Good news was evident in the Miss-Lou last week even if it was not readily apparent.

Scratch the surface and look a little deeper, however, and you’ll see the good news that lies beneath the surface.

Below is a look at some of those gems.

* As we enjoy the summer break, especially children who are out of school, a bit of welcome news came last week when Concordia Parish Schools learned test scores had remained steady last year over the previous year. While an improvement in scores would have been the best of news, learning that no overall ground was lost is certainly welcome news in the waning weeks of summer as students prepare to go back to school next month.

* After learning just before Fourth of July celebrations a couple of weeks ago that the City of Natchez does not have a fireworks ordinance on the books, the city moved swiftly last week to get to work developing one. While fireworks are a fun way to celebrate holidays such as Independence Day, fireworks also can be a nuisance and dangerous if not handled properly and in safe areas. Such and ordinance will allow people to use fireworks without disrupting the peace or causing harm to the community.

* Neighbors of the old Trinity Episcopal Day School property off of U.S. 61 can rest easier now that the city has re-zoned the property to B-2, which is a general business district zoning rather than the higher industrial B-4 zoning initially sought. The B-2 zoning was a compromise between the neighbors and administrators who hope to sell the property and is a fair compromise between the two competing interests.

* Natchez resident and Adams County Christian School student Drew Kiekel will be representing Natchez at “American Idol” auditions in New Orleans this week. Judging by her audition video posted by the school’s drama club, of which Kiekel is a member, she has the talent to make the cut. We wish her luck in her journey to be the next American Idol and we are sure she will represent the area well no matter how far her quest takes her.