From cancer survivors proudly walking in the annual Miss-Lou Relay for Life to local leaders capturing a large grant to improve two parks, our community accomplished some noteworthy feats last week. Let’s take a moment to give some kudos:

•The 2015 Miss-Lou Relay for Life went off without a hitch. Community members rallied into the night for one great cause — to raise money for cancer research though the American Cancer Society. We give a large round of applause to all Relay organizers, who worked tirelessly to honor some of the Miss-Lou’s bravest residents — cancer survivors.

•Community Development Director James Johnston announced Tuesday that the city has secured $90,000 worth of grant money to renovate North Natchez Park and Jack Waite Neighborhood Park. Our parks are important to our community, as they provide a safe place for children to play, and we commend the city’s efforts to refurbish them.

•The Natchez Board of Alderman voted a unanimous yes to appoint Amos James Jr. to the Natchez-Adams School Board. A retired veteran, James said he aims to take the school district to a greater level. We commend the aldermen for diligently seeking out the best candidate for the board — as this individual has the ability to greatly impact our city and county schools.

•Sherrie Jacobs, Sherry Martin, Glendora Alexander-Muhammad, Tukiiya Stephens, Anne Marie Bailey, Audrey Curry, Mary Kramer and Karen Hinson were honored for their outstanding talents last week and were named the Natchez-Adams School District 2014-15 Teachers of the Year. Nurturing young minds is no easy feat, and we tip our hats to these passionate teachers who work tirelessly to educate our students. Their recognition is well deserved.

As we plunge into another week, we encourage our local leaders and community members to keep the good news happening.