9 Good News Stories: Goodwill On Terrible, Awful, Dangerous Day

ACROSS AMERICA — The motorists stranded for hours on an icy stretch of Interstate 95 could smell fresh bread like a wanderer sees mirages. Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, hadn’t eaten for 37 hours. They were thirsty, hungry and past their breaking point.

“We were starving,” Holihan, 23, said. “People around us were very much struggling as well. We could hear kids crying."

They followed their noses. The tantalizing trail ended at a truck full of bread from Baltimore-based Schmidt Baking Co. Holihan figured it was a long shot at best, but she and her husband called the business to ask if stranded travelers might find sustenance from whatever was loaded on the truck. Sure, the folks at the bakery company said.

“I didn't think it would actually work,” Holihan said. » By Kristin Danley-Greiner for Ellicott City, Maryland, Patch

Speaking Of Hunger …

Hunger has always been a pressing problem across the country, and the pandemic only made it worse. Restaurants are hurting, too. In New Jersey, the “Newark Working Kitchens” project is tackling both problems. Meals prepared in restaurants supported by the project are distributed to people who live with food insecurity. Since April, more than 1.2 million meals have been delivered to 10,000 people, and the project has helped local restaurants — more than half of which are minority- and women-owned — keep their doors open. » By Eric Kiefer for Newark, New Jersey, Patch

$25 Swells To More Than $2,000

Lucas Johnson had a rocky start to life. When he was 4 months old, he underwent surgery for craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the bones in a baby's skull join together too early. Today, he’s a normal 8-year-old, but one with a bent toward kindness and wanting to pay back Cranio Care Bears, a group that supported his family through his surgery. He started out with a goal of $25 but raised more than $2,000. » By TJ Kremer III for New Lenox, Illinois, Patch

1 Million Ways To Say Merry Christmas

A University of Virginia math major plans to use the $1 million surprise he found in his Christmas stocking to pay his and his sister’s tuition. The surprise came in the form of a ticket for the Virginia Lottery’s Bank A Million game. » By Michael O’Connell for Oakton, Virginia, Patch

Betty White’s Last Words

You’ve probably heard it or read it too many times to count: “Betty White was not supposed to die.” We knew it her death — which occurred on New Year’s Eve — was inevitable, of course, but our collective insistence that she live forever was a testament to our regard for her as an American treasure, an actor, comedian and activist who could make us laugh, cry and think about others simultaneously. With a nationwide screening of a documentary of her life on what would have been her 100th birthday, we have one more date with America’s sweetheart — but tickets will likely sell out quickly. » By Beth Dalbey for Across America Patch

Dewey Decimal System Didn’t Cover This

Early in the pandemic, librarians shifted across Prince William County, Virginia, pivoted from stocking library shelves to operating COVID-19 call centers, providing at-home test kits and free mobile Wi-Fi hot spots and offering curbside pickup for traditional library services. "I had to train library staff quickly so that we could start offering services as quickly as possible," Rebecca Lowe, senior library manager for the county, told Patch. "Being a supervisor and only branch manager as a call center supervisor, I had to stay in constant contact with the library deputy director, senior emergency management specialist, and other library call center supervisors." » By Liam Griffin for Woodbridge, Virginia, Patch

Enzo Takes Down Rhodium Thieves

The police dog Enzo (top photo) has done it again. He’s already K9 officer-famous with his own Instagram page, which showcases all he’s accomplished on the job with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Now, he has helped solve the local version of a national problem — the theft of catalytic converters by criminals who saw them off to get their hands on a few grams of the world’s most precious metal, rhodium. » By Ashley Ludwig for Orange County, California, Patch

‘Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?’

The mournful children’s song “Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?” surmises how Sophia Burgess felt during the three months her Chihuahua was missing. As it turns out, Tiny had gone to Clearwater, Florida, almost 70 miles away from home. Frankly, Burgess and her family gave up home of finding her until a couple of weeks ago, when 15-year-old Jaliyah Burgess dreamed Tiny came home. Her dream turned out to be prophetic. Just after Christmas, a Clearwater police officer found the tiny, timid dog and took her to a shelter. She was microchipped, and the Burgess family got the good news they’d been hoping for. » By D’Ann Lawrence White for Clearwater, Florida, Patch

Here Are Some Tiny Horses For You

We’re just going to leave this right here. These miniature horses who strutted through the Rose Parade are too stinking cute to hide until another New Year’s Day parade rolls around. Enjoy! » By Emily Rahhal for Calabasas, California, Patch

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