We reported on Sunday that Newton County might be losing some of its attractiveness as a filming location because of the reactions of some of our residents and business owners. So, we'd like to address this column to them.
Seriously, guys, deal with it.

Filming in the state of Georgia brings in $683.5 million dollars every year, and "The Vampire Diaries" and the other projects being filmed in Newton County are sending some of that money our way.

In addition, tourism related to the filming draws in approximately $429 million in spending to the state every year. It's not an uncommon sight to see tourists patrolling the square and looking for scenes they know from "The Vampire Diaries." If even a handful of those tourists buy something from our local businesses, it more than makes up for a few slow days while the filming takes place.

Our office is not far from the square, and sometimes the streets in front of the homes of our employees have been taken over by film crews and their trucks. Can it be an inconvenience? Yes. Do we take detours or simply put up with it because the good outweighs the bad? Yes.

The next episode of "The Vampire Diaries" that features the downtown square will air on Oct. 28.