It wasn’t all bad

A baby girl believed to be the world’s smallest surviving preemie is finally home with her parents. The baby weighed 8.6 ounces when she was born at 23 weeks in San Diego in December, 7 grams lighter than the previous tiniest preemie. Hospital staff initially thought she’d only live an hour, but the infant they nicknamed Saybie—her parents want to remain anonymous—kept astounding doctors. After five months in intensive neonatal care, the now healthy 5-pound Saybie has gone home. “She’s a miracle,” said nurse Kim Norby.

In the most remarkable finale in the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s 94-year history, a record eight spellers were crowned co-champions last week. The competition began with 562 spellers and ended with Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and Rohan Raja—ages 12 to 14—each winning a $50,000 prize. After the eight made it through 17 grueling rounds, pronouncer Jacques Bailly declared that because the contest was running out of words, anyone who made it to the 20th round would be a winner. None of the contestants faltered, correctly spelling “bougainvillea,” “aiguillette,” and other head scratchers. They were “the most phenomenal collection of super-spellers,” said Bailly.

An entire Georgia neighborhood turned out to honor a mailman on his last day on the job. In the 20 years that Floyd Martin has worked his route in Marietta, the smiling 61-year-old has become a beloved member of the community. He checked in on elderly residents, fed neighborhood cats, and gave hugs to people going through hard times. On Martin’s last day, some 300 neighbors decorated their mailboxes, showered him with gifts, and threw a block party where they recounted the ways he’s touched their lives. “He’s really part of our family,” said resident Sarah Bullington. ■