Summer heat tends to slow things down a bit in July, but even though the pace has changed, the good news keeps coming.

Let’s review a few headlines from last week that are still making us smile.

Capt. Charles Wesley and Esther Mingee are Natchezians of which we should all be proud. Wesley is a member of the National Guard, currently serving in Kosovo. He nominated his boss — Chief Nursing Officer Mingee — for a top Guard award honoring those who support our soldiers. Mingee has supported Wesley and his family while he is away, and this week the National Guard honored her efforts.

Mickey Gilley is headed back to our neck of the woods for a September performance. Gilley is one of the stars who put Ferriday on the map, and we are always happy to see — and hear — him around here.

Natchez High graduate Ylani Hayes impressed us when she was in high school, but she hasn’t stopped working yet. Hayes is back home from the summer during her break from Jackson State University. She is now working as an intern at the Natchez National Historical Park, cataloguing thousands of historical items.

Local residents played host to a few international travelers last week as French high school students toured the area. We were happy to have the guests, but still happy our Cathedral soccer studs held their own in a pickup game with players from a much more soccer-centric country.

As we begin a new, hot week, we know the days ahead will be just as bright.