Fielder's Choice

Last week I was looking back through the top headlines in The South Reporter for the past year, 2019. And, wow, there were some big ones.

Here's a sampling.

Corelle picks Marshall.

Amazon staffing meets with board of supervisors.

Work underway to save Carnegie Auditorium.

Northcentral takes steps toward broadband.

Marshall County projects receive $62,763 in grants.

Sites readied for new jobs.

Housing task force moves forward.

Efforts underway to save Rosenwald School.

Hearthside/Kellogg's coming soon.

Library celebrates garden project.

Courtsquare Inn wins Best Bed & Breakfast Award.

Nike coming to county.

Travel Channel comes to Holly Springs.

Springs Industrial Park progresses.

Holly Springs launches Youth Activity Club.

Walter Place restoration underway.

County leads in job growth.

BNSF certifies Springs Park.

Corelle cuts ribbon.

Workforce Center nearing completion at Chickasaw Trail.

Trail marker at Rust College honors Ida B. Wells.

City gets grant for restoration of Old Water and Light Building.

Downtown green space coming.

And that's only a few from the 52 publications of the year.

A community newspaper is a key player in economic development.

Here's what Lamar Norton wrote. It was published in the Augusta, Ga., Chronicle seven years ago. He was then executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association.

"Newspapers impact the local economy on a very large scale. The stories they write how they portray the community and its government leadership - can make or break economic development. Before deciding to open a store or factory in a community, business leaders look at how that community is portrayed in the media. Is it a government that can't agree on issues, that deadlocks on important votes? Or is it a government that seems open to doing business and welcoming to newcomers?

"If it's a company that will bring a large number of employees to the area, they want to know what the quality of life is going to be for their workers. Are there sports for kids, quality schools, community events for the family?"

"All those factors are taken into consideration and decisions are made based upon how the community is portrayed in the local paper."

It will always be the goal of The South Reporter to promote the positive.

Sure, there were other front pages headlines from 2019 I did not mention ­ the ones about crimes and conflicts.

That's our job, too.

But I learned a long time ago, as far as community newspapers, it's always best when the good outweighs the bad, and for The South Reporter that's definitely the case.

I would guess, as far as weekly publications, this one had more positive news to report last year than about any other in Mississippi.

There's a lot of good things going on in Marshall County.

And we certainly reported them in 2019.