17 Good News Stories: Teen Lives On In Others; Rescue From Shark

ACROSS AMERICA — Who doesn’t need a message of hope as America remains embroiled in turmoil and the coronavirus crisis shows few signs of easing? That question inspired a Colorado artist, who installed dozens of prints across the state featuring a heart-shaped design with a simple message: “Hope.”

“The heart, symbolizing the self or spirit, also shows up often in my work,” Koko Bayer said. “In this print, it represents love, optimism and empathy.”

The prints are part of Bayer’s initiative, called Project Spread Hope.

“It is not only that the work is simple, direct and incredibly fun to look at but more so that Koko, as an artist, is so eagerly giving a gift to her community during a time that can feel dark and isolated,” said Laine Godsey, the arts programming curator in Lakewood. By Amber Fisher for Lakewood Patch

Here are 16 more stories from Patch editors across America that will inspire you, make you smile and touch your heart.

6 Feet Saves Lives

The beaches in California are always popular go-to spots in the heat of the summer, but this year, the coronavirus makes them a precarious place. When Santa Cruz graphic artist Ali Robinson noticed people weren’t paying attention to social distancing, she designed a line of hoodies with the slogan, “Six Feet Saves.” By Courtney Teague for Santa Cruz Patch

Gone Too Soon, But Still Giving Life

Sometimes, good news is overshadowed by tragedy. Maddie Grobmeier died a day before her 18th birthday last year. A few days earlier, she had been doing what teenagers do — she was attending a concert — when she suffered a severe asthma attack. This week, her family said that months earlier, she had become registered as an organ donor under a 2018 Illinois law that allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to consent to donate organs or tissue. Now, the Maddog Strong Foundation established in her honor said her heart, liver and eyes are giving life and sight to others. By Andrea Earnest for Frankfort Patch

No Gridiron Play Can Beat This

Three freshman high school football players in Georgia were riding around their neighborhood in a golf cart when they saw a house was burning. They didn’t hesitate to come to the rescue. One of them raced in and rescued a child and the family’s Great Dane while the others worked to put out the fire with water hoses. By Jim Massara for Dallas-Hiram Patch

Lacrosse Players Eye A New Goal

High school sports came to a screeching halt in March because of the coronavirus, and the ban on playing sports in California will continue through the end of the year, at least. High school varsity lacrosse players Zach Appel and Owen Estee channeled the energy usually reserved for their vigorous sport into a cause for good, Lacrosse Against Hunger. By Bea Karnes for Lamorinda Patch

Look Out! Shark!

Off-duty Florida police Officer Adrian Kosicki was walking along the beach with his wife last week when the couple spotted a shark near a little boy on a boogie board. He jumped in the water and pulled the boy from the surf as the shark swam dangerously close — within only a couple of feet — to the boy. The dramatic rescue was captured on video. By Paul Scicchitano for Miami Patch

The Show Must Go On

“Twelve Years and What Worth,” an original musical written and produced by students at a Massachusetts high school, will go on as planned. Students Clay Napurano and Matthew Cunningham had been writing the play for five years and finally decided to produce it this year, but the coronavirus pandemic gave them pause. With a lot of social distancing, singing and dancing, the show will go on. By Neal McNamara for Natick Patch

“Geese In A Blender”

A women’s barbershop chorus in Illinois that performs internationally has been holding its weekly practices on Zoom calls, but it had to get creative to avoid making sounds that choir director Lynn Randall likened to the effect of “geese in a blender.” It’s been an adjustment for the chorus members to sing on mute in their own homes, without the benefit of an audience or even being able to hear each other's voices, let alone harmonize and "ring chorus" together, one of the chorus members told Patch. By Lisa Marie Farver for Glen Ellyn Patch

Disabled Veterans Dive Into Cleaning Mission

Cleaning concrete statues usually takes no more than soap and water, a brush to get into those elusive creases and a bit of muscle. But when those concrete statues are installed at the bottom of the ocean, cleaning them becomes a whole new challenge, as eight veterans living with disabilities discovered in Florida. By D’Ann Lawrence White for Clearwater Patch

Saved From The Wrecking Ball

Preservationists in Illinois rallied to save a house designed by the esteemed architect Frank Lloyd Wright from possible demolition. The 105-year-old Booth Cottage in Glencoe was relocated and is now owned by the city park district. By Jonah Meadows for Winnetka-Glencoe Patch

Gentlemen’s Agreement Honored 2 Decades Later

What's a long-ago handshake worth when making a pact? For two Wisconsin fishing buddies now evenly splitting a $22 million Powerball jackpot, a deal is a deal. Friends Thomas Cook and Joseph Feeney made the deal in 1992, pledging that if either won the Powerball, they'd split their winnings down the middle. By Beth Dalbey for Madison Patch

Easing Loneliness

James Mannix, a marketing major and finance minor at Providence College, saw his banking internship cut short due to the pandemic, so he pivoted to volunteer work at the Family & Children’s Agency in Wilton to address a growing problem: isolation among the elderly, which has only worsened in the pandemic. By Rich Kirby for Wilton Patch

A New National Pastime

A former Poughkeepsie, New York, resident now living in Chicago has created a special line of baseball cards to honor Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top nation’s infectious disease expert. “Much like baseball, Dr. Fauci has given many Americans something to rally around during these challenging times,” artist David Stokes said. “Watching him deliver his candid remarks has almost become a national pastime, a common thread among us.” By Michael Woyton for Mid Hudson Valley Patch

These Little Piggies Went To Market

Some troublesome little pigs wandered away from their home in Florida and ended up at the WaWa market. Don’t worry: They’re not what’s for dinner. By D’Ann Lawrence White for New Port Richey Patch

And This Bear Had Quite An Adventure

A young bear full of adventure roamed around Highlands Ranch, Colorado, to the amusement of residents. The unbearably cute bruin enthusiastically ran along a football field, strolled around the Town Center, climbed fences and balanced itself on pillars. The photos say it all. By Amber Fisher for Littleton Patch

Sea Turtle Hatchlings Lose Their Way

It doesn't take much to disrupt the critical journey of a newly hatched sea turtle to the safety of the sea. Porch lights can be confused with natural moonlight. They can become trapped in holes in the sand or confused by a child’s sandcastle. The Sea Turtle Patrol Team at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium figures one of those things or a similar distraction caused 87 endangered loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings to fall into a storm drain. They were rescued and directed back toward the sea. By D’Ann Lawrence White for Clearwater Patch

An Out-Of-This-World Proposal

Chances like this don't come around every day, every year or even every century. Six more millennia will pass before Comet Neowise visits our solar system again, so John Nicotera seized the opportunity for a cosmic proposal to Erica Pendrak. By Beth Dalbey for Across New York Patch

BONUS FROM A PATCH READER: 'I Don't Even Know Their Names': Coronavirus Survivor To Saviors