintaining a focus on fire prevention; Capt. Frank Friend highlighted basic prevention steps such as working smoke alarms and two exits. The department reported recent community work including sheltering displaced residents after a Tracy Drive fire and conducting mass CPR and prevention engagements.

Emmette Bryant, 88, met current Celtics star Jaylen Brown in Chicago, linking two championship eras through the shared No. 7 jersey. Bryant played for Boston from 1968–70 and won the 1969 NBA championship with Bill Russell.

Families of the Challenger crew created the Challenger Center in 1986 to continue the mission of space education, and the nonprofit now operates 32 centers and estimates it has reached more than 7 million students worldwide.

The City of Longview will hold a Tree-Mendous Adoption Meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Maude Cobb Convention Center to introduce a $1,181,667 Texas A&M Forest Service grant that will fund the planting and giveaway of 5,000 trees across the city.

Scientists report nearly 100 new animal species from a small quarry in Hunan, China, including soft-bodied fossils dated about 512 million years that lived after the Sinsk mass extinction.

An American Heart Association report says overall cardiovascular deaths in the U.S. returned toward pre‑COVID levels in 2023, while stroke death rates among 25‑ to 34‑year‑olds have continued to rise.

On Season 3 of Shrinking, Harrison Ford plays a character with Parkinson's and Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's in real life, said Ford's performance moved him to tears; the season premieres Jan. 28.

An Australian program that offered self-collected cervical samples to all eligible women raised uptake of HPV screening, especially in underserved groups, and found similar detection of high-grade lesions and cancer compared with clinician-collected samples.

Varonis CEO Yaki Faitelson shares leadership lessons for tech founders, highlighting a risk framework that weighs upside versus downside, the importance of hiring adaptable talent, and preparing to act when luck appears.

OZ Lifting donated a German shorthair pointer named Ozzy to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department, and the dog will receive training in drug detection and search-and-rescue.

CMS proposed rules to strengthen oversight of organ procurement organizations and to encourage greater use of medically complex donated organs, after a recent drop in deceased donations and amid a long-running transplant system overhaul.

A Northwestern Medicine analysis of CARDIA data found that men’s risk of heart disease begins to rise around age 35, and researchers say earlier screening could identify risk factors sooner.

Trey Yesavage spoke to students at Toronto Metropolitan University to launch Rogers' new Screen Break national school program promoting healthy screen use and active living.

Police say Joseph D. Johnson has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder after a Joliet mother and her 4-year-old son were found dead; Johnson remains in hospital custody and will be taken to the Will County jail once released.

Chappell Roan received the Harmonizer Award at the 2026 Resonator Awards and used her acceptance speech to emphasize community, kindness and giving. She referenced listening to trans people and earlier fundraising work with the nonprofit Backline.

Yale announced that new undergraduates from families earning under $200,000 will receive free tuition, and those from families earning under $100,000 will have all education costs waived; the change takes effect for students entering this fall.

The European Union and India announced a landmark free trade agreement, and analysts say recent U.S. tariff actions and trade pressure have coincided with a broader push by countries to forge bilateral deals with China, India and other partners.

Caritas Family Solutions has promoted Ashlee Lambert to chief development officer after 14 years with the organization, where she began as a foster care case manager and later moved into development.

Data from Juno's 2022 flyby and its Microwave Radiometer indicate the outer, rigid layer of Europa's ice shell is about 18 miles (29 km) thick in the surveyed region, and small near-surface scatterers such as cracks and pores were detected.

In the Amazon Prime documentary Finding Harmony: A King's Vision, the King discusses his lifelong environmental work and says he hopes people will recognise that humans are part of nature before he 'shuffles off this mortal coil'.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees he was "heartbroken" and urged de-escalation after the reported killing of Alex Pretti; dozens of Minnesota business leaders also signed a letter calling for immediate de-escalation.

The Trump administration announced a new round of Medicare drug price negotiations that, for the first time, includes office-administered drugs covered under Part B. Fifteen high-spending drugs were selected and negotiated prices are scheduled to take effect in 2028.

A landslide in Niscemi, Sicily, after days of heavy rain forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people and left parts of the town unsafe; the national government declared a state of emergency and set aside initial funds for the affected regions.

A stream of fast-moving solar wind from a coronal hole is expected to reach Earth on Jan. 28, and forecasters report possible minor geomagnetic storm activity that could make the northern lights visible after dark in higher-latitude areas.