Christmas is only five days away.

For you shoppers who like to wait until the last minute, the last minute is here.

This past week has been rife with good news. Thanks to a new industry and a local expansion, new jobs are headed to our area. Great things appear to be in store for Marengo County in 2009.

Still as the clock winds down on 2008, a sluggish economy has taken its toll on our many homegrown, locally owned businesses.

Consumers, rocked by instability in the housing and job markets, have opted to cling tightly to their disposable income.

For those of you who still plan to venture out and find those gifts for your loved ones, consider looking locally.

A gift basket from one of our many specialty shops or a gift certificate to any of our restaurants would make a great gift. Shopping local means those dollars stay in Demopolis. They help pave our roads and that revenue becomes an asset as our city leaders approach business and industry to relocate to our county.

It also provides opportunities for existing industry to expand and it keeps local people on local payrolls.

Every dollar spent in Demopolis is a dollar that will benefit Demopolis.