In a story published in Sunday's paper, which can be seen on CovNews.com, it looks like efforts are being made by East Metro Health District officials to be more cooperative and understanding of how their scoring affects not only businesses but also public perception of a county.

The reason the scoring has been tightened by the state was due to national outbreaks of salmonella and other food viruses caused by improper storage of foods and the unhygienic habits of some restaurants and their employees.

Certainly everyone who eats in public establishments in Newton County appreciates the fact that there are rules which the state insists are enforced for the health and safety of its citizens.

The problem that we have seen is that these rules have been enforced vigorously but restaurant owners were not offered proper explanation or training before they were implemented.

Because of the recent efforts of local restaurant owners in working with health officials, this situation seems to be changing for the better. We appreciate the efforts of the local environmental health department and health district in meeting the needs of our local restaurant owners.

Through this cooperation we do not want to see scoring become lax. If a restaurant does not meet the minimum standards set by the state's regulations, then they should receive a low grade, which will run in the paper for all to see.