A community’s tearful goodbye topped the good news last week. The news that some members of the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 155th brigade were heading to Iraq wasn’t in itself good news.

It was, indeed, sad news for the friends and family of the soldiers who left home amidst great fanfare.

But the fact that these brave men and women are willing to serve and protect our country’s interest at home and abroad is amazingly good news. Each one of them makes us proud.

An overwhelming sense of pride and patriotism were not the only good news from the community last week. Let’s review a few of the good headlines from our community.

4 For the 14th time, the guitars, harmonicas and microphones have kicked into action for the Natchez Bluff Blues Festival. Each year the festival seems to get bigger and better.

Just as delicious as the great blues music, but a little more filling, the shrimp were piled high at the Natchez Junior Auxiliary Club’s annual shrimp boil. It was the 13th year the club has been holding the fundraiser.

Perhaps no other event last week in the Miss-Lou yielded as many smiles as the Area 7 Special Olympics meet hosted at Natchez High School. Special Olympics is one of those rare human experiences in which the volunteers have nearly as much fun as the participants, maybe more so.

With only unofficial numbers in so far, the 2009 Natchez Spring Pilgrimage may wind up being better than last year’s event, despite fears of a national economic slowdown hurting Pilgrimage participation.

Natchez city leaders received a surprise when the February sales tax numbers were released recently as revenues actually increased by 8.59 percent. That’s amazing news and evidence that our local economy should be able to weather the economic woes facing the country if we’re smart, stick together and shop at home.

As the sun peeks out this week and temperatures are expected to increase slightly, we know the week ahead will be another good one.