From young people achieving incredible milestones to neighbors stepping up for one another, here’s a look at some standout, good-news stories from each month of 2025.
January
Strawberry Crest High student scores 'perfect triple' on SAT, PSAT and ACT by Sean Daly: Adwaith 'Ad' Praveen didn't miss a single question on 3 of the biggest academic tests. Did he know that he had aced each one after he took them? Well, sort of.
February
Girl Scouts on different coasts support each other during natural disasters by Robert Boyd: The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida received hundreds of letters of support following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and now they are the ones sending letters to California.
March
A dream come true for one Yankees fan by Kevin Lewis: “I would not believe it,” 11-year-old Noah Riley said with astonishment after making his way onto Steinbrenner Field.
April
Tampa 11-year-old goes viral after meeting UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers by Mary O'Connell: Eleven-year-old Harper LaMarre loves basketball. "I've known how to shoot a basketball since maybe I was four?" she said. Her favorite player? Without a doubt, Paige Bueckers.
May
Man’s best friend takes on new role helping veterans and active-duty military by Wendy Ryan: There is a new staff member at a local healthcare treatment center. Meet Captain, the newest therapy employee at the Patriot Support Program serving both veterans and active-duty members.
June
12-year-old guitar phenom plays Metallica daily to gear up for Tampa concerts by Erik Waxler: When it comes to playing guitar, Matas Meskys is not your ordinary 12-year-old. His dad, Arnas, introduced Matas to hard rock music early on.
July
'Free dog with every home sold': St. Pete realtor gets creative to find homes for rescue animals by Jada Williams: For Sale signs are common in Florida. But there's something different on DJ Soucy's signs; enough to stop you in your tracks.
August
Volunteering since he was 3 years old, kid inspires others to keep Pasco clean by Erik Waxler: Eleven-year-old Lewis Queensberry has been picking up garbage for as long as he can remember. Once he was old enough to walk, Lewis started collecting litter on his own. For his third birthday, he asked for his own grabber claw.
September
Seminole High's 1-armed volleyball player is an inspiration to others by Kyle Burger: Seminole High School volleyball player Shaleigh Hirtzel was born without the lower portion of her right arm. But that’s not slowing her down in life or on the court.
October
A Tampa woman is reunited with her dog after she reported him missing 7 years ago by Julie Salomone: Gabrielle Hartley said she reported her dog missing in 2018. Hartley said over the years, she paid a subscription fee to PetKey to keep her information updated on Luca's microchip
November
Missing beehives returned to 84-year-old Florida beekeeper after story goes viral by Adam Walser: Richard Marquette lost 20 beehives in July when someone mistakenly cleared his property, taking away his primary source of income from honey sales.
December
Homemade quilts bring Christmas cheer to Pasco County veterans by Erik Waxler: Mary Lou King has been making quilts for the past 18 years, not for herself, but for others.
Hillsborough County woman nearly loses $10k to elaborate sheriff's office phone scam
Sheri Amarillas was sitting in her car on a Tuesday morning, about to walk into an appointment after dropping her kids off at school, when she received a voicemail that would lead to an hour-and-a-half ordeal with sophisticated scammers.
