The annual lighting of the Courthouse went off without a hitch Thursday evening (barring a drop in the temperature that day). As with every year, hundreds of members of our community came out to this festive event.

It always warms our hearts to see the community come together for ceremonies like this. The world spins faster every day, so they say, and sometimes it's hard to keep up with the speed of life. So it's nice to see so many people and organizations take time out of their schedule to mingle with their neighbors, sing some carols and sample some cocoa.

We'd like to compliment the Arts Association of Newton County and Covington Main Street for putting the excellent ceremony together again this year, and we look forward to next year's event.