We’re less than a month into the new year and what a 18-day span it has been!

Even before the tragedy in New Orleans, the horrific fires that have broken out in L.A. or the ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestine, we knew January was going to be a doozy, with President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and the deadline for TikTok to sell or shutdown in the U.S. both on the horizon.

Most of those things, planned or not, are still in progress or being anticipated. The fires in L.A. seem as under control as they have been since they started; however, more wind is in the forecast in SoCal next week. Meanwhile, teenagers across the country wait with bated breath for a last-minute stay of execution for their favorite social media platform.

Things are better, but no less hectic, locally. We officially began the qualifying period for this year’s municipal election in January. So far, only incumbents have officially signed on, but how much longer that is the case is anyone’s guess. 

We also have a ton of upcoming activities and events in late January and our newsroom has been doing everything short of a shared spreadsheet to make sure we have reporters covering all the exciting happenings. 

From a day full of events and parades coming up Monday to celebrate the life of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the Jan. 29 celebration of Vicksburg’s 200th anniversary and the second annual Beautiful Table Settings event, there’s no shortage of things to do that will keep January from going out like a lamb after it roared into 2025 like a lion.