By Staff
When the state was forced to abandon a four-laning project between Brewton and Flomaton in 2003, Escambia County officials decided not to let the project die.
So the road work under way on 31 right now isn't actually four-laning U.S. Highway 31 - it's County Road 31.
Four-laning a highway usually comes under the responsibility of a state highway department, with local officials crossing their fingers that the state will come through with a wider road that will lead to greater prosperity.
But while funding for the project came mainly from state and federal coffers, Escambia County is taking responsibility for the four-laning between Brewton and Flomaton, putting the county in a unique position among local governments.
We're certainly glad the county did not let this project die. We need the four-lane highway not only for convenience but for economic development and potential hurricane evacuees.
So we will take the minor inevitable traffic delays as construction on the road continues, and we look forward to a smooth ride across the county.
Celebration marks business anniversary
Not many companies make it to five years, let alone 10. But the founders and employees at Nutex had already proven their determination when they started the company a decade ago.
Nutex grew out of the old Shelltex plant, which closed 11 years ago in Brewton. Not wanting to see local jobs eliminated, four men worked hard to build the capital and customer base to bring those jobs back and help Brewton's economy.
On Friday, those founders and employees celebrated 10 years, sharing a family picnic and a lot of memories.
We're looking forward to many more milestones from Nutex in the decades to come.