The Good News Sunday Edition

Good Things Happening Around the World

• Cricket comeback! Inspired by star players, teen from Newcastle bounces back to the pitch just months after a cardiac arrest

• Longreach, Western Queensland, celebrated 100 years of its fire trials, showcasing firefighters' skills and featuring a classic 1935 fire engine

• The world’s first and largest offshore solar farm is now online in China

• Legacy Jackson, a 15-year old teen, inspires children to participate in community service

• All the Good About Thanksgiving

• More Good News

• Words of Inspiration

Cricket comeback!

Inspired by star players, teen from Newcastle bounces back to the pitch just months after a cardiac arrest

Months after a near-fatal cardiac arrest, Newcastle’s Kade Sutton is back on the pitch, defying all odds. The 18-year-old collapsed during training in August, but quick CPR by coach Jed Dickson saved his life.

Equipped with a defibrillator and an indomitable spirit, Kade returned to cricket just three months later, cheered on by family, friends, and cricket legends Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc. “But three months off isn't the worst-case scenario for me,” Kade joked, grateful for his second chance.

Now, he’s chasing his cricket dreams while gearing up to study criminology. As Kade says, “This is just the beginning.”

Why it’s worth smiling about: Kade’s journey is a reminder that determination, quick-thinking mates, and a little star power can spark incredible comebacks.

So resilience wins again.

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Longreach, Western Queensland

Celebrated 100 years of its fire trials, showcasing firefighters' skills and featuring a classic 1935 fire engine

Western Queensland's Longreach marked the centenary of its iconic Fire Trials, a tradition showcasing the strength and agility of its firefighters.

The event features vintage firefighting equipment, including a 1935 Dennis Fire Appliance, and draws generations of locals to compete or spectate.

Captain Toby Stacey of the Longreach Fire Brigade Historical Society highlighted the Trials as a “rite of passage,” where kids playing in the water grow up to become firefighters.

This year, over 100 former firefighters returned for the milestone celebration, emphasising the camaraderie built over decades.

Organisers hope the tradition, resilient through World War II and societal changes, will endure for future generations.

Why it’s worth smiling about: The Longreach Fire Trials embody community spirit, history, and resilience. Generations of locals have cherished the event, from kids delighting in water sprays to families preserving a firefighting legacy.

In an era where many traditions fade, the Longreach Fire Trials stand tall, sparking joy and pride in an outback town that values connection and history.

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The world’s first and largest offshore solar farm is now online in China

Off the eastern coast of China, the world’s largest offshore solar farm has officially begun feeding power into the grid. The first solar units are now online, marking the start of a major energy shift.

When fully operational, the farm will generate 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually—enough to power 2.67 million homes.

This solar powerhouse will also save 503,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon emissions by 1.34 million tons each year. Plus, it cleverly combines renewable energy with aquaculture, integrating fish farming with solar power.

Why it’s worth smiling about: This isn’t just about energy; it’s a step toward a greener future.

As China grapples with rising carbon emissions, massive renewable projects like this provide a clean solution to meet its energy needs. It's a win for the environment and a hopeful sign for the future.

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Legacy Jackson, a 15-year old teen, inspires children to participate in community service

Before opening her own Christmas presents each year, Legacy Jackson’s family would serve meals to those experiencing homelessness in her community. As a seven-year-old, she noticed there were no other kids involved and wanted to change that. So, she came up with a plan to make community service fun for children, and Little Legacies was born.

Now 15, Legacy’s organization encourages young people to give back through activities like delivering toys to hospital patients, spreading cheer at senior centers, and more.

One of her most notable contributions is the vibrant play space at Gateway 180, St. Louis' largest emergency shelter for families. It's a space where Legacy’s passion for giving back truly shines.

Why it’s worth smiling about: Legacy Jackson isn’t just celebrating the holidays—she’s turning the act of giving back into a lifelong gift for others.

By involving kids in community service, she’s teaching them that helping others can be as joyful as receiving presents.

Legacy’s efforts have brightened hospital rooms, senior centers, and shelters, proving that kindness and compassion truly know no age limits.

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All the Good About Thanksgiving

• With the generosity of community donations, a restaurant in Ohio is dishing out thousands of free Thanksgiving meals.

• Volunteers worked tirelessly to pack 50,000 pounds of food to serve victims of Hurricane Helene, whose destruction still leaves communities in South Carolina reeling.

• In an interesting twist, a “turkey tracker” has been launched to help you track the environmental footprint of your Thanksgiving feast, with handy tips to reduce emissions.

• A school district in central Kentucky is stepping up to support students facing food insecurity during the Thanksgiving break. With over 700,000 people in Kentucky struggling with hunger—more than 200,000 of them children—this initiative is a lifeline.

• On TikTok, one creator has become a Thanksgiving hero by helping families save big on their festive meals with a "Dollar Tree dinner."

• In Connecticut, an organisation is serving up 50,000 free Thanksgiving meals to ease the rising food insecurity, which has spiked by 23% from last year.

More Good News

• Communities in Massachusetts use federal and local funds to bridge the internet access gap

• Squid-inspired capsule could make injections painless

• Hundreds of New Zealanders rescued 30+ stranded whales using bed sheets

• First Black duo reaches Dancing with the Stars finale

• Cash payments trial to reduce UK homelessness: Inspired by Canadian research, the UK will give cash payments to people experiencing homelessness

• Women make up over half of Colorado’s legislature in 2025: For the first time, women will hold a majority in Colorado’s state legislature

Words of Inspiration

• "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." – Albert Einstein

• "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their colour." – Maya Angelou

• "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." – Leonardo da Vinci

• "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." – Marcus Aurelius

• "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." – Virginia Woolf

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