Things seem to be looking up a bit in Newton County.

Friday, we reported on several businesses, small and large, that have either just opened or are on the way to the county.

An old favorite, Smiley's Family Restaurant, is back in business, returning to Covington after several years in Porterdale. More encouragingly, it's again open after having closed in November because of the economy.

Covington has also enticed a Tex-Mex eatery, Bullritos, to open an outlet here, the chain's first outside Texas. We welcome the addition of something new to our dining mix.

RaceWay is set to rebuild its store that burned last year on U.S. Highway 278, and Wal-Mart is proceeding with its plans to open a store at the Salem Road-Brown Bridge Road intersection.

There was even a glimmer of hope in what has been an abysmal housing market, with county officials noting that new homes are selling in the Wildwood neighborhood off the Covington Bypass.

Good things are indeed happening.