The Christmas season was in full swing last week. From the annual Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Natchez and the Family Christmas Festival at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center to Christmas parades on both sides of the river, Miss-Lou residents were celebrating the season with lights, music and holiday cheer.

Historic houses were welcoming guests back in time to experience the Christmas season in another time period. City stages were filled with dancing ballerinas and cabaret singers. Like Andy Williams sings in his holiday classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” It is Christmas in Natchez.

Let us look as some of the other good news from last week:

• Christmas came early for Vidalia residents and business owners. The town recently announced that it was issuing $600,000 in rebate checks to those who purchase electricity from the town. The rebate stems from a longstanding agreement with the Sidney A. Murray Jr. Hydroelectric Station. The town is obligated to purchase 6 percent of the power generated each month by the station. In return, the town receives a royalty each quarter from the hydroelectric plant. Royalties totaled $11.8 million this year. After expenses, the town was left with $1.2 million, half of which was rebated to customers. The rebates checks are a welcome gift for many residents.
• The Ferriday Trojans may not have made it to the Superdome and the chance to play for a state title, but they have made the Miss-Lou proud. The Trojans narrowly missed the playoffs, letting one last play from St. Helena earn the win in the semifinals Friday night. The team had not made it to the semifinals since 1995. Thank you to coach Stanley Smith and all of the Trojans for an inspiring season.

Let us remember to thank those who make good news and continue to make our community great.