For the last five years we have suffered through a major recession with many losing their jobs and many more losing their homes.

We have watched as many small businesses have struggled to stay afloat.

In last week’s paper there was good news about new developments being started and completed. We are also a year closer to having Baxter up and running, a result we hope will bring even more businesses to Newton County. In January, a first class restaurant will open on the square, which if successful, should draw more high-quality establishments. This could even possibly be the start of the Covington square becoming a night-time destination for local residents of Newton and surrounding counties, and a possible tourist destination.

Although our local schools have stumbled a bit recently on their forward progress, we still have great hope that we are going to have a first-class school system that will attract business to our community.

This will also be an election year, and you can help make sure we have the right representation on the federal, state and local level, if you will get involved.

Building up commerce, education and government will be a great positive in 2014. Heck, if we can overcome the negatives of the Affordable Care Act in the upcoming year, we will have managed to overcome anything else thrown our way. We are positive about 2014. It is time for our community to prosper again, and we think the new year will be just the time for that positive movement.

All of us here at The Covington News wish you a prosperous and productive 2014.