11 Good News Stories: Need More Panda; Happy 110th; Enduring Love

ACROSS AMERICA — The 2020 General Election is heating up across America, with Democrats holding their most unconventional of conventions this week and Republicans holding theirs next. But let’s not talk about politics.

You need more panda, right?

Well, you’re in luck.

The Smithsonian National Zoo spent most of this past week on baby watch. The zoo announced on Monday that Mei Xiang, its matriarch giant panda, was due to give birth to her fourth cub.

"We need this! We totally need this joy," zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson said. "We are all in desperate need of these feel-goods." By Deb Belt for Washington DC Patch

And by Friday night, Mei Xiang's bundle of joy made its big debut.

Mei Xiang gave birth at 6:35 p.m. and is "caring for her newborn attentively," the zoo announced. Keepers are now watching Mei Xiang’s behavior to see her nurse the cub and cradle it close to keep it warm. They’re also listening for loud squeals — signs of a healthy cub, the zoo said.

You can keep an eye on Mei Xiang and her new arrival through the zoo’s giant panda-cam. By Megan VerHelst for Washington DC Patch

Below are 10 more stories from Patch editors across America to help you feel joy.

Speaking Of Birthdays …

Edith Rose turned 110 this week, coincidentally on the same day the oldest woman in the country celebrated her 116th birthday. Rose remembers the 1918 flu pandemic, lived through two world wars and continues to light up any room she enters with her radiant smile. “Aside from how extraordinary it is to live to the age of 110, Edith has done this with style and a joie de vivre. She sees no reason to fuss over this birthday, and felt likewise since she turned 100,” her friend Gale Kobray wrote in a tribute, noting the supercentenarian has said her age is “just a number, and if I wake up in the morning, it’s another day to appreciate the fortunate life I enjoy.” By Caren Lissner for Maplewood Patch

That Moment He Saw Her, Recalled 50 Years Later

To hear Doug and Joan Fueger’s daughter tell it, her dad fell head over heels in love with her mother the first time he saw her at a Wisconsin car wash where both worked in high school. Her mom tells a slightly different version of their more than 50-year love story. "As my father tells it, he saw my mother's long blonde hair blowing in the dryer area, and it was love at first sight," the couple’s daughter said. "As my mother tells it, she agreed to go on a date because he was annoying and kept asking, but she had no intention of dating him." By Scott Anderson for Greendale Patch

Keep Pedaling And Pushing On

Andrew Lubinski had been training for a year and a half for a century bike ride, but the coronavirus threatened his plans. The Illinois 12-year-old’s dad, Art, decided to turn the training into a father-son bonding experience. “This is something he wanted to do,” Art said. “As his dad, my job is to make sure he gets to do it, and do it safely.” By Yasmeen Sheikah for Tinley Park Patch

Literally Punching Above His Weight To Feed Homeless

Alex Pitz-Giannetti has always been an empathetic kid. Still, John Giannetti wasn’t expecting the answer he got when he asked his 7-year-old what he wanted to do when school dismissed for the summer. Alex wanted to help people experiencing homelessness around Annapolis, Maryland. He wrote letters to his neighbors asking if they could help. The boy dubbed “Hurricane Alex” by his dad donated some 900 pounds of food to a local shelter for the homeless. By Jacob Baumgart for Annapolis Patch

11 Going On 30

Maddy Stannis is 11 years old, going on 30, her mom jokes. She lives with Down syndrome, and her family is active in the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin. Maddy does her part to help out and will be hosting her third annual fundraising lemonade stand with co-chair Julia Aguilar, 8, who also has Down syndrome. By Karen Pilarski for New Berlin Patch

Teach (And Reassure) The Children Well

Kathleen Finnegan is retired after a long career in public service but found a way to continue serving with her first book, “Why(r)us the Virus.” She wrote and illustrated the book to help preschoolers understand the changes to their daily routines caused by the coronavirus. She plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to a nonprofit group that helps homeless and other at-risk children. By Mark Hand for Leesburg Patch

Amid The Pandemic, An Opportunity

At its most basic, the Moonlight Cinema, a drive-in movie theater in Newark, New Jersey, offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane. But to many local residents, the Black-owned theater is also a symbol of hope, enterprise and community spirit amid the coronavirus pandemic. "This is a dream come true," said Stafford-Morris, an award-winning filmmaker whose theater will feature films made by African American creators and actors. "I've always wanted to open a movie theater in my hometown. I'm happy that [we're] able to offer a safe, family-friendly throwback experience for all, even amid a pandemic." By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch

Oh, No! Not Again!

Lightning may not strike twice in the same place, but don’t tell that to the Waldron family of Tucson, Arizona. With two children living with disabilities in their home, life was already tough when a car crashed into their home, the second such vehicular intrusion they’ve experienced. Their story prompted a huge outpouring of financial support to repair the wall and replace a barely-working evaporator cooler with a proper air conditioning unit. By Lindsay Walker for Tucson Patch

Recognition For ‘The Courageous 12’

Back in the 1960s, the Jim Crow policies in the South kept Black officers in St. Petersburg from properly doing their jobs and advancing in the department. They weren’t allowed to arrest white citizens. They couldn’t take sergeant’s exams or receive any promotion. A dozen of them, known collectively now as “The Courageous 12,” won their anti-discrimination lawsuit and are now being honored in a monument installed by the city. By Skyla Luckey for St. Pete Patch

‘Superheros With Brooms And Vacuums’

When the pandemic started closing things down, Paula Garrison's employees were scared. The employees at the Virginia cleaning service Maid Solution didn't want to lose their jobs that supported their children and households. They needn’t have worried. Garrison didn’t lay off a single worker, despite losing half of her business due to business shutdowns and economic hardship. She used Paycheck Protection Program relief to stay afloat, then donated maid services to cancer patients. “The ladies say 'we're superheroes' with their brooms and vacuums,” Garrison said. By Emily Leayman for Kingstowne-Rose Hill Patch

The story above was part of our Patch Local Heroes project celebrating people in your community who go out of their way to help others without any expectation of the public thank-you they deserve. Do YOU have a local hero you would like us to know about? Nominate a local hero in your community right here.