A fellow told me the other day there was nothing but bad news in the Southern Sentinel.

After we spoke, I looked over the last few issues to see how little good news there was.

I'm glad the fellow told me there nothing but bad news; I'd have never recognized it otherwise.

Among the stories I found were the following:

- The old Ruckersville School - the oldest black schoolhouse standing in Tippah County - is to be designated a Mississippi landmark. That's a well-deserved honor, which brought attention from state officials during Saturday ceremonies. It's good news for those who have worked hard to preserve the school.

- Industrial salute dinner planned. The representatives of the various industries in Tippah who will be at the dinner are responsible for thousands fo jobs and millions of dollars in paychecks, or someone benefits from the money they create - and that would include most of the residents of this county - that's good news.

- TEPA board election planned: That's good news to the thousands of TEPA customers who - until the November election takes place - have never had an opportunity to vote on the board members. Those who pay the bills ought to be able to vote on who represents them. For the first time since TEPA was formed in 1938, they will.

- Large crowd turns out for MSU Tippah County alumni dinner. The event raised $24,450 for the organization's scholarship fund. That's good news for many youngsters who want to go to college, but need financial aid to go to college.

- Traffic stop yields cash, drugs car. It's good news because those drugs won't be moving down the supply change into the hand of those uncounted users. It ought to be good news to the users themselves - here's your chance to start getting straight - but it's probably not. The bust is good news to some lawyer who will charge the arrestee to represent him. And if the arrestee used a bail bondsman to get out of jail, that's good news to the bondsman.

- Assorted honor rolls from area schools. Last I knew it was good news that all those youngsters are doing well, and recognized for doing well.

- The guy who complained to me had his snout buried in a copy of the newspaper he'd bought. That 75 cents changing hands is good news for all the folks who helped create the paper, all the advertisers who advertised in it, and all the creditors of both aforementioned groups.

Thanks for paying my salary, friend.

Good news is where you find it.

Hank Wiesner is the news editor of the Southern Sentinel.