11 Good News Stories: Human Calculator; J.J. Watt's Big Gesture

ACROSS AMERICA — If you happen to meet up with Chaz Barnes, be sure to ask him the square root 48 — and he’ll be able to answer without ever picking up a calculator.

And even if he did use a calculator, ciphering in his head is faster. The Evergreen Park, Illinois, high school sophomore can square any number from 1 to 100.

And double-digit multiplication? He’s a whiz at that, too.

The thing is, the 15-year-old only recently discovered his talent for solving math problems in his head during special education essential geometry when the class was studying the Pythagorean theorem. » By Lorraine Swanson for Evergreen Park, Illinois, Patch

Pandemic Hobby Leads To Food Network

Finley Sheers started baking one day last year without thinking her pandemic lockdown hobby would land her a spot on the Food Network’s "Kids Baking Championship." She’s among 12 contestants in Season 10, which premieres at 8 p.m. Dec. 27. At 10, she’s the youngest contestant ever on the show, and the artistry in her creations illustrates why. » By Emily Leayman for McLean, Virginia, Patch

Why This Marine Reunion Was Special

Marines Robert Field and Robert O’Malley reunited 56 years after O'Malley saved Field's life when they were both hit by shrapnel and bullets while serving in the Vietnam War. O'Malley received the Medal of Honor for bringing Field and 10 other wounded soldiers to a helicopter for evacuation under heavy fire. Shrapnel pierced his arms, legs, lungs and chest during the lifesaving mission. » By Skyla Luckey for Bloomingdale, Florida, Patch

J.J. Watt Makes His Day

Tyler Pudleiner, 17, is baffled by how NFL superstar and Waukesha, Wisconsin, native J.J. Watt found him, but the survivor of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy was tickled to receive a video message from the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive end. “If we can get a little bit of a smile out of you today or pick you up in any way to lift your spirits, then our mission is accomplished,” Watt said. » By Karen Pilarski for Waukesha, Wisconsin, Patch

This Girl Needs Our Help

Danica Mulholland has gone through three surgeries to treat medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer she was diagnosed with in 2018. She’s still sick but us undergoing holistic treatments that cost $4,500 a month. The cost is overwhelming, so father John Mulholland set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money — with an incentive that illustrates the bond between a small business and the community. A toy store in Levittown plans to match the donations. » By John Fey for Levittown, Pennsylvania, Patch

‘You Made My Christmas’

A server at an IHOP restaurant in Virginia is among the latest to receive huge tips as part of a movement that’s known as the 100 Dollar Dinner Club. Basically, the idea is for each person in party of guests at a meal to leave $100 each. A server who received a $1,900 said of the group in a Facebook page: “You made my Christmas.” » By Liam Griffin for Ashburn, Virginia, Patch

‘Soup Sisters’ Stir Up Kindness

Moms of kids at the Long Hill Christian Preschool in Chatham, New Jersey, (top photo) gathered their soup pots and utensils, recipes and ingredients for what’s known as a “Soup Sisters” project to help a local group that works with people who are experiencing homelessness. "There are so many different ways to volunteer," preschool director Lindsay Kaye Groendyk told Patch. "I encourage everyone to think about contributing this holiday season." » By Jennifer Jane Miller for Chatham, New Jersey, Patch

How Are You Going To Pay For It?

When 9-year-old Cohen Ullah started ticking off the things he wants in life, his dad asked the inevitable question: “How can you make money with what we have here?" The eastern Washington boy had an answer — a sustainable pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm. He’s already harvested and sold his pumpkin crop, and he also got a $5,000 donation from Old Navy to help him get his tree farm going. Most important, dad Noah Ullah said, is what Cohen is learning about living a successful life. » By Beth Dalbey for Spokane, Washington, Patch

STEM Sensation

Soldier-scholar Emma San Martin has already made an impact in the world of science and engineering. Now, Martin — a member of Company F-4, Class of 2022 at the U.S. Military Academy — has won a prestigious Marshall Scholarship. A mechanical engineering major and aeronautics minor, she has already developed tools the Army will implement or use for training. » By Lanning Taliaferro for Ossining, New York, Patch

Civil Rights Icon’s Record Expunged

Claudette Colvin is sending a message after getting her record expunged: Change can happen. In 1955, she was arrested as a 15-year-old for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger and was subsequently convicted of felony assault of a police officer and violating the racist Montgomery, Alabama, bus segregation policy that she later helped get overturned. When she petitioned juvenile court authorities to have her name and record cleared, she said in an affidavit: "I want us to move forward and be better. When I think about why I'm seeking to have my name cleared by the state, it is because I believe if that happened it would show the generation growing up now that progress is possible and things do get better. It will inspire them to make the world better." » By Beth Dalbey for Montgomery, Alabama, Patch

Toby Leaves After Leaving His Mark

Toby the cat is back where he started — well, almost. The 13-year-old is back with Amber Jennings, with whom he had lived since he was a kitten. Life is full of twists, and Toby went to live with Jennings’ uncle, she says, because he needed the cat more. When he moved to California, so did Toby. Jennings’ uncle died, and Toby ended up at an animal shelter, where yet another group of humans fell in love with him. It took some doing, but Jennings and Toby were reunited. » By Toni McAllister for Temecula, California, Patch

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