10 Good News Stories: World’s Cutest Rescue Dog, Everyday Heroes

ACROSS AMERICA — Heaven was famous around St. Charles, Illinois, parks and dog-friendly businesses long before the pup was known as the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog, a title bestowed by People magazine.

Heaven was anxious, fearful and unsure when Jackie Rakers brought her home. She showed Heaven patience and love, just what the dog needed to develop a trust she’d never known as a stray.

They took walks round town to introduce Heaven to new people, sights and sounds — and be at ease with it all. “We worked through a lot of fears together,” Rakers told People.

Folks around St. Charles fell for the dog who seems to be perpetually smiling and happy with her life. Rakers plans to donate the contest prizes of $1,000 to a local K9 for Veterans group and a year’s worth of dog food to the shelter where she found Heaven. By Amie Schaenzer for St. Charles, Illinois, Patch

‘They Are My Heroes’

Georgia school bus driver Julie Sargent-Williamson has been driving the same group of students around for years. She knows them, she loves them and she calls them “her kids.” One recent morning, she had just picked up the last kid when she began experiencing the symptoms she would later learn were those of a stroke. Two seventh-graders knew at the time something was wrong and radioed for help. “They stayed calm, they rallied together and they saved my life,” Sargent-Williamson said. “They are my heroes." By Kara McIntyre for Dallas-Hiram, Georgia, Patch

‘Charitable And Courageous’

“Every day, we see the people of Kane County doing charitable and even courageous things for one another,” says Ron Hain, the sheriff of the county in Illinois. He was describing a stranger’s dramatic rescue of a 72-year-old man whose car was stuck on railroad tracks. Just as the train hit he pulled the man from the vehicle, saving his life. “It is no surprise that one of our own sprang into action just in time to save another,” Hain said. By Emily Rosca for Aurora, Illinois, Patch

Neighbors Recover Together

If you’ve never been through a flood, you may be unable to fathom the difficulty of the cleanup. Hurricane Ida flooding tore up Mont Clare, Pennsylvania, upending residents’ lives in many ways, and that lit a fire under Jesse Fischer, who lives in nearby Phoenixville. Her town was dealing with its own mess, but Fischer recognized her neighbors needed help immediately and couldn’t wait for disaster aid to kick in. “I was seeing all the homes in pictures online,” she told Patch. “I set something up so people could help each other, and it turned into something larger than I expected.” By Marlene Lang for Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Patch

A Legend At 16

Only 11 players in the 92-year history of the PGA have shot a 57. Count Pfafftown, North Carolina, high school sophomore Macy Pate among them. The 16-year-old shot a 57 — good for 14 under par — to claim the record for the lowest golf score by a high school player in state history, girls and boys. Pate shot 27 on the front nine and 30 on the back nine — something 99 percent of golfers will never achieve. By Jason Claffey for Across America Patch

Afghan Family Now ‘Home’

New Haven, Connecticut, teacher Michael Kuszpa has known Atifullah Ahmadzai for years. The two formed a tight bond in Afghanistan, where Ahmadzai was a translator for the U.S. Army. Kuszpa had been raising money to get his friend’s family out of Afghanistan for more than a year when terrorists attacked Kabul International Airport. But through the efforts of many, Ahmadzai and his family were able to flee and are settling in nicely in their New Haven home. By Ellyn Santiago for New Haven, Connecticut, Patch

Running Boston Marathon In Place

Weekend flight cancellations stopped marathon runner Mike Mendoza in his tracks. The Mokena, Illinois, man ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday and planned to run the Boston Marathon the next day. The Southwest Airlines meltdown scuttled his plans, both with the cancellation of his direct flight and those on a route hopscotching across the country. He gave it every bit of effort expected of a marathon runner, but accepted the reality that he would run the 26.2-mile course as he had last year, virtually. By TJ Kremer III for Mokena, Illinois, Patch

27 Times People Were Happy Police Knocked

This is fun (top photo). Well, at least police officers in Laguna Beach, California, brought some levity to a not-fun experience of folks whose Amazon orders were dumped in a pile behind an apartment stairway. Night shift officers split up the boxes and personally delivered them all. By Ashley Ludwig for Laguna Beach, California, Patch

Lost Dog Home After 150-Mile Journey

A group of hikers found Teddy Bear alone in the woods of the Wenatchee National Forest in western Washington, 150 miles from his home in Yakima. His return home illustrates how well local Humane Society groups work with each other to reunite pets and their families. "We're so grateful to be a part of an animal welfare network that can come together to support an animal in need, and we hope it will continue to build," said Nathan Van Ness, the pet support coordinator for Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. By Charles Woodman for Puyallup, Washington, Patch

A Great Escape From Doggie Death Row

Talk about precious cargo you have to see to appreciate. Cassandra Bergeron took a TikTok video that showed 27 dogs and puppies crowded into a single-engine plane. They were left homeless by Hurricane Ida and had been on doggie death row until Alabama Puppy Rescue Flights stepped in. By D’Ann Lawrence White for Tampa, Florida, Patch

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