For more than a year we’ve watched the site at 618 Highland Ave. to see when it would re-open.

Zaxby’s was a popular eatery for our residents in the Black Belt. Now, the restaurant has announced it will open its doors Monday, May 17, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

This is good news for those who enjoy the chicken prepared for Zaxby’s, but more importantly, this is good news for Selma and Dallas County. There is another retail outlet, hiring local people and putting money back into the local economy.

The re-opening means more tax dollars for the city and county.

Zaxby’s is just an example of people taking the opportunity to locate here in the Black Belt to serve people and contribute to the community.

All our retailers in the area should be praised for keeping their doors open, hiring local people and contributing to the life of the community.

And we who live here should honor the risk and the commitment made to this community by shopping in Selma first; spending our dollars to support those businesses, those home folks who work there and, in the long run, supporting our community.

We all should look forward to more growth as this recession slowly withdraws and our economy becomes healthier.