Best Of Patch 2019: Local Stories With Punch From Across America

Patch is local. Local is neighborhoods, town and cities across America.

Over the past year, Patch has chronicled the goofy, the serious, the heartbreaking and more for out neighborhoods, towns and cities.

Here is some of the notable local people and events from 2019.

This Is The Story Behind Doylestown's Spontaneous Hugger: DOYLESTOWN, PA — You may already know Edie Weinstein. In fact, you may have already hugged her.

9-Year-Old Raising Funds To Deliver Sleeping Bags To Homeless: BIRMINGHAM, AL — The season of giving is upon us, and no one in Birmingham knows that better than 9-year-old Ethan Hill of Birmingham. The Phillips Academy student is in his third year of raising money to supply Birmingham's homeless with sleeping bags.

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After Crash In LI Parking Lot: 'Let's Just Hug And Take A Selfie': SAVYILLE, NY – Susan Sessa was in her car in a Sayville parking lot ready to leave when a man driving an SUV attempted to pull into the empty space next to her. The SUV struck Sessa's car. Sessa and the other driver got out of their vehicles to check for any damage. Just a few scuff marks. What happened next will warm your heart. We'll let Sessa tell it.

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• Lovebirds Married 77 Years Die Hours Apart, Valentine's Day Week
• With Marie Kondo, Tidying Up Really Is Life-Changing
• Adapting, Learning And Soul-Searching: Reflecting On Woolsey Fire

'Her Heart Will Still Beat,' Mother Donates Laguna Teen's Organs: LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A tragic car crash ended the life of a Laguna Beach 14-year-old just weeks ago but that is not the end of her heartbeat. Thanks to the gift of organ donation, Laguna Beach High School student Jasmen Wilkinson's heart and other organs will help others live, breathe and see.

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• 'Always Thinking Of You' — How An Elite LI School Covered Up A Teacher's Advances
• Cat Habitat Room At SPCA Dedicated To Woman Killed In 2017 Crash

After Arson Kills 3 Relatives, Queens Family Holds Onto A Miracle: EAST ELMHURST, QUEENS — The day before Rafelina Moreno's 49th birthday, on July 10, she got a phone call from an unknown number. The caller left Moreno a 32-second voicemail with no message, just the faint sound of sirens and what was either the heavy breathing of the man calling — a man who soon would be inextricably tied to her fate — or the rustle of the wind.

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• Dedham Gun Store Opening Near Playground
• Stoughton Official Leaving Town That Embraced Him
• Court Ruling: Phoenix Artists Don't Have To Serve LGBT Couples
• Miami Beach Cop's Bodycam Video Shows Life-And-Death Decision

Tappan Zee Bridge Span Comes Down With Controlled Explosion: TARRYTOWN, NY — It was later than everyone had anticipated, but the eastern anchor span of the old Tappan Zee Bridge was brought down by a controlled explosion.

• Help Phoenix Family Bring Body Home After Teen Shot in Tucson
• U Of A Withdraws Recognition Of Second Fraternity: Theta Chi
• Her Name Was Samora: Hot Car Death Baby's Bio-Parents Speak Out
• Recent Eatery Inspections Reveal Mice In Traps, Parasites, Mold

California Wildfire Victims Pick Up The Pieces: Photo Gallery: SONOMA, CA—Justo and Bernadette Laos show a photo of the home they rented that was destroyed by the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, Calif., Thursday. After the blazing heat and flames destroyed so much for so many, one couple looked through the rubble to find bits of their lives.

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• Judge Calls For Review Of Lakewood Jail
• VIDEO: Man Captures Moments Before Truck Ignited Sandalwood Fire
• Dad, Son Killed In Triple Fatal Wayne Crash Were 'Inseparable'
• The Dark Side To A Grand Illumination: A Big Traffic Mess

Drag Queen Snubbed From Alpharetta Library Storytime Fights Back: ALPHARETTA, GA — After county officials canceled an at-capacity Drag Queen Storytime at the Alpharetta library with seemingly little to no explanation, the star of the event fought back.

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From The Eyes Of Babes: Asylum Kids Create Art Of Horrors: TUCSON, AZ — Thousands of migrant children are using art and the written word to tell their unvarnished truths about what they experienced living in cages in government-run detention centers along the U.S. southern border. Children as young as 5 and as old as 15 in an art therapy program in Tucson were told to depict what they loved, and many drew brightly colored rainbows, flowers and butterflies in crayon. Other pictures, though, came from a darker place.

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• Officer Caprio Remembered As 'Dog Mom' And Community Protector
• Is Washington's Public Records Law Being Abused By Seattle?
• WilCo Sheriff Chody Finds Himself Under Unwelcome Spotlight