Is the economy beginning its slow turn towards growth again?

The verdict is still out, but a few subtle signs are promising.

First, Dr. Ronnie Chu expanded his practice to a nice new office on Highway 80.

Second, Marvin’s relocated to a larger space and completely revitalized an entire strip along Highway 43.

A new restaurant is soon to open in front of Wal-Mart and an Aaron’s will soon open across the street.

Sweet Water State Bank saw fit to venture into the Demopolis Market and several local stores have changed hands to new owners.

Sure, Demopolis lost it’s Food World but the groundwork for that has been laid for years. It’s not fair to blame that one on the economy.

A handful of locally owned businesses have shuttered their doors or changed they way they operate.

Some of those you can pin on an economic downturn. Others you can blame on attrition.

Businesses fail all the time; recession or otherwise. There are promising signs that the economy is beginning to recover. Bloomberg.com noted on Monday that that the index of leading indicators rose for the third consecutive month, the first time that has happened since 2004. Financial analysts predict the recession will end in the third quarter of this year.

If, indeed, the worst is over, we think Demopolis has weathered this storm admirably.

We certainly hope that the best is yet to come.