Zack's Good News

Earlier this month, a 14-year-old Montana teenager used his ranching skills for an incredible rescue, using a lasso to pull a drowning man from the fast-moving Yellowstone River. Jory Thomas was camping with his family when a raft and paddleboard collided with a bridge pillar, sending four people into the water. While three made it to shore, one man was left drifting downstream while clinging to a cooler. Jory sprang into action. He ran along the riverbank with a 12-foot lariat — a rodeo rope he brought to the campground to get some extra practice. Every day for months, he had been roping cattle dummies. All that hard work paid off as Jory threw his lariat and snagged the man on his very first attempt. He then hauled the swimmer through chest-deep water to safety, where first responders took over. His grandmother, Sandy Thomas, was thrilled everyone was safe after the adventure — but wasn't surprised that Jory stepped up without hesitation. As she explained, "His first instinct always is to help other people. He's always been that way. The whole community is proud of him. We've had a lot of feedback, but that's Jory. He's always there to help somebody else.”

About 20 years ago, a Corvette sports car enthusiast named Joe was devastated when his wife passed away unexpectedly. At the time, the couple owned a 1990 C4 Corvette, which they enjoyed riding and driving together. When Joe's wife died, he put the rare six-speed, V8 Corvette in a barn — and left it alone. Recently, a team of mechanics and auto detailers at the YouTube channel WD Detailing learned about the car in the barn — and learned how special the car was to Joe. They stepped in to bring the muscle car back to life as a gift to Joe. The detailers spent days tackling 20 years' worth of grime, rodent nests, and baked-in dirt. After deep-cleaning the interior, polishing the paint, and flushing out stale gas, mechanic Adam threw in a fresh battery and fired it up. The engine roared back to life on the very first try — even shooting four chicken eggs out of the exhaust pipe left behind by a former animal tenant. When the mechanics finally revealed the fully restored vehicle to Joe, he heard the familiar engine growl before he even saw the car and was immediately brought to tears. Smiling through the emotion, he spent the afternoon sharing fond memories of his wife, celebrating the return of the closest thing he had left to driving alongside her.

Dave Whitlow, a 73-year-old retired local government manager in Virginia, spends his Tuesdays and Thursdays working the best gig of his life — serving as a volunteer cuddler in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Richmond. For the past eight years, Dave has shown up to hold, rock, and comfort some of the hospital's most fragile patients. On a typical shift, he cradles five to eight premature or critically ill infants — some weighing under two pounds — giving them the human connection and comfort they need while they fight for their lives. Dave works closely with the nursing staff, carefully tracking the babies' vital signs and monitoring their progress during every single cuddle. Before placing each infant back into their bed, Dave quietly whispers the same heartfelt wish to them: "Grow strong, grow smart, grow kind." Dave is happy he has the extra time in retirement to do this important job. "It's the best gig I've ever had. It just feels right. I pretty much just want to be with them," he said.

Hannah Bomback, a seventh-grade teacher in Burton, Ohio, noticed that one of her students, Arieauna Johnson, was frequently missing class — and learned that Arieauna's mom, Melissa Johnson, was dealing with a serious kidney problem. Hannah had also taught Melissa's four older children and wanted to help the family any way she could, so she stepped up and donated a kidney. While Hannah wasn't a direct match, her donation to a stranger through the National Kidney Registry generated a priority voucher. This amazing golden ticket bumped Melissa to the top of the active waiting list for a living donor, giving Melissa a real shot at getting her life back. Hannah says the transplant process went smoothly and is happy that Melissa and her family are getting a boost. Hannah admits that she also got a boost. As she explained, "When you give to other people, your life is made so much better. It feels weird because I personally have gotten so much joy out of it. I've benefited so much."

A couple weeks ago, the charity group Wesley Family Services in Pennsylvania was facing some tough times. They were on the brink of shutting down its "Open Your Heart to a Senior" program because of a loss of federal funding — which left local senior citizens worried about how they would get their groceries. The news startled local resident Diana Holcomb, who relied on the services provided by the program. Diana shared her story with a local TV station to make sure the community knew about the crisis. Her emotional plea struck a major chord in the community — and inspired an anonymous donor to step forward with $100,000 to fund the food program for another full year. When Diana learned the news, she was overwhelmed with emotion. "Wow, somebody out there cares," she said. "It brought me to tears. I just thanked the Lord for working this out."

An off-duty firefighter from Texas was out on the lake over the Fourth of July weekend when a boat carrying nine people capsized. He didn't hesitate. He repeatedly dove under the overturned boat and pulled three children out from underneath it. One of the kids wasn't breathing when he got her out. He performed CPR right there on the spot until she came back around. All three children survived without major injuries. That's the definition of being in the right place at the right time — and actually being prepared for it. That firefighter had a pretty remarkable Fourth of July.

An 82-year-old North Carolina woman is being called a living miracle after surviving nine days trapped in her bathtub. Joan Rivet fell while getting ready for bed, injured her back, and was unable to climb out. With her phone out of reach and no one nearby to hear her calls, she spent more than a week alone in the tub. To stay alive, Rivet came up with a remarkable solution: she used her foot to turn on the faucet and splashed water toward her face so she could drink. She says her faith helped her endure the pain and isolation, and she never gave up hope of being rescued. The breakthrough came when her brother, who calls her every week, became concerned after several unanswered calls. He requested a welfare check, and deputies found Rivet semi-conscious in her bathtub. She was hospitalized for dehydration and other complications but is now recovering through physical therapy. Despite the ordeal, Rivet remains optimistic, saying she’s grateful for simple comforts like food, water, and a warm shower. Her story is inspiring neighbors to check in more often on people who live alone — and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of hope, determination, and community.

Not all of the big World Cup stories are happening on the pitch. An England fan and his grandpa are making headlines, too. 21-year-old Jacob Allmendinger from East Yorkshire, England, spent his entire savings — about $13,000 — to take his 80-year-old grandfather, Geoff Golliker, on what he called the trip of a lifetime to the World Cup in the U.S. and Mexico. Their journey gained attention on social media, where people were touched by Jacob’s decision to prioritize time with his grandfather over saving for a home. Among those who saw the story was an online company that offered to reimburse the money if England beat Panama by two goals. To Jacob’s surprise, the company followed through and deposited the funds into his account. Jacob says he was shocked when he checked his bank balance and saw the money had actually arrived. He now plans to put the funds back into savings, potentially reviving his dream of buying a house. But for Jacob, the biggest reward has been the memories. He says he and his grandfather are more like best friends than granddad and grandson, and the overwhelming response from people who miss their own grandparents has made the trip even more meaningful.

A group of neighbors in England is being praised after risking their lives to rescue an 87-year-old woman from a house fire. Phyllis Day was asleep in her home when flames broke out late at night. Because she has Alzheimer’s disease and had removed her hearing aids before going to bed, she never heard the smoke alarms. Neighbors spotted the fire just before 11:30 p.m. and immediately tried to get inside while firefighters were on the way. At the same time, Day’s daughter, Suzanne Wright, was watching the emergency unfold through a doorbell camera and used the system’s two-way intercom to help guide neighbors into the house. Two of those neighbors, 28-year-old Pav Sarpal and 44-year-old Stephan Smart, rushed upstairs through heavy smoke in a desperate search for the trapped woman. They eventually found Day asleep in her bedroom, woke her up, and carefully guided her to safety. Wright says there’s no question the neighbors saved her mother’s life, adding that the experience restored her faith in people. She called the rescuers heroes and said complete strangers were willing to risk everything to help someone they barely knew.

An 11-year-old Kentucky boy named Avory Woolery is an amazing kid, and here's why. Avery noticed an unconscious man at the bottom of an apartment complex swimming pool in Lexington and realized no one else was doing anything to help. So, he put on his goggles, dove in, and pulled the man to the surface all by himself. Once out of the water, the man's friend began CPR while another bystander called 911. The man was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Avory told reporters, "I grabbed him up and I just felt really bad because there was no way that I was going to let another man die today. He's a human being. He should be treated as such." Avory's father, Sean Woolery, said he could not be prouder of his son's courage saying, "I'm proud of him. Somebody, when I was walking up here, somebody said, 'Thank you. You taught him how to swim.'"

A Phoenix police officer is being praised for turning a disappointment into an unforgettable day for more than 100 students. When funding fell through for an end-of-summer field trip at Greenway Middle School, School Resource Officer Sean Reavie stepped in and personally paid to rent an entire movie theater for 144 students in the school’s summer program. They got a private screening of Toy Story 5, and Reavie also covered popcorn, candy, and drinks. For many of the seventh and eighth graders, it was their very first trip to a movie theater. Reavie says he didn’t want to break a promise made to the kids, especially since many come from families facing financial hardships. The theater outing cost about $2,000, but he says the experience was worth every penny. The veteran officer has a long history of helping local children. Last year, he spent more than $3,000 of his own money to take students to a water park and also runs a nonprofit called Put On The Cape: A Foundation For Hope. Before the movie started, Reavie gave the students one simple message: when they grow up, help others in return.

A New York entrepreneur is getting a lot of attention for turning his success into inspiration for others. John Cronin, a business owner with Down syndrome, has officially opened the first retail store for his company, John’s Crazy Socks, in Huntington, New York. The storefront comes about a decade after he launched the business with a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can achieve. Surrounded by family and friends at a ribbon‑cutting ceremony, Cronin celebrated the new shop as a place that reflects his personality — creative, colorful, and fun. The store marks a big step forward for the company, which started small and has grown into a widely recognized brand, known not just for its products but for its message of inclusion and opportunity. Cronin’s story is being highlighted as an example of how determination and community support can help break barriers, while bringing a little more joy into the world, one pair of socks at a time.