We're always glad to spotlight positive business news that benefits our community and we're excited to see that Bridgestone Golf is expanding production of golf balls by 40 percent at its Covington plant and hiring for an additional 20 jobs.

The news is encouraging on two fronts. First, we hope it's a sign that major corporations are starting to see the light at the end of the economic tunnel, and secondly, we hope that residents feel more comfortable about the economy as golf was one of the hardest hit industries during the downturn.
We're proud to have a company of Bridgestone's stature in Newton County.

The Covington Police Department rolled out six of its finest officers to the Covington City Council Monday, and it was immediately clear they all had one thing in common: they were all women.

Chief Stacey Cotton said the department has one of its highest levels ever of female employees, and he noted it takes a special kind of woman to join law enforcement.

April Combs, Star Gibbs and Kara Hipps are three on Covington's newer officers and all three were the top graduates of their class at the police academy. We look forward to seeing them out in our community serving and protecting the citizens of Covington.

Cotton also recognized Stacey Cosby, Julie English and Annette Munoz, who have a combined 71 years in law enforcement.

Congratulations to Chief Cotton and his staff for providing us with outstanding future and veteran officers.

The Covington Council has dropped its pursuit of a baggy pants ordinance for the time being, and we believe that was the right call.

As we have suggested previously, the responsibility falls on family and friends to teach the young men who disgrace themselves, their families and their community by dressing in this manner.

This Easter Sunday the Covington community will commemorate for the seventh year in a row the local Civil Rights movement, which has become defined in part by Black Easter, the 5,000-person march on Easter in 1970.

We feel it's fitting on a day that we celebrate the resurrection of the Prince of Peace to also honor everyone who had the courage to stand up and demand that all people regardless of color have the same equal rights guaranteed under our constitution.

Forrest Sawyer, who was a member of the Newton Six, the group of protester that was imprisoned, said recently "that a lot of us live in a better city because of that march." We agree with that statement.
So after you've had your Easter lunch and eaten the candy from your basket of goodies, stop by the square and help celebrate a part of our city's history.