We know we have said this enough times that it must almost seem we pull out the same editorial and rerun it.

But the truth is, the backbone of any community is the tax base it receives from its local merchants.

The more sales our local merchants produce, the bigger benefit it is for all of the citizens of Newton County and Social Circle.

It’s true we don’t have all the big box stores that other communities might have, but the bottom line is this, you can buy almost anything you might want and need right here.

Take the time to shop here and you will find some great bargains and save gas to boot.

This week we received some good news, that SKC Company announced plans to expand, and some bad news, that longtime Mom and Pop business Smiley’s closed.

We have a good community here. We also have a lot of good people who are working hard to attract industry and business to the area.

We encourage you to spend your money wisely and to spend it here. Each dollar you spend locally gets multiplied many times.

Every public trail you walk on and every public swing you push your child on is paid for in part by the money you spend in our community.

This holiday season, shop at home. Get to know your neighbors. They have the same pride in their community as you do.