Friday Newton County will be hosting the Dixie Boys World Series. This will be the third time since 1993 the tournament has been played here.

For a week, we will be hosting players and their families from all over the Southeast.

These kids and their families will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in our community.

In today's newspaper, you will find a special section dedicated to this year's Dixie Boys World Series complete with schedules for all of the activities and a tournament bracket.

This section was made possible by the folks who advertised in it. They have recognized the value of having the Dixie Boys all-star teams in our community.

It's not an accident that this is the third time in the past 15 years that Newton County has hosted these prestigious games.

The reasons the Dixie Boys organization has returned are threefold. First, it's because of the efforts of the folks who run our recreation department, who never do anything unless its first class. Second, it's the fantastic efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, who have done everything in their power to dot every I and cross every T to make sure this tournament and the experience gained by participating in it is a first rate experience for every player and their family members. Third, it's because of the genuine honest hospitality shown to our visitors by the citizens of our community.

We feel the folks who work at our county recreation commission are as dedicated and caring in providing for the recreation needs of the youth and adults of our community as any recreation department in the country.

Their pride and special efforts are the direct result of their leader, Tommy Hailey.

In an interview with our sports editor Jason Murdock, Hailey said that the department's strength was the result good volunteer coaches, the team moms and a strong board.

He also praised the special abilities of Ricky Vaughn.

Hailey, who is a humble man, said his faith in God has helped him in running and growing the recreation programs.

He has given God the credit for his success. He forgets to mention his own hard work and determination.

Like we said, Tommy Hailey is a humble man.