Look local first this holiday shopping season

By Staff
Today, Black Friday, local shoppers will descend on merchants in search of some of the biggest bargains of the year.
Nationwide, nearly 150 million shoppers will blitz the largest and smallest retailers, ushering in the holiday season.
As you check your family's Christmas wish list, we encourage you to trade with one of our many local merchants.
Sending your dollars outside of the county does just that. It sends Franklin County dollars to the benefit of residents of other counties.
Our local merchants pay taxes and those taxes are used to finance infrastructure improvements. There's no need to send that money to other counties when we need it right here.
If they don't have what you want, ask if they can order it. If they can't order it, ask if they have something comparable.Gas prices are expected to soar past $3 per gallon this Christmas, and all the shopping you can do in Franklin County will surely make your holiday season a little brighter.
In most cases, our local merchants are our friends and neighbors. You hear so much about the spirit of giving and helping your neighbors during the holiday season. Why not stop in on a local merchant and let them meet your needs.
We wish all of you a safe and happy shopping and good luck hunting those bargains.