Woman Turns 107, Dogs Rescued From Research Facility: VA Good News Stories Of 2022

VIRGINIA — There's always room for a little more good news. As we look back on 2022, we wanted to share a few of our favorite moments of joy from the year in Virginia.

There were plenty of happy times in 2022, from an Arlington woman celebrating her 107th birthday to long-time friends teaching auto shop in Burke to two dozen cats getting rescued from Ukraine, there were plenty of silver linings.

Let's take a journey back, and share 25 items of wonderful news from Virginia in 2022.

Arlington Woman Turns 107, Feels No Different From When She Was 100

Arlington resident Vera Punke, who celebrated her 107th birthday on Wednesday, says she doesn’t feel any different than she did when she was 100. During a big 107th birthday party for her at the retirement community in Arlington where she lives, Punke told FOX4 that “many times, people ask me how do I feel at 107. Well, I don’t know. How am I supposed to feel?”

Long-Time FCPS Auto Tech Teachers Mentor New Generation Of Students

Two long-time automotive technology teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools, who have been best friends since attending South Lakes High School in the 1980s, remain enthusiastic about teaching their students, especially in a time when auto technicians are needed more than ever. With more than 50 years of combined teaching experience, Dominic Prakash and David Plum are the lead automotive technology teachers at Lake Braddock Secondary High School in Burke.

Mural in Fairfax School Stairwell Begins With Career Day Encounter

Emmanuel Chavez Galicia painted a large mural in a stairwell at Katherine Johnson Middle School in Fairfax City. The process of painting the mural started at the 2021 career fair at the school, where he spoke.

TikTok Of Arlington Public Library Shows Ease Of Library Card Signup

A TikTok created by The Washington Post on signing up for a library card in Arlington County received nearly 150,000 views. The timing of the TikTok was perfect because it came in September during "Library Card Sign-Up Month." Dave Jorgenson, the “Washington Post TikTok Guy,” visited the Shirlington branch of the Arlington Public Library with his colleague Carmella Boykin to learn how to sign up for a library card.

Nationals Pitcher Sean Doolittle Reads Story Time At Arlington Library

Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle read a picture book about baseball to children and their parents at Arlington Central Library in June to kick off the library system’s Summer Reading program. Doolittle, who was the go-to relief pitcher during the Nationals' 2019 World Series season, picked a picture book about baseball to read to the children in the library’s auditorium.

TSA's 2023 Canine Calendar Features Dogs From Reagan National Airport

Two dogs trained to detect explosives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are featured in the Transportation Security Administration’s 2023 calendar that honors explosives detection canines from across the country.

Rescued Cats From Ukraine Await Warm Welcome At Dulles Airport

Homeward Trails Animal Rescue brought 24 cats rescued in Ukraine to Northern Virginia. The cats joined eight other cats that arrived earlier with Homeward Trails Executive Director Sue Bell. Homeward Trails found foster homes for all the cats coming from Ukraine while the cats wait to move into their forever homes.

VA Beagles Bred For Research Get Spa Day, Head To New Homes

Since July, dozens of beagles, both adults and puppies, have made their way to Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, one of the groups working to find new homes for the 4,000 beagles held at a breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia, owned and operated by the company Envigo. Homeward Trails has taken in 25 adult beagles and 25 puppies at its Northern Virginia shelter from the Cumberland facility.

11 Months After He Was Shot, Kevin The Dog Has A New Home

In April 2021, someone shot Kevin the dog in a commuter parking lot in Manassas. He required emergency surgery. Kevin received treatment at the MedVet Animal Hospital in Manassas after the shooting. In March 2022, after recovering from the surgery, Kevin found his forever home.

Japanese Star MIYAVI Rocks Lake Braddock Secondary School

More than 650 students at Lake Braddock Secondary School got a chance to learn more about Japanese culture and enjoy a live musical performance when Japanese rock star and actor MIYAVI visited the school. As part of the kickoff of his North American tour in Washington, D.C., MIYAVI traveled to Burke on Oct. 6 to meet with the students.

Langley Cheer Team Earns Trip To State Finals With Support From Rival

The varsity cheer teams at rivals Langley High School and McLean High School competed at the regional tournament on Saturday, with the team from Langley High School qualifying for the state championship. After the regional competition at Centreville High School, the two competitive cheer teams came together for a group photograph. Even during the competition at the regional tournament, the two teams showed great camaraderie and supported each other.

Arlington Students Meet NASA Astronauts, Hear About Next Moon Landing

Arlington Science Focus School welcomed NASA astronauts and a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut to the school in June as part of an Artemis Generation event, where students got a chance to ask the astronauts questions. The event provided the students with an overview of NASA’s goals and missions, and a look at the space program known as Artemis.

McLean Teen Wins State Google Doodle Contest

Kennedy Ferguson, a student at The Potomac School in McLean, was the Virginia state winner of the 14th annual Doodle for Google contest. The doodle competition is open to students in grades K-12. The contest calls for students to create their own Google Doodle for a chance at scholarships and technology packages for their schools.

Falls Church Barbershop Owner Provides Haircuts To Homeless

Dustin Foley is a barber and owner of The Neighborhood Barbershop in Falls Church. For the past 5 years, he and his team have been visiting two homeless shelters operated by New Hope Housing to provide free quality haircuts to homeless men and women.

Bear Chase Brewing Donates $5.5K To VHC Health As 'Thank You' For Care

Bear Chase Brewing Company donated more than $5,500 from the proceeds of a limited-release summer beer to VHC Health in appreciation for the care received by the company's brew master. When Charles Knoll, Bear Chase Brewing brew master, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2021, he needed both his kidney and a tumor removed. Knoll was treated by several departments at VHC Health and spent time recovering in one of VHC’s medical units.