The week's good news: June 29, 2017

(Image credit: Facebook/Mayor Brynn)

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1. 10-year-old invents device to prevent death in overheated cars
2. The mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, is a pit bull named Brynneth Pawltrow
3. Hairdresser travels around the world to give the homeless free haircuts
4. This basketball team is only open to women 80 years and up
5. Teenager rescues drowning baby deer from certain death

published 29 June 2017

1. 10-year-old invents device to prevent death in overheated cars

Bishop Curry V hopes that his new invention, the Oasis, saves the lives of kids like him. In 2016, an infant who lived near Curry, 10, in McKinney, Texas, died after being left in a hot car. This stuck with Curry, and he decided to come up with a solution. The Oasis is a fan that attaches to a car seat and can tell when a car is not moving but a child is still buckled in. Once the temperature in the car reaches a dangerous level, the Oasis will blow cold air and send a message to the parents. If they fail to respond, police and paramedics are called. "It would be a dream to have lots of inventions that would save many lives," Curry told NBC5. He has raised more than $30,000 for startup costs, and wants Oasis available to the public by 2018.

Following in the esteemed footsteps of Goofy Borneman, Lucy Lou, and Junior, is Brynneth Pawltrow, the newest mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, population 300. It wasn't even close — the rescue pit bull defeated a donkey, chicken, and cat for the honor, receiving 1,000 more votes than the second place finisher. The hamlet doesn't actually need a mayor, so in the 1990s, someone thought up the idea of electing an animal as a fundraiser — it costs $1 for every vote, and residents are encouraged to stuff the ballot box. The money goes to pay for improvements around Rabbit Hash. As mayor, Brynn's duties include attending fundraisers and going to town events. "I'm so proud of her," owner Jordie Bamfort told Inside Edition.

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Toting a backpack with scissors, a razor, clips, a comb, and a styling cape, Joshua Coombes is traveling the world, giving free haircuts to homeless men and women. The 30-year-old London hairdresser gets to know his clientele as he works, and shares their stories on his Instagram stream, tagging them with #DoSomethingForNothing. "When you cut someone's hair, it is about trust," Coombes told The Washington Post. He's found that clients get comfortable and "tell us everything. And that role translates to the street really well." He has cut the hair of hundreds of people, with the aim of making a positive impact through conversation and haircuts. "I never want to stop learning," he wrote on Instagram, adding, "Fulfillment is different for everyone, but for me, connecting with others is what makes me tick."

The San Diego Splash women's basketball team may not win every game, but the players — all older than 80 — always have a good time. The team is part of the nonprofit Senior Women's Basketball Association that puts together teams of women aged 50 and up. The San Diego Splash is made up of the oldest women in the league, and as they told ESPNW, "if you can stand up and move your legs, you're welcome." The teams play 30-minute games, three on three, on a half court. The team members are all good friends, forming a sisterhood. One player shared that she was 78 when she bought her first pair of basketball shoes: "Growing up, we didn't have sports like the girls do today ... As long as I can, I'm going to play."

A baby deer owes its life to one quick-thinking teen in North Carolina. High schooler Chance Pressley and his friends were riding Jet Skis on a local lake when they spotted the fawn flailing in the water. Knowing the deer had only moments to live, Chance jumped in and pulled it to safety, and his friend towed them to shore. Since baby "Fred," as Chance nicknamed the fawn, was separated from his family, the teen decided to bring him home before calling an animal rehabilitator. "My mom was a little mad," Chance said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.