This week, we approach the near-universally dreaded Tax Day. If you are still one of the many who are dealing with some last-minute filing, here is some good news from last week to take your mind off the IRS just for a moment.

• Upwards of approximately $3 million in savings for the City of Natchez are possible, and city aldermen took the first step toward that goal Tuesday. The city agreed to work with Schneider Electric USA to convert city light fixtures from antiquated-style bulbs to modern LED lights, which should save the city tens of thousands of dollars a year. Any move that progresses toward higher efficiency and saves money — dollars that can be redirected to improving the city’s infrastructure — is a wise one.
• Vidalia high school students Angel Heckard and Deondrias Boxley recently established what is believed to be the school’s first black history program. The 17-year-old junior Heckard spoke last week about how the desire to tell the stories of little-known black people who have made an impact on the world drove her to design the program. The creativity and initiative these two students demonstrated should inspire all students to come up with good ideas and not to shy away from sharing those ideas with others.
• Cathedral School’s Science Olympiad team won its second consecutive state tournament of science and technology last week, which will send the team off to the 2018 Science Olympiad National Tournament in May. The team is made up of bright scientific minds, such as the likes of seniors Piper Mophett and Ty Tobias. In total, the team accumulated five gold, seven silver and five bronze medals at the state tournament. We wish the students all the best when they compete at nationals next month in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Anyone still stressing about their taxes, take a deep breath, get it done and hopefully you can remember the good things happening in your backyard to help put your mind at ease.