Usually when I receive a letter addressed to the editor that does not contain a name or return mailing address, the contents of the letter are not positive, to say the least.

So, when I received such a letter on my desk the other day, I took a deep breath and opened it.

You can’t judge a book by the cover, they say, but in this case I will refine that statement to say, you can’t judge the contents of a letter based on its anonymity.

This letter was not taking me to task for something the person read in the newspaper that they did not agree with or that upset them, as is the case with many such anonymous letters.

No. This letter asked the newspaper to offer praise for actions taken by a couple of public servants and offered thanks for a couple of things the newspaper had done.

“Mr. Hawkins: Be sure to write an article praising the judge last week who refused bond on the kid (who had weapons),” the letter states. “We need more action like that from our judges and encouragement in our newspaper praising her action — might inspire others!”

The letter is referring to Justice Court Judge Eileen Maher, who denied bond for Jadarrius McKnight, 19, who faces charges after Adams County deputies arrested him the evening of a Jan. 26 drive-by shooting that injured a man earlier the same day in the same block on Watts Avenue as the shooting occurred.

Deputies were patrolling the area that night when they said they noticed suspicious behavior at a house and said McKnight tried to flee.

A search of the house, deputies said, turned up marijuana and a several firearms, including one that had been reported stolen and two semi-automatic rifles with brass catchers designed to catch expelled cartridges to keep them from being left behind.

At the time of McKnight’s arrest, Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said he believed the guns would have been used in a retaliatory shooting if deputies had not made the discovery.

McKnight has a history of such arrests, which deputies said they believe contributed to the judge having denied bond for him.

The reader’s praise for Maher speaks for itself, and I’m happy the reader is proud of the judge’s actions.

Of course, McKnight is innocent until proven guilty, but the cache of weapons and his arrest history alone should be a no-brainer that he is someone who should not be released immediately to the streets, so good call, indeed.

The letter also asked that we “thank the law enforcement agency who may have had prisoners or whoever it was that picked up the trash near Walmart and the (Natchez) High School on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive in the orange garbage bags this last week also!”

Kudos go out to them for sure. We are all for clean streets.

The letter is signed “A citizen who notices.”

Thanks for the kind words, dear reader. I’m sure the public officials appreciate the kind words, too.

Scott Hawkins is editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at scott.hawkins@natchezdemocrat.com or 601-445-3540.