US Air Force
Once a year, Ursula Bannister climbs to High Rock Lookout, a viewpoint near Ashford, Wash., where she scattered her mother’s ashes 23 years ago. She brings flowers for her annual visit. Bannister, 79, usually hikes with a family member or friend along the 3.2 mile trail, which is a relatively difficult trek. This year, on Aug.…

MLB/YouTube
It seems Pittsburgh Pirates phenom starter Paul Skenes already knows what he wants to do when his pitching days are over in the MLB. USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote a feature on Skenes, where he spoke with his former college baseball coach while he spent his first two seasons at the Air Force Academy.…

Parkinson's Foundation
After 17 years of serving his country, Mark Kelm is now giving a different type of service: he’s advocating for others who, like him, are living with Parkinson’s disease. Kelm, who lives in a small Minnesota with his wife and three children, was only 38 years old when he was diagnosed with PD, a nervous…

@missamerica/Instagram
U.S. Air active-duty officer Madison Marsh was crowned as 2024 Miss America. Marsh, a 22-year-old who represented Colorado, won the prestigious pageant. In an interview after the show, Marsh said, “You can achieve anything. The sky is not the limit, and the only person that’s stopping you is you,” per a video posted on Miss…

More from Beliefnet and our partners
More from Beliefnet and our partners