It seems like the last few weeks have amounted to a big deep breath for America. Whatever outcome anyone wanted personally, we all experienced an exhausting run-up to the election and now the daily barrage of headlines about what is being positioned and what might happen next. Want a break? There are other things happening in the world, and MLive’s journalists have not stopped looking for and reporting on good news, unusual feature stories and things you may find entertaining or even humorous. MLive reporter Justin Engel was on the front lines of our reporting on months of visits by presidential candidates and their running mates. One of his first efforts after that grueling gauntlet is as amazing as it is uplifting: The story of a 30-year-old Michigan man who received a 60-hour face-transplant procedure at Mayo Clinic. The recipient, Derek Pfaff, said the surgery “has transformed my life,” and doctors noted he can now even make facial movements to express happiness, sadness and joy. You’ll experience all of those emotions reading Engel’s story. An equally inspiring story came from Lee Thompson, a 30-year-veteran high school sportswriter for The Bay City Times. Thompson’s deep knowledge of his community and traditions allows him to spot great stories in unusual situations. A perfect example is how he turned a runner’s last-place finish into a stirring story of commitment by both an athlete and his mother. Logan Gehoski captured top honors in the Bay County Championship and was running at the state championships at Michigan International Speedway. His mother, Beth Gehoski, thought she missed seeing him at several checkpoints and started to get nervous. What she didn’t know, nor any of his coaches or teammates, was that he was sick – what would turn out to be pneumonia. He didn’t quit – and neither will you when you start reading this piece. Did you enjoy seeing the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field? Then you’ll get a laugh thanks to the sharp eye of MLive reporter Audra Gamble. Gamble watched the game on television and saw a Detroit fan standing next to his wife, who is a Packers fan. The wife wore a foam cheesehead – the iconic Packer hat. The husband wore a large foam cheese grater. Gamble noticed the man was a former neighbor and tracked him down for his delightful backstory. “Honestly, the Packers fans think it’s hilarious,” said the Lions fan, David Bodine. “They all try to take photos with me.” Photos are a must-have with this next one: MLive entertainment reporter Ed Pevos worked the floor of the Motor City Comic Con – Michigan’s largest gathering of cosplayers. If you’re not familiar with the concept, fans of comic characters, fantasy realm figures, pop culture icons and more go to great lengths to make elaborate costumes and show them off at conventions. The events also draw celebrities who acted in the original roles, often from decades ago. Pevos’ stories and photos from these events are can’t-miss favorites with MLive readers. And last, I’ll leave you with the kind of stories that MLive journalists often track down that make me go “Wow! That’s cool.” Justine Lofton, who writes for our Life & Culture team, tells the intriguing story of a Michigan distillery, Michigan State University and a voyage to the bottom of Lake Huron to retrieve 146-year-old rye seeds from a shipwreck. The end goal is to take the DNA from the long-lost rye variety and ultimately produce a strain that could make Michigan home to a “rye trail” akin to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a huge tourist draw for that state. I’ll drink to that – and to good news in general. I appreciate these reminders that there’s more to life – and to MLive – than the top headlines of breaking news. We’ll keep them coming. # # # | 