Last week got off with a bang during the annual Fourth of July fireworks show, which was held Monday in downtown Vicksburg. Both locals and visitors did not let the weather dampen the festivities.

“We had a huge crowd spread throughout downtown. The good thing about the fireworks is you can watch them from anywhere downtown,” Kim Hopkins, Vicksburg Main Street director, said.

“There is a great deal of pride and respect in honoring the Fourth of July and the fact that so many families choose to spend it downtown is meaningful and impactful to our area.”

Families were also able to let their children participate in a cooking workshop held throughout the week at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center.

Children interested in the culinary arts got to spend time in the kitchen this past week as they trained to become little chefs.

The first Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Camp was held from Tuesday through Friday, and Redwood Elementary School lead teacher Margie Heltzel led the camp.

“I love to cook and I love kids, so it’s a combination of two of my favorite things,” Heltzel said.

In addition to cooking, the children learned kitchen safety tips, how to set the table, how to use can openers, table manners and they tie-dyed their aprons.

The cooking camp also had guest speakers, which included Kay Kay DeRossette who told students to reduce, reuse and recycle and taught them about food waste and hunger. Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Stella Ford spoke about her platform Protect and Pursue Your Dream.

Other positive happenings this week in Vicksburg:

• Improvements and overall maintenance is being done in every school building in the Vicksburg Warren School District. Maintenance supervisor Bill Sanderford said large-scale enhancements are coming to the local schools this summer. Every school building in the district is becoming more energy and water efficient with help from contracted company Johnson Controls.

• The former El Rio Mexican Restaurant, 1415 Washington St., is in the beginning the stages of being renovated just weeks after Daryl Hollingsworth, who co-owns the Wine House, Ware House Apartments, The Mad Baker and other properties downtown, purchased the property.

• Zeus, the 11-year old, 60-pound crime fighter, and former apprehension canine for the sheriff’s department, officially entered retirement on Tuesday.