Former Felon Gains a New Title: Hero

A former felon who proves he has a soft side, and a dad's pro-daughter message are among this week's most uplifting stories:

• Ex-Con Saves Baby Crawling Toward Highway: During the 10 years he spent in federal prison for manufacturing cocaine, Bryant Collins "made a very conscientious effort to change" his life, he says. And five years after getting out, he's being hailed as a hero: He stopped his car and saved a wayward 15-month-old crawling toward a busy highway, then stayed with her for two hours until she was safe.
• Dad's 'Feminist Father' Shirt Goes Viral: A change of pace from the dad-waiting-up-with-a-shotgun stereotype: A photo of a New Jersey dad wearing a T-shirt spelling out rules for dating his daughter has gone viral. The upshot of the message: It's his daughter who makes the rules, not him or any potential boyfriend.
• Celeb Couple Put Paparazzi to Good Use: Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are a much beloved celebrity couple, thanks in part to stunts like this: When they noticed paparazzi photographing them this week, they took advantage of the situation by holding signs in front of their faces that promoted charities.

• Guy Saved From Cave Has 728 People to Thank: After one of the most challenging such rescues ever to take place, an injured German man has been brought out of the country's deepest cave alive. And Johann Westhauser hopes to thank all 728 of his rescuers in person.
• Lost Dog Back, After Apparently 2 Years in Forest: A California couple whose golden retriever went missing two years ago in a national park have their dog back—well, they're 99% sure, anyway. The crazy part is that he turned up at the same park, and returned to his own bed, left there in hope after some recent sightings.

Click to read about more stories on the uplifting side of things. (More uplifting news stories.)