Feel Good Friday

When does getting a bear to leave your house qualify as feel good news? When it’s been living there for weeks! 550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal. Pro tip for those who find themselves with as a bear as an unwanted roommate: Call the experts from Tahoe. It took them a few minutes to solve the problem.

+ “As we sat at his dining room table in early December, Mr. Galloway was dressed for a run, in black jogging pants and a hat advertising his coaching program. He moves more slowly than before the heart attacks, and he’s only able to jog for a few seconds at a time before taking a walk break. But his desire to cover long distances hasn’t waned.” 50 Years Ago, He Was an Olympian. At 80, He’s Just as Happy to Finish Last.

+ “Simon Beck works alone, using a compass and a pair of snowshoes to create intricate patterns as large as three soccer fields.” He spends 12 hours making art in the snow, then watches it vanish. (I spend almost that much time writing stuff that is old news a few hours later…)

+ Despite Trump-era reversals, 2025 still saw environmental wins. Here are 7 worth noting.

+ UK company wants to build a data center that will heat downtown Lansing.

+ Rowers capture close encounter with whales.

+ A child is born: Italians celebrate village’s first baby in 30 years. (This kid is going to have the sorest cheeks in human history.)