13 Good News Stories: Piano Man Plays; The Great Kangaroo Chase
ACROSS AMERICA — Oh, to have been in Huntington, New York, this week.
Someone tossed out a piano — OK, pianos are heavy, so there was probably more lifting than throwing — and left it on the curb.
A guy came along and started playing it — expertly, like he was the Piano Man.
Turns out it was. It was Billy Joel in the flesh, and he made that old instrument sing as it should. It just needed tuning, the Piano Man said, offering an alternative to the landfill. And it’s all on video. By Michael DeSantis for Huntington Patch
Below are a dozen more stories from Patch editors that will give you a lift.
#HoldTheCoronaBringOnTheBurgers
The coronavirus has stolen so much from Americans, but it couldn’t rob Nicole and Mike Burger of their wedding bliss. Sure, the New Jersey couple had to scale it down some and give up the location they’d dreamed about. But they made up for what they’d lost with lighthearted fun — right down to the clever wordplay in their wedding hashtag. By Alexis Tarrazi for Hillsborough Patch
Lost Boy Found Heroes In Rainstorm
There’s a lot more to being a cop than chasing down criminals. A worried mom called police in Newark, New Jersey, after her 11-year-old son, who is on the autism spectrum, wandered away from home in the middle of a downpour — a serious situation in a city where street flooding is common. When police found him, he was barefoot, shivering and disoriented, but a pair of good Samaritans had remained by his side. By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch
Whatever (Re)Floats Your Boat
Back in the 1950s, Disneyland’s Keel Boats were a C-ticket Frontierland attraction based on a television episode “Davy Crockett’s Keel Boat Race.” The theme park, under its most prolonged shutdown in history because of the coronavirus pandemic, is looking for ways to keep fans engaged. So, with the help of some hilarious former cast members, they launched a virtual “refloat.” By Ashley Ludwig for Lake Forest Patch
Tired Of Coronavirus? Meet This Tireless Worker.
Vince Carbone, the owner of a Subway restaurant in Ashburn, Virginia, is on track this week to reach 5,000 free meals delivered to nurses and first responders, something he’s been doing since the pandemic began. The impressive milestone wouldn't have been possible without Carbone dedicating himself to the project, along with getting help from the many friends he has made during his 18 years in business. By Mark Hand for Ashburn Patch
All These Birthday Girls Wanted Was Food
Grace and Faith Kozushko recently celebrated their ninth and seventh birthdays, and the only thing the girls wanted was nonperishable food they could donate to their local food pantry to help families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. What happened was beyond what they could imagine. By Kristin Danley-Greiner for Glen Burnie Patch
Who Are You Going To Call? Covidbusters.
The degree to which folks are worried about the coronavirus spread can be measured by the bleach spots on the carpets of Arizona businesses. People have tried a lot of things, including staining relatively new rugs. Who are you going to call? Covidbusters — well, actually, City Wide of Southern Arizona, the company run by Tucson residents David and Trina Petrash. By Danny Wicentowski for Tucson Patch
If you’re not getting out and about, trust us: Animals are. Here are a few stories about the predicaments they — and the humans they encountered — got themselves in.
The Great Kangaroo Roundup
Anyone listening to a police scanner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was treated to the details of an unusual call — a kangaroo chase that lasted about 30 minutes. “That’s a big kangaroo,” an officer said. “I’m trying to catch a kangaroo.” By Paul Scicchitano for Fort Lauderdale Patch
Whoa, That’s Not A Fish
Before we tell you more about the kayaker and the alligator, rest assured this tale out of North Carolina has a happy ending. But it sure did give paddler Peter Joyce something to talk about. He thought a fish had jumped out of the Waccamaw River. Uhm, no. By Kimberly Johnson for Charlotte Patch
Curiosity Doesn’t Just Endanger Cats
Raccoons are nocturnal foragers, using their lightning-quick paws to snatch crayfish, frogs and other scrumptious aquatic creatures. But they’re also scavengers drawn to garbage and, unfortunately for one Procynidae in Maryland, a tin can that once held food. The raccoon got its head stuck in the can and ran panicked around the neighborhood until wildlife officers were able to capture and free it pry what had to be a torture chamber from the creature’s head. They described the animal as “tired and lethargic” by the time they freed him. By Jeff Arnold for Owings Mills-Reisterstown Patch
Can I Go Home Now?
A Clearwater, Florida, woman figured it was a long shot when she called police to report her Chihuahua, Mocha, was missing. But within an hour, the little dog was back at home. "She walked up to me and let me pick her up," Officer William Giannas said. "It was like she was ready to go home." By D’Ann Lawrence White for Clearwater Patch
Precious Quadruplets
The first spur-winged lapwing chicks ever to be born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle recently made an appearance in the zoo’s African Savanna Aviary. That part of the zoo is closed to the public because it’s not big enough for coronavirus social distancing, but that’s just as well because the babies need time and space to bond with their parents before they’re ready for the spotlight. By Charles Woodman for Seattle Patch
And Finally, Last Chance To See Comet Neowise
There’s still a chance to get a glimpse of Comet Neowise, which is making an appearance in the sky just after sunset. It’s easy to see if you know where to look, but it is fading as it comes closer to our planet. It will start fading more rapidly in the middle of next week and then disappear from our solar system. By Beth Dalbey for Across America Patch
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This article originally appeared on the Across America Patch
