Not long ago, we were more than disappointed to read that an Atlanta builder was pulling up stakes here and heading back to Atlanta. He said that because of low appraisals, he could not build the type of home he needed to build to make a profit in Newton County. He said he would look our way again in two years.

Quite frankly, that news was a real bummer.

However, on Thanksgiving weekend, we reported that at least three vacant subdivisions in the county are being developed again. This is as positive a Thanksgiving story as we could have.

It’s also good news that these revived developments must follow tougher county guidelines that will ensure that neither homeowners nor other county taxpayers will see their hard-earned tax dollars pumped into developments that a developer never quite finishes.

We urge the city and county to stay tough on these guidelines for future development.

Anytime we see positive growth after a down economic cycle, it is great news for everyone here in Newton County.