Rain put a damper on some weekend events, but it’s impossible to erase all the good news with a few showers.

Let’s look back on last week:

4 Sales tax numbers in the City of Natchez during the last year were 7 percent higher than they were in the year prior. That’s a good sign that an economic recession may be ending in the area and business is on an upswing. We hope to see continued growth in the coming year, especially with several new businesses and industries in town hiring workers.

4 Fall Pilgrimage kicked off late last week and will continue for the next two weeks. Predicting pilgrimage success at the start of the season is always difficult to do, but let’s cross our fingers this season is a good one. In the meantime, get out and enjoy a bit of pilgrimage yourself.

4 Concordia Parish School District officials arranged for most area colleges and universities to converge in the district on Thursday last week, giving local students a chance to learn more about many schools without having to take costly trips to each one. It’s a great opportunity, and we are sure the best students capitalized.

4 Ashton Mason, a senior at Adams County Christian School, is preparing for her next go-round at the college prep test, the ACT. Mason already has a high score — a 27 — but she’s determined to improve that number a few more points. Mason is headed to college soon, regardless of her next score, and she’ll have a bright future ahead for sure.

Maybe the weekend’s end-of-September showers bring October cheers; we are certainly ready for a great new month.