The week's good news: April 2, 2020

1. Scientists say by 2050, the world's oceans could fully recover from overfishing, pollution

It won't be easy, but if conservation efforts are doubled around the world, scientists believe the world's oceans could be restored by 2050. Oceans have been hurt by centuries of overfishing and pollution, but a new scientific review published in the journal Nature found that the oceans are also resilient, and successful conservation techniques have resulted in several types of marine life rebounding. In 1968, there were just a few hundred humpback whales left, but now there are more than 40,000. There are once again thousands of sea otters off of western Canada, and globally, mangroves and seagrass meadows are rarely being disturbed. For the oceans to make a full recovery in 30 years, scientists say climate change must be fully addressed and there has to be a renewed focus on keeping farm pollution and plastic out of the water.

The Guardian

2. Newspaper carrier does double duty, delivering groceries free of charge to people along his route

All 800 of Greg Dailey's customers received the same note stuffed in their newspaper: If they needed anything picked up from the grocery store, he was happy to do it for them, free of charge. Dailey is a newspaper carrier, delivering the Star-Ledger every morning to homes in central New Jersey. After Dailey learned that one of his elderly customers was afraid to go outside to pick up the paper amid the coronavirus pandemic, he thought about others who might have difficulty navigating this new world. He wrote a note to customers offering his services, and soon the calls came flooding in. When he's done delivering his papers for the day, Dailey hits the grocery store, then brings the items back to his house for disinfection before dropping them off. "This isn't something that we're just going to do for a few days — we're in this for the duration," he told The Washington Post.

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The Washington Post

3. After prom is canceled, California teen finds a sweet way to still dress up for the occasion

Annette Barranco knew her grandparents were looking forward to seeing her all dressed for prom, so when the dance was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to turn their front lawn into a runway. Barranco is a senior at Beaumont High School in Beaumont, California, and while she was sad when her prom and graduation were both scrapped, she said she understands it is for the greater good. She had already picked out a sparkly blue prom dress, and didn't want it to stay hidden in her closet, so she put it on, fixed her hair, and headed over to her grandparents' front lawn. Barranco modeled the dress outside as her enthralled grandparents watched safely from inside their living room. When her grandmother first saw Barranco, her eyes filled with tears, and "it was emotionally really nice to see her reaction," Barranco told ABC Los Angeles.

ABC Los Angeles

4. Customers keep New Jersey pizzeria in business while feeding first responders

Bryan Morin has always taken care of his employees, and he wasn't going to let coronavirus get in his way. Morin and his brother, Michael, own Federico's Pizza in Belmar, New Jersey. The pizzeria was once owned by their father, and Bryan told The Associated Press he takes his role as "provider" for his employees seriously. When business slowed down a few weeks ago, he took out a $50,000 line of credit in order to pay them for the next two months, figuring he would "make it up somewhere down the line." When customers heard what Morin did, they showed their support by giving big tips and making donations. A few people then had the idea to pay for pizzas and have them delivered to first responders at hospitals and police and fire stations across the city; over just two days last week, customers spent $4,000 on pizzas for first responders.

The Associated Press

5. With school out, this administrator had to find a creative way to let teen know she's valedictorian

When Michelle Floering pulled up to the Culver's drive-thru in Traverse City, Michigan, she ordered a frozen custard and delivered a very important message. Since school is out due to the coronavirus pandemic, Floering, the secondary principal at Grand Traverse Academy, wasn't able to immediately tell senior Kaitlyn Watson that she is this year's valedictorian. She knew Watson worked at Culver's, so Floering drove over and asked to see Watson at the window. Floering recorded the whole interaction, capturing Watson's excitement after she told her she was GTA's 2020 valedictorian. "I am?" Watson responded as she jumped in the air. "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" Floering said the honor was "well deserved," and if they didn't have to practice social distancing, she would give Watson a hug.

CBS News