EDITORIAL: A door of opportunity

Editorials

Discussion

February 6, 2013

EDITORIAL: A door of opportunity

Anonymous The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:29 PM CST

CULLMAN — The business future for Cullman County grew a little brighter this week when Gov. Robert Bentley announced funding for the Interstate 65 interchange at County Road 222.

Sen. Paul Bussman and Rep. Mac Buttram hosted a press conference Monday at Cullman City Hall to announce the governor’s approval and discuss the project. During the conference, Bussman and Buttram noted the extensive cooperation among local entities in making the project possible. The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce pledged more than $1 million to cover local costs for the project. The cities of Good Hope and Cullman and the Cullman County Commission all pledged support and approached the projected as a united front. For lawmakers, the local support made winning approval for the CR 222 interchange easier.

Beyond the important recognition of local unity, the CR 222 interchange opens the door to some lucrative, realistic growth for the area. The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame will announce this month its choice for locating a permanent facility. Cullman County is now in the driver’s seat with the interchange approved. Good Hope officials will also find plenty of development opportunities on land adjoining or near the interchange.

Within a few years, construction will be complete and new retail opportunities are sure to arise.

The interchange was promised to Topre several years ago when the company located here. Fulfilling that promise was important to many local officials. Topre has become one of the area’s top employers and recently announced a major expansion. The interchange will eventually relieve some traffic problems in the area, too.

The determination of local leaders to make the CR 222 interchange possible is one of the most important success stories in recent years among local government officials. Opening the door for economic development is one of the key roles government can offer to a community. In this case, the job was done well.

Text Only

Editorials

Moving into the future
Hundreds of local high school seniors are accepting their diplomas and preparing to turn the page in the next chapter of their lives.

May 19, 2013
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.

May 16, 2013
EDITORIAL: The IRS' Turn to Answer Questions
Washington is now sinking its teeth into a real scandal: the Internal Revenue Service using ideological criteria to choose the targets of its attention.

May 16, 2013
Editorial: The house of death
The grisly details emerging from the murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor place a glaring spotlight on a national disgrace.

May 15, 2013
Editorial: Murder, insanity and guns
James Holmes, the accused movie theater shooter in Colorado, would like for the public to believe he killed a dozen people because he was insane.

May 14, 2013
Lasting partnerships
Economic development officials have long noted the importance of expansions by existing industries and businesses in a community to lead growth.

May 1, 2013
COMMENTARY: Why does young adult fiction keep giving its heroines makeovers?
Over at This Ain't Living, s.e. smith (who, full disclosure, has guest-blogged for me at ThinkProgress) has an excellent post about one of the most pernicious trends in young adult fiction.

April 29, 2013
A spirit for moving forward
This weekend marked the two-year anniversary of a deadly day of tornadoes that streaked across Alabama, claiming lives and property and changing the landscape of many communities.

April 29, 2013
Faith and bombs
The investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing is pointing to the all-too-familiar theme of religious faith playing a major role in violence.

April 24, 2013
Keeping the US safe
The empty streets of Boston as authorities searched for two terror suspects was an eerie reminder of the vulnerability of innocent people.

April 21, 2013
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

Discussion

EDITORIAL: A door of opportunity

Site Map

Contact Us