With another successful Relay for Life over and behind us, it’s time to kick back and enjoy the lazy days of summer. But before you let the heat lull you into an untimely summer nap, let’s review some of the other good news from last week.

The City of Natchez now has the Preserve America designation. The national title — based on our history — makes the city eligible for grants to promote heritage tourism. We are glad national officials have recognized that Natchez is a treasure.

Recent Cathedral graduate Stacy Parker has the brains to save himself from drowning in the college freedom he wrote about in a recent poem. Parker described life after high school as “drowning in freedom,” but we don’t think he has anything to worry about. His work won second place in the Eudora Welty Writing Contest.

The city celebrated the grand opening of the Country Inn & Suites last week, and heard a brief update from the Lane Company about plans for the Roth Hill Casino. Development and growth continues around us daily, and the hard hats and dirt piles are a comfort that Natchez is alive and kicking.

We know the summer is sure to bring more good news, even despite the sweltering temperatures.