There is so much to see and do on the internet. On the phone. On TV. And because of that, it sometimes seems shocking to see people’s eyes unlatched from a screen. But most of us are (or want to be) engaged in amazing ways to the outside world. Which is why it’s so important to recognize the ones doing it with flair.
VOICE OF AN ANGEL
Kevin Dunn was a 35-year-old husband and father stuck at a crossroads, both physically and metaphorically, when he says he heard God’s voice direct him.
He was sitting at a traffic light, having just lost his job of 12 years. The voice that directed him said one word: “hospice.”
That was 23 years ago. Since then, Dunn, a singer-songwriter from Valley, Alabama, has spent most every Monday bathing the halls and 14 rooms of Wellstar West Georgia Hospice with hymns like “Blessed Assurance” and “Sweet Beulah Land.”
His tunes offer familiarity, comfort and peace for those who need it most.
“It sounded like angels."
Dunn told the AJC’s Danielle Charbonneau that people have rushed to embrace him on multiple occasions, radiant with gratitude, after their loved one had taken their final breath as he sang.
“I guess I’m just giving people the peace to freely let go during those moments,” he said.
- Science backs up his experience. A 2019 analysis published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that music therapy significantly reduces pain and anxiety for people receiving palliative care.
“It chokes me up to even talk about it because it’s such a blessing,” said Sandy Melton, the center’s volunteer coordinator.
🔍 Read more: Volunteer vocalist has provided solace to hospice patients for 23 years
DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.
The force is strong in Matt Ross, a musician who plays bass for some of the most beloved bands in Huntsville, Alabama.
Not only does Ross rock, he’s also developed a hobby that extends to a galaxy far, far away.
AL.com’s Matt Wake writes that Ross builds replica “Star Wars” lightsabers in his free time. The laser-swords emit light beams and make sound effects, including the retraction shoosh when deactivated. You should check them out.
⭐ Read more of AL.com’s 31 Days of Good News
MAKING BANK FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Kate Stice Stewart turned a family tradition into a lucrative business that won her a spot on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
The Sandy Springs entrepreneur pitched her Bauble Stockings to the Sharks in hopes of landing a financial partner or, at worst, exposure to millions of potential customers.
- Stewart, who goes by “Sandy Clause,” sells small, hand-stitched stockings meant to be hung on Christmas trees that are used either to place their most meaningful Christmas gift or a clue to said gift.
- The stockings, priced between $89.50 and $295, are sold mom-and-pop gift shops, plus Neiman Marcus.
- She said a growth area has been custom stockings depicting Sea Island, Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm and other locations.
Spoiler: She won over Barbara Corcoran, who agreed to give her $250,000 for a 20% stake in the company.
🎁 Read more about Stewart and her business
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
♻️ North Carolina: Nonprofit, state, federal and private sector scientists and engineers are teaming up to save North Carolina’s peat bogs, which have great potential to store planet-warming carbon. The New York Times highlighted it as one of the environmental solutions working in every state. Others include Georgia’s “Sponge Park” and ego-grazing goats who take boats to Maclellan Island. More from The NYT
⚕️Metro Atlanta: Sonia Ray, a two-time breast cancer survivor, started a support group called Harbor of Hop to help women on Atlanta’s southside with support and resources. Ray teaches the importance of self-advocacy, early screening and faith through the journey. More from the AJC
🍹 Charleston, S.C.: Good Housekeeping gave Emeline, a boutique hotel downtown, one of its 2026 Travel Awards, giving acclaim to its restaurant Frannie & the Fox, plus The Den, a speakeasy tucked behind it. More from Good Housekeeping
🎬 OWENSBORO, Ky.: P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson turned personal hardships and a $93,000 budget into a buzzy and award-winning horror-comedy that streams nationwide Tuesday. “New Fears Eve,” filmed entirely in western Kentucky, will be available on Screambox and Amazon Prime Video. More from Spectrum News 1
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
“Every Atlanta generation has the chance to turn a mark into a movement. Dr. Martin Luther King's eternal flame still burns in our city. The cauldron that once held the flame of Olympic spirit still hangs over our streets. What light will we leave behind? "
That’s Milton J. Little Jr., president and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta, an organization working alongside many nonprofits to address the poor economic mobility ranking that plagues the city. Read the rest of his op-ed for the AJC here.
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About the Author
Eric Mandel is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native and University of Iowa alumnus. The award-winning journalist moved from Seattle in 2017 to Atlanta, working as a writer and editor for American City Business Journals. He joined the AJC in June 2024.
