It’s cold outside and weather forecasters tell us the temperatures should remain cool with lows in the lower 30s through the rest of the week.  That’s good news — if you like cold weather. If not, well … you always have spring to look forward to.

While cold weather may not be your idea of good news, below is a recap of some of the more indisputable good news items from the Miss-Lou in the past week.

*For the past five years, the four-year graduation rate of Natchez-Adams School District students has steadily increased from 71.7 percent in 2015 to 84.2 percent in 2019. And, for the first time in the past five years since Mississippi Department of Education has been reporting graduations rates, NASD surpassed the state average of 84 percent. Similarly, this year’s numbers also surpass the national graduation rate of 84 percent that was last reported in 2017. This year’s graduation rate is 3.8 percentage points better than last year’s 80.4 percent rate. That is definitely good news. Congratulations, NASD students, faculty, staff and administrators.

*Candidates are lining up quickly to announce their intentions to run for county and state elections to be held later this year. Having a large field of candidates not only gives voters plenty of options, it also is a sign of a healthy community in which people are willing to work for the betterment of the community.

We are certainly blessed with an abundance of civic-minded citizens who are willing to serve. Now it is up to the electorate to pay attention to the issues and to properly vet the candidates and to go to the polls and make the best decisions to fill the county’s elected positions.

*Congratulations to the Natchez Middle School football team for winning a third Southwestern Junior High Athletic Conference championship.

Natchez-Adams School District’s Board of Trustees honored the team Tuesday not only for shining on the field but also in the classroom.

Meanwhile, bundle up and keep your eyes open for good news. It is out there; you just have to be receptive to it or you might not recognize it when it happens.