They say 13 is an unlucky number, and that may be so. At least, that was the case in 2020.

This week’s newspaper represents the 13th issue of 2021 for the Gazette-Journal. A year ago, on the 13th issue of 2020, we had the sad duty to report on the first positive COVID-19 cases in both Gloucester and Mathews counties.

The region’s first confirmed case, a child under the age of 10, was reported in Gloucester County. A second Gloucester case, that of a young adult, followed soon after. Before that paper hit the stands, it was also reported that Mathews County Public Schools had its first positive case, a transportation department employee who had become extremely ill. She later became the area’s first miraculous COVID-recovery success story.

In June 2020, we featured the story of Peggy Gallagher, the Moon resident who came extremely close to dying of the dread disease and her slow road to recovery. In August, after nearly five months in hospitals and a rehab facility, she was fi...