1-Pound Baby, Homeless Piano Man, Battling Zombies: Top of 2015

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the top lighter news stories that had folks talking in 2015:

Zombie Apocalypse Staged for Sick Boy

How can you help a sick little boy who has a passion for police officers and zombies?

If you happen to be Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, you pull out all the stops to make the child’s imaginary dreams come true. Nocco, some of his deputies and members of the community did just that Tuesday, transforming the county’s old jail into a zombie stronghold for 7-year-old Spencer Holt and his brothers to conquer.

Watch: Homeless Piano Man Nails ‘Come Sail Away’

There’s more to Donald Gould than meets the eye. That becomes evident the minute the 51-year-old former Marine sits down at a piano and begins to tickle the ivories. As the soulful strains of Styx’s “Come Sail Away” flow out of the instrument, passersby on a Sarasota street look past Gould’s unkempt appearance and pause to take in the performance.

Dog Serves as Best Man in Veteran’s Wedding

When U.S. Army veteran Justin Lansford swore his undying love to his bride Carol Balmes in Largo over the weekend, he had his best friend by his side.

1-Pound Baby Defies Odds, Inspires Prayers

Channing Finch was only 28 weeks into her pregnancy when stomach pains sent her to the doctor’s office.

Those pains, as it turned out, were caused by her daughter, Lyriq, trying to make her way into the world three months early. When doctors discovered a lack of amniotic fluid and an abnormal growth rate, the situation turned dire. A few hours later, Lyriq showed signs of distress, forcing emergency action, the family’s GoFundMe page states.

Watch: 80-Year-Old Woman Cracks Up Courtroom

Outbursts in court are generally frowned upon, but contempt doesn’t seem to be an issue when even the judge can’t contain himself from laughing out loud.

Elderly Man’s Song to Dying Wife Goes Viral

An elderly Florida couple’s timeless love is capturing the hearts and minds of millions of YouTube viewers.

300 Manatees Congregate to Escape the Cold

Visitors to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Citrus County have gotten quite an eyeful over the past few days as hundreds of manatees have converged in warmer waters to escape the cold.

Watch: Adorable Raccoon Knocks for Food

Feeding a wild animal is never recommended, but sometimes it just can’t be helped.

Bobcat Catches Shark

Sharks might be one of the scariest predators in the ocean, but it seems little ones aren’t much of a match for bobcats. At least that was the case in April at Sebastian Inlet State Park near Vero Beach. A park visitor was fortunate enough to witness proof of that fact in person, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office