Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
7:47 am Saturday, April 20, 2002

Meridian gets national attention

By By Buddy Bynum / editor
April 20, 2002
USA Today's feature on Meridian's recovering economy pretty much confirmed what we've been saying on our news pages and in our editorials for some time now. The Money section feature in Friday's edition, "Economic rebound takes hold in Mississippi town," traces improvements in Meridian's business climate and sales tax receipts, highlights downtown's commercial revitalization and showcases many of the things residents treasure about life here.
By featuring Meridian officials, businesspeople and community activists  all of whom are working to make our community a better place to live USA Today sent a strong message to a national audience. While the story, in all fairness, also pointed out some areas of concern, it generally reflected the optimism most folks around here seem to feel for their community's future.
And that's a good thing.

Also on Franklin County Times
Successful paving plan draws Florence’s interest
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Pondering whether Florenceshouldestablish its own paving department, officials only had to look about 20 miles south to see the benefit...
Mills named principal at West Elementary
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Gayla Mills is beginning her 31st year in education and her first as West Elementary’s principal. Mills taught third grade when that gr...
Disciplinary point system gets ‘amped up’
Main, News, Russellville
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — As Alabama students head back to school, there is a new incentive for staying out of trouble. This school year, school disciplinary pro...
Wright is new RES principal
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Channing Wright, former Russellville Elementary assistant principal, will begin the new school year in a new role, that of principal. N...
Motorists reminded of bus safety rules
Franklin County, News
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
As school buses begin returning to roads across northwest Alabama this week, transportation officials remind parents, students and motorists the impor...
Wallace returns home to serve at WES
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville native Jacob Wallace has returned to West Elementary School, this time as assistant principal. A member of the Russellvill...
Johnson finds a new chapter at RES
News, Russellville
maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 5, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Retirement gave Chris Johnson the chance to choose where he wanted to continue serving students, and that search led the Fairview nativ...
Florence paving program gains traction
News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
August 5, 2026
FLORENCE — Discussion about creating a department that would do the city’s paving appears to be gaining momentum with councilmembers saying they are i...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *