Hawk Shot With BB Gun Released + NorCal Baby Competing To Be Named America's Cutest Baby: Saturday Smiles

Welcome to the weekend. We hope you take some time to read some of our lighter news from the past week. We have the scoop on the winner of the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, and a success story about a hawk injured by a BB gun that was rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Hawk Shot With BB Gun Rehabilitated And Released In The Peninsula

• The local humane society found the hawk with an open wound on her head from a BB gun.

Livermore Baby Competing In National Baby Of The Year Competition

• 5-month-old Leon Lovell is competing to be named America's cutest baby. Vote by Thursday to help him advance to become Baby of the Year.

Sonoma County Gardener Dominates 2025 'World Heavyweight Championship Of Godzilla Gourds'

• Sonoma County man comes back from a 2024 loss with a pumpkin weighing in at more than a ton at Half Moon Bay's Art & Pumpkin Festival.

Rare Plant Rediscovered At Vasco Hills Regional Preserve After 68 Years

• A population of the once-lost caper-fruited tropidocarpum was discovered on protected public land for the first time in 68 years.

Welcome Pumpkin Delivers Festive Fall Cheer to Marin County Homes

• Two local mothers created a pumpkin concierge service to bring effortless autumn enchantment to your doorstep.

Nightcap Dessert Bar Adds A Nostalgic Twist To Petaluma's Downtown: The After Hours

• A dessert nightcap bar at Barber Lee Spirits adds a twist to Petaluma's alluring nostalgia.

Grooming A Gateway To Helping Dogs And Human At East Bay Shelter

• A grooming academy combines the need for dog care with the demand for marketable skills by creating a vocational training program.

Beer City Run, Howl-O-Ween Pet Parade Coming To City Center

• On Oct. 26, the center will host a half-marathon, 10k, 5k, beer festival, and costumed Halloween parade full of dog-friendly fun.

2025 NorCal Fall Fun Guide: The A'Mazing Corn Maze, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2025 And More

• Fall is almost here, and Patch has put together a guide of a variety of fun Autumn events around Northern California.

Let us know if you have an idea for a nice news story in your town. Email your story tips to autumn.johnson@patch.com.