11 Good News Stories: Bull Run; Second Chances; Art Of Joy

ACROSS AMERICA — Barney, as the elusive bull on the lam in Mastic, New York, has been called, is having a good run.

Did no one tell Barney that by bolting through a fence more than a week ago, he escaped slaughter as part of a religious holiday? Does he not know a lovely home awaits him at a farm animal sanctuary, or that he will never end up on anyone’s dinner plate?

Determined animal rescue volunteers have been trying to wrangle him since his great escape. They even brought in a cow named Norma Jean to unleash her feminine wiles on Barney. That didn’t work. Neither did he take the bait of a sweet feed.

“He just doesn't want to give up yet,” said Mike Stura, the owner of Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue, Barney’s new “forever home.”

Read the this story by Peggy Spellman Hoey for Shirley-Mastic, New York, Patch; follow along on Shirley-Mastic Patch for the latest developments.

Another Farm Animal On The Run

If it’s not one farm animal, it’s another. Vet tech assistant Cassidy Sanders found an injured hen wandering around Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and is determined to find the chicken’s owner. She’s in good hands, but Sanders wants to help the hen find her way home. By Marlene Lang for West Chester, Pennsylvania, Patch

Dig Deep For Second Chances

Kimberly Thomas is the kitchen manager at Dig Deep Farms Food Hub in San Leandro, California. Before that, she was an intern at Dig Deep Farms. Before that, she was an inmate at Santa Rita Jail. “I was so determined to turn my life around,” she said of her decision to apply for the internship that offers second chances. “I didn’t care what I needed to do to take a step forward, just to have an honest income." By Brittany Ung for San Leandro, California, Patch

The Old Man And The Sea (Of Hemingways)

Folks in Florida are rightly proud that American author Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his most beloved novels — “A Farewell to Arms” among them — at Key West in the late 1920s and the 1930s. Dozens of people showed up there last weekend for the coveted title of “Papa,” the author’s nickname for himself, in the Hemingway Lookalike Contest. They were mostly white-bearded, older men, but there were a couple of younger Hemingways, too, and even a baby Hemingway (not exactly; it was a mustached man shaking a rattle and wearing a diaper and signature Hemingway red beret). By Tiffany Razzano for Miami Patch

Poetic Perfection

Micha Archer’s “Wonder Walkers” is a children’s picture book that gives readers a look at the splendors of nature, but it’s also coming to life at a lakeside park in Bedford, New York. The easy, level wonder walk takes less than 15 minutes to complete, but inspired young readers have an endearing habit of demanding a second reading, requiring yet another lakeside stroll. By Jeff Edwards for Bedford-Katonah, New York, Patch

Right Place, Right Time

Police Officer Ross Chibe has impeccable timing and, because of it, he may have saved a couple of lives. Chibe was patrolling a dark, forested road in Palos Park, Illinois, early Monday morning when the slow-moving car in front of him stopped, then started, then stopped and started driving again. It turns out a South Carolina couple in their 70s had gone out for a drive late last week and had gotten lost, driving 900 miles. By Lorraine Swanson for Palos, Illinois, Patch

Tickling The Piano Man

Piano man Tonee Carter has soothed too many travelers to count for the past seven years from his spot on Concourse A at the Atlanta airport. “They’ve had a weary travel day,” he said. “They’re not expecting this, and it changes everything.” Everything has changed for Carter, too. When Carlos Whitaker learned Carter is on dialysis for nine hours every night, the author and motivational speaker decided “this brother is about to get a big tip.” He posted a clip of Carter tickling the ivories on his Instagram account, and at least $60,000 has been raised. By Tim Moran for Atlanta Patch

Student Debt Vanishes

Clark Atlanta University students wanting to erase the last academic year and a half from their memories can at least count on it being cleared from their financial ledgers. All student balance sheets for the semesters between January 2020 and this summer — the COVID-19 pandemic months — are being reduced to zero, the historically Black university announced. By Marcus K. Garner for Atlanta Patch

The Art Of Joy

Several high school students in McLean, Virginia, have embarked on what they call the Youth Creativity Project, which combines their passion for the arts with their drive to be of service. Their nonprofit, which has grown from a team of six to a worldwide network of volunteers, works with local hospitals to provide art kits to patients and hold virtual art events. COVID-19 visitor restrictions, lockdowns and other life interruptions strengthened their resolve. “It’s just a way to kind of let go of your emotions and just completely focus on one thing that can help your mental health improve and make you happier,” one of the students said. By Emily Leayman for McLean, Virginia, Patch

Promoting Equity And Opportunity

Dylan Zajac was 15 in 2019 when he founded Computers 4 People in Hoboken, New Jersey. The technology whiz kid fixed donated computers, then in turn donated them to people and groups in need of them. So far, Computers 4 People has donated 900 computers through 30 New Jersey and New York City nonprofits, and is holding a fundraiser to raise money to give away 1,000 more. The goal is to “promote equity and access to opportunity” for people in under-resourced communities, Zajac said. By Caren Lissner for Hoboken, New Jersey, Patch

Generosity Helps Family Start Over

When Ray Lucas came home from a short errand to find his suburban Detroit house on fire, he didn’t hesitate to run into the inferno to save his 18-month-old twin daughters. “I just knew I had to get my babies out,” he said. Everyone survived, but the twins are in intensive care, Lucas was badly injured and the family’s home is uninhabitable. As kind, generous people are wont to do, contributions to get the family back on their feet rolled in on GoFundMe. By Tim Moran for Detroit Patch

Free Meals For Everyone

Students in Cobb County, Georgia, schools won’t have to worry about buying meal tickets when they return to school for the 2021-22 academic year. They don’t have to fill out an application or prove income eligibility. Both breakfast and lunch will be served. By Kara McIntyre for Marietta, Georgia, Patch

Patch is in more than 1,000 communities across America. Find your community and see what's happening outside your front door.