Innholdsfortegnelse for The Local Edition i The Goodnewspaper

At Good Good Good, we're always looking for ways we can improve what we do. For example, a few years ago we realized that we'd been covering good news stories about the environment, and mental health, and even topics like veterans or clean water in the Goodnewspaper — but we weren't able to go as deep as we would have liked on these important topics in our more general editions. And so, we decided to create a solution — launching our first-ever themed issues. Our goal was simple: give attention to good news stories that get underreported and might even surprise and delight us as we discovered them. It's been a huge success — and has allowed our readers to deep dive on big topics like animals, sustainability, and mental…

One of the great barriers to a zero-waste lifestyle is the limitations of our sociopolitical systems. We wait on municipalities to make it easier to compost; we save up for years to afford solar energy; or we struggle to find car-free options in sprawling cities. But Kamikatsu, a community of about 1,500 residents in Japan, has spent the last two decades transforming the area to meet a goal of carbon neutrality, since its official zerowaste declaration in 2003. According to the Washington Post, the town estimates that it is more than 80% of its way toward meeting that goal by 2030. The local brewery that makes zero-waste craft beer from discarded farm crops. A robust rideshare program that splits a handful of cars among 40 drivers. The area's Zero Waste…

Sometimes we all need the reminder that our community helpers might just have whiskers and a mighty meow. In Fort Payne, Washington last year, a stray cat named Paley (named for his light fur complexion) found a safe haven in the care of two neighbors who fed him and split the bill on his vaccinations, though he showed no interest in being domesticated in either of their homes. That didn't mean Paley didn't have a heart of gold, though. One winter evening, he appeared outside one of his caretaker's windows, meowing continuously — a behavior out of the norm for the independent feline. When the humans went to investigate, he led them to another neighbor who had fallen in the snow and could not get up, allowing them to act…

In Anchorage, Alaska, communities thrive off of impressive salmon returns, leaning on the seafood economy to make a living and feed their families. However, as climate change affects salmon abundance and distribution, Native Alaskan communities along the Yukon River and Kuskokwim River watersheds, as well as parts of the Alaska Peninsula like Chignik, have recently faced low returns. On the flip side, Bristol Bay has seen record-breaking salmon returns, leading to a community effort to redistribute resources and support Native families. Meet Fish for Families, a group initiative between tribal organizations, community leaders, and local fishermen to deliver Bristol Bay sockeye salmon to families in Southwest Alaska. The program initially began during the pandemic to help families in need, but when the community saw the ongoing impact of climate change…

Emmanuel Msoka is a young Tanzanian innovator, child rights and youth activist. “I grew up with an urge to change the way things are done and to solve social problems and injustices,” Msoka told Voices of Youth. “I've always been focused on children and youth since they make up the majority of victims of injustice, inequality, and oppression.” Nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2020 — an award given annually to a leader who has made a significant strides in advocating for child rights — Msoka has devoted much of his life to supporting his young neighbors through his work as UNICEF's Youth Advocate for water, sanitation, hygiene, and innovation. Through his local trainings and workshops, he focuses on encouraging self-confidence, creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurship — all in…

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is one of the largest animal conservation organizations in the world, but in order for animal welfare leaders to do large-scale work, local communities must have the resources they need to care for their environments. Enter: IFAW's Team Lioness, a group of 16 Maasai women who secure the landscape of Amboseli National Park, on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. As part of the larger Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers, these women are vital to the protection of wildlife from poachers in the area in a way that their male counterparts simply cannot compare. Part of this is due to the relationships Team Lioness cultivates with local villagers, often women and children who are afraid to speak with men. By gathering crucial information about…

1 Be a good neighbor. This might mean offering to run an errand for elderly neighbors, walking someone's dog, or taking the time to have a simple chat. 2 Get involved in local mutual aid efforts — aka an alternative system to meet people's needs outside the traditional market economy. mutualaidhub.org 3 Search “your city + volunteer opportunities” to find organizations needing an extra hand. Websites like VolunteerMatch and findhelp.org can help narrow down your search. 4 Are you passionate about the latest Taylor Swift album, your recent crochet project, or the environment? Connect with folks in your area by organizing your own Meetup (meetup.com), downloading Bumble BFF, or joining an existing Facebook group interest group. 5 Plan your own local food tour: Start by having an appetizer at a…

MORE GOOD NEWS Mutual aid has been used as a foundational approach to solidarity among marginalized communities throughout history, as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks have relied on community care as a vehicle for survival and social justice. However, just like any group structure, it can feel difficult or indimidating to organize without prior experience. Mutual Aid LA Network (MALAN) aims to get Los Angeles community members engaged on a grassroots level with ease and accessibility. MALAN is a connector and information hub for mutual aid efforts across LA. This is done through regular “dispatches,” or newsletters and social media posts, that curate and share opportunities, like Produce in the Park distributions, shelters that fight housing insecurity, or information on tenants’ unions for renters. Each Dispatch focuses on simple and approachable…

FIND THE HELPERS Many of us first met Kerry Evans through the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham,” where Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney teamed up to purchase Welsh football club Wrexham AEC. It was clear, though, that the real stars of the show were the community of helpers and fans like Evans. Evans, who suffered a stroke at 30 years old and was left paralyzed down her right side, decided to take up a volunteer position at the club centered around stadium accessibility. This opportunity became an outlet for her to help fellow fans with disabilities feel comfortable and safe. “We have so many disabilities to cater for,” Evans shared with The Leader. “For some people, all they need is a companion ticket to sit beside them in…

GET INVOLVED If you're anything like most American millennials or Gen-Zers, NBC's smart sitcom “Parks & Recreation” might have been your first interaction with the thrills and antics of municipal government. And if you're here now, eight years after the show ended, still sort of wondering what actually goes on behind the scenes in your city or town, you're certainly not alone. Most local governments or elected boards around the country vary in vast and confusing ways, and information about how government works can even be inaccessible or overwhelming. (And there's not usually a cute mini horse involved). Large, national elections get the most media and outreach attention and can feel a bit easier to understand, but it's our local elections that truly impact our daily lives. Think about the…

CHECK THIS OUT As iconic cartoon aardvark Arthur Reed once said: “Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.” While America's libraries are an oasis for accessible information, educational opportunities, cultural connection, and safety for marginalized communities, they're also just a really great place to be. Libraries are an integral element to any community and go beyond the stacks of fiction (even though grabbing a good ole’ rom coin read isn't so bad, either). Whether you're stopping into your local library to check out a book, join a zine-making class, or even to grab a free pass to a nearby art museum, we can almost guarantee there's an offering at your library that you haven't even discovered yet. “Libraries are intended to help people live their very best…

A quick Google search will tell you that the first vending machines were introduced to the world in the 1860s. Before they were filled with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or packs of M&Ms, they carried stamps and postcards and were often found in train and subway stations, and of course, at local post offices. Now credit card-compatible and almost robotic, these machines dot the modern world, but a few have decided to get creative with the offerings behind the glass. They might not dispense candy, but these vending machines are doing a whole lot of good. Narcan Vending Machines in Kentucky When Hardin County, Kentucky police chief Kenneth Mattingly responded to an emergency call in 2021 to help someone experiencing a potential overdose, he realized that there needed to be a…

Maggie Carosino is an eight-year-old botany enthusiast in Duvall, Washington, who developed a love of exploring the natural world during her time being homeschooled throughout the pandemic. One clay in the fall of 2020, Maggie's mother, Reagan, took her on a field trip to Lake Rasmussen, when Maggie noticed an unusual plant in the water. She and her mother quickly emailed county officials, who identified the plant as a “highly problematic invader known as Egeria,” according to KING 5 News. Had it been left unchecked, the Egeria could have spread to the point of choking out light that kills other plants and reduces oxygen for fish and other animal dwellers. Prior to Maggie's discovery, the invasive species had never been found in the Snoqualmie watershed, which runs into Lake Rasmussen,…

In November 2022, Linda Groocock's grocery trip turned into a rescue mission of 16 Atlantic white-sided dolphins stuck in the Annapolis Basin in Digby, Nova Scotia. As the tide went out, Groocock and a crew of nearby strangers were ready to dive in. She put in a call for help with the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), but the group was unable to travel to the area in time. They enlisted the local volunteer fire department and federal fisheries staff. However, Groocock quickly posted about the dolphins on social media, and the first helpers to respond were three teenage boys from a nearby high school. ‘It was like angels walking across the mud to help,” she told CBC News. “It was an experience of a lifetime. In time, about 40…

“Active Towns” podcast is hosted weekly by John Simmerman that covers topics around the people, places, and policies that create inviting, invigorating and inclusive local activity. Without NPR and its vast network of independent, nonprofit, and locally staffed member stations, many would not have access to vital information or independent voices from their communities. Find and listen to your local NPR member station by visiting npr.org/stations. “ChangeMakers,” hosted by Dr. Amanda Tattersall, is a podcast that tells stories of people changing the world around them, from finding out what works to discussing hopes for the future.…

Tricia Cortez is an environmental justice activist, as well as the executive director of the Rio Grande International Studies Center — the only environmental nonprofit in the Bordertown of Laredo, Texas. “The Rio Grande supplies water to six million people,” Cortez said. “For many communities along the border, it is the only source of drinking water.” While much of her work is dedicated to educating the local community on the importance of protecting and preserving this vital resource, she's also spent decades fighting environmental injustice within the city. From advocating for plastic bag bans to being one of the leading voices against the environmentally destructive borderwall, Cortez, alongside a coalition of veterans, clergy. Indigenous leaders, and landowners, helped successfully pave the way for the cancellation of unconstructed border wall contracts…

In May 2022, the Indigenous community of Ilpeye Ilpeye in Northern Australia was the first town camp in the area to be granted a freehold title of their land. This means that the Central Arrernte peoples won a decade-long dispute with the federal government to be seen as the traditional owners of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), an area a bit larger than 57 square miles in a rural part of the country. With this victory comes the challenge of unprecedented housing shortages. Rental and social housing options in rural Australia have recently become nearly nonexistent, with vacancies as low as .07%, leaving communities to tackle the housing crisis with speed and cost-savings, all while battling hot temperatures. Partnering with Melbourne-based company Luyten, Central Arrernte community members are working to 3D-print five…

WE NEED GOOD NEWS We are gathered here today, Goodnewspaper in hand, as admirers, curators, and creators of print journalism. As such, many of us likely already have a sharp awareness of the crisis plaguing local news. Thanks to the vast expanse of the Internet, we have a handy dandy device that tells us anything about everything all the time (even if it's not true), and thanks to private equity funds and mega-rich investors (like Alden Global Capital), local news outlets are being gutted at record speed. Not only does this lead to the human cost of lost livelihoods and increased reporter burnout, but it is likely one of the largest factors of misinformation wildfire. For example, the Pew Research Center reports that the number of fulltime statehouse reporters at…

When husband and wife duo Nik and Alivia Stophol bought their first home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, they got to work DIY-ing every nook and cranny. The couple decided to document their projects on social media and quickly became confident in their skills — while racking up a major following (@nikandliv.diy has more than 1.8 million followers on TikTok). Since their humble beginnings searching all types of tutorials on YouTube, they've become home project pros and use their platform to share ways to cultivate a beautiful space with a limited budget or building experience. But there's another reason why folks have followed along: Good Work Wednesdays. Each week, the Stophols share videos about ways they've helped their neighbors and community members with projects and problems — for free. Whether it's taming…