Members of our community were honored and recognized in various ways last week, while another answered a higher calling.

Before we prepare for the week ahead, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights from last week:

• The hard work and dedication of volunteers were celebrated during the Natchez Little Theatre’s 11th annual Standing Ovation Awards. The awards ceremony and gala recognized the more than 300 volunteers who participated in NLT’s 66th season, which NLT executive director Layne Taylor said set a new record attendance. We’re glad to see NLT continuing strong and to see all those who put hours of work into their performances rewarded and acknowledged.

• Dianne and Joe Good recently returned from taking a group of nearly 30 children on an old-fashioned road trip to the West to see several national treasures, including the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. The children are part of D&J Youth Group. The Goods started the organization and have now taken several groups of children on 10 similar trips. We thank the Goods for investing in the children of our community.

• The Rev. Mickey Alexander is ready to start work as the new pastor at Calvary Baptist Church on  U.S. 61 South, even if he never expected to end up in the ministry. Alexander worked for 26 years as a radio personality until he felt a strong calling from the Lord to be a minister and accepted. Alexander became the interim pastor at Calvary first, but recently took over as fulltime pastor. We wish him well in his new role.

Those were just a few of the great things that happened last week in our community, and we hope to share many more from the week ahead.