Animal advocates were counting their many blessings last week.

On Sept. 30, the HoofBeats and PawPrints Rescue welcomed supporters to Woodland Plantation for a blessing of the local animal rescue and transportation program.

During the blessing, a cargo van previously owned by the late Steve and Mary Jo McNerney was donated to the group as a backup transport unit.

On Sunday, dog owners came to Grace United Methodist Church for the church’s annual pet blessing.

Grace UMC minister the Rev. Linda Fox laid hands on and prayed for the dogs and their owners.

Other good news from the week includes:

4The Natchez Police Department joined law enforcement across the country to celebrate National Night Out. The annual evening highlights partnerships between police and local neighborhood watch groups. With hotdogs, drinks and fun games and activities, neighborhood groups came to the Natchez Bluff to celebrate the event.

4Adams County Christian School senior Maggie Gray enjoys sharing her passion for dancing and her faith. Her love of performing on stage and serving God has kept her busy, traveling to the Orange Bowl to dance and South Dakota on summer mission trips. Gray hopes to use her two passions to one day start her own business — either a dance studio or a devotional company. Either way, Gray said she like the thought of starting her own company from the ground up. We wish Gray the best in her endeavors.

4Tourism officials are excited about the success of this year’s Fall Pilgrimage. More than 500 tickets have been pre-purchased using a new online ticket system and special events are selling out. “We are breaking records,” the marketing manager for Natchez Pilgrimage Tours said about the numbers of people visiting the area.

As we finally enjoy cooler weather, let’s always be on the lookout for good news in our community.