The holiday season might have come to an end, but plenty of good news is still ringing through into the New Year.

Before we prepare for the week ahead, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights from last week:

-The first baby of the New Year in the Miss-Lou arrived at 12:03 a.m. Thursday. Lauren and Bryan Nobile’s daughter, Ava, came two weeks early from her arrival date, but Lauren was already at the hospital, where she works as a nurse. Ava will join her 1-year old sister, Lucy, in the Nobile’s house in Brookhaven. We congratulate the Nobile family on their newest addition.

-Benny Campbell spends his down time looking to make others smile. The Natchez resident distributes square Styrofoam plates to area hospital patients. The plates are decorated with a smile and greeting that says, “Hi, I’m Smiley.” Campbell says the plates are both a hobby and a ministry for him. These random acts of kindness are a great example of the generosity of our community’s residents.

-Krystal Marsaw is using social media as a tool to help spread hope to others in the community. Marsaw uses her own personal experiences with grief, pain and other emotional moments to help others get through similar situations in their lives. We encourage others to follow in Marsaw’s footsteps and help those around them get through difficult times.

Let’s start the first full week of 2015 off on the right foot by keeping the good news coming throughout our community.