It's Been a Tough News Year, but Some Stories Made Us Smile in 2024

To put it mildly, 2024 did not hold back on grim news. One could be forgiven for looking at headlines from this past year and wondering whether they should throw their phone into the nearest body of water.

But let’s not allow that gloom to eclipse the joy that 2024 also contained — for instance, when millions marveled at a total solar eclipse! A steady drumbeat of good news has carried on across the country, whether we were paying attention or not. And in case you weren’t, NPR’s member stations have been keeping track.

Here are some of the stories from coast to coast that made us smile in 2024:

An Iowa boy wanted to ride a motorcycle for his 11th birthday. Over 250 motorcyclists came to his party to grant his wish.
Dallas Grave became obsessed with motorcycles after he met a group of bike riders while running a lemonade stand, Iowa Public Radio reported in October. So when he asked to ride one for his birthday, his mom, Ashley Kirkes, figured she’d put out an open invite on Facebook to any motorcyclists who might want to drop by and give him a ride. She didn’t imagine what ended up happening: scores of them showed up, with gifts to boot.

A Missouri school district named a school building after its beloved custodian.
Claudene Wilson started off at the Swedeborg School District in 1992 as a custodian, according to KCUR. But over the years, she started wearing more and more hats, like bus driver, lawn-mower or office phone-answerer. Generations of students came to know and love her as the reliable cornerstone of their school. So at the start of this school year, the district decided to name its K–8 elementary school after her, celebrating her 30+ years of dedication.

Grizzly bears are being reintroduced to the North Cascades.
It’s been nearly three decades since anyone has seen a grizzly anywhere near North Cascades National Park, located northeast of Seattle, KUOW reports, even though the bears used to dominate the area. Now, several grizzlies from Montana, Wyoming and British Columbia will be airlifted into the North Cascades every summer to slowly rebuild the population.

A group of Bostonians asked the local train authority to put googly eyes on some of their trains. It worked!
It’s a classic, if unorthodox example of successful grassroots organizing: Some Boston residents rallied to ask the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to put googly eyes on the trains. And as WBUR reported back in June, the MBTA obliged. Only five of the trains are sporting the eyes, but a little bit of whimsy goes a long way.

The total solar eclipse dazzled New Hampshire’s North Country.
Northern New Hampshire was one of the regions in the solar eclipse’s path of totality in the U.S. this past April — and accordingly, tourists flocked there. Staff from New Hampshire Public Radio talked to everyone, from roadtrippers to small business owners, state park workers, and local university students. The verdict? As one visitor from Maryland said: “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

Philly’s Kensington Derby once again brought together the city’s wackiest human-powered vehicles.
Picture this: 15,000 Philadelphians cheering on bicyclists, tricyclists and roller skaters dressed up as Shrek, the Phillie Phanatic, parking cones and a giant nautilus. That was the scene to behold at the 16th edition of the Kensington Derby, where participants faced down a 3-mile course culminating in a mud pit at the finish line. As WHYY reported, it’s all for a good cause: proceeds go to support local community development organizations.

For the first time since the 17th century, the Nansemond Indian Nation held its yearly pow wow on land it officially owned.
Back in May, the city council of Suffolk, Va., voted to return 71 acres of land to the Nansemond, the result of a yearslong debate between the city and the tribe, which had been displaced from the land in the 1600s. WHRO reported from the pow wow, where members of the tribe celebrated together with dancing, food and more.

A duck named Polly won everyone over at a Texas animal sanctuary.
Caretakers at All Things Wild Rehabilitation believe that Polly, a 1-year-old Pekin duck who’s missing part of her bill, was dumped at a pond by her former owner and attacked by a snapping turtle. But, as KUT reported, they know one thing for certain: Polly loves everyone at the animal sanctuary, and everyone loves Polly. Proof in point: They made her a 3D-printed prosthetic bill using funds raised by the community.

When the owners of a Seattle music venue stepped away from the business, employees stepped in to keep it running as a co-op.
Conor Byrne Pub, a beloved music venue frequented by up-and-coming artists, was in danger of closing its doors forever earlier this year, KNKX reported. Instead, it’s becoming a co-op, funded and run by community members thanks to an effort spearheaded by its former employees.

Researchers announced a new species of dinosaur, unearthed in Montana.
When a paleontologist from the University of Utah and his students started examining small fragments of bones for research back in 2022, all they knew was that they were looking at bones unearthed in northern Montana a few years prior, according to Yellowstone Public Radio. They had no idea that they’d been given pieces of a never-before-discovered dinosaur, a reconstruction of which was unveiled this past June. Its name: Lokiceratops rangiformis, named after the Norse god Loki.

Signs point to an endangered snake in Indiana making a comeback.
The Kirtland’s snake, a small reptile with a red belly, is considered endangered in Indiana. However, recent sightings suggest the species is making a recovery, according to Indiana Public Media. While checking out a recently restored wetland near Bloomington, Ind., local officials found some snakes in an abandoned soybean field nearby — an unusual location that makes herpetologists optimistic about a comeback for the snakes in the state.

Looking for even more feel-good stories? Check out Iowa Public Radio’s daily newsletter dedicated to good news, The Sunnyside Project.

This piece includes reporting from member station newsrooms across the U.S.