Good morning and happy New Year you. As we begin to get back to normal this week after two back-to-back long weekends because of the holidays, we pause to remember some of the good news headlines from our community last week.

Saturday evening, residents gathered to conclude the Natchez Tricentennial the way it started — with a prayer service. With music and praise, community members came together to offer prayers for unity, peace and the city’s next 300 years. We cannot imagine a more fitting end to a wonderful yearlong celebration than by offering thanks to God.

The Adams County Community Safe Room is set to receive some technical upgrades that will make the space more practical and functional. With grant money from Entergy Mississippi, the county will purchase televisions, a public announcement system and WiFi Internet that can be used when housing evacuees.

It has been a few years since Senior Chief Petty Officer Laura Grantier has lived in Natchez. The member of the U.S. Navy Band attended McLaurin Elementary before moving to Louisiana and other areas of the country. Even still the clarinetist has never forgotten where she is from and said she is proud to represent Mississippi when she participates in the Presidential Inaugural Parade for her fifth time. This year she was selected to be a part of the 58th presidential inauguration task force. As much as Grantier is proud of her roots, Natchez is just as proud to know that another one of the city’s sons and daughters is representing the area well.

We hope the new year and the new week is filled with lots of good news in the days ahead.