The February 26 edition of The Demopolis Times is a little bigger than on most occasions. That’s because today’s edition is one that will pass through a few more hands and earn a few more second looks.

In this edition, we bring you our annual publication, "Progress: Where We’ve Been; Where We’ll Go."

Progress is filled with human interest stories about the people who help shape our community, along with the names and faces you remember from the past who have moved on from this city to other ventures.

Some of the exciting stories include a "day-in-the-life" feature on NBA star Theo Ratliff, who played his high school basketball in Demopolis. The Times went to Atlanta, where Ratliff plays, and spent an afternoon with him at practice.

We also have included a story on Dr. Les Crawford, a Demopolis native who now works as the deputy commission of the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. Crawford, who was appointed one year ago today to the post by President George Bush, shares with our readers some of his favorite stories about growing up in Demopolis and what it’s like to have the responsibility of ensuring your food and drugs are safe.

Progress 2003 includes stories on businesses in the community and gives you an in-depth look at education through the eyes of the city and county school systems. This edition also includes stories on healthcare and community programs designed to make life better in Marengo County.

Progress is not void of news, either. In the third section, one local person offers an exclusive interview announcing that he’ll run for mayor of Demopolis in 2004.

While the stories are important to this section and its readers, we also believe one of the most integral facets of the annual Progress edition is the advertisers who have purchased space in the publication.

The advertisers you see on these pages are the ones who care about the community and who have made a commitment to Demopolis and Marengo County. We urge you to spend time looking through the advertisements and the businesses that make up the heart of Marengo County’s economy.

As with this edition every year, this is not a read for one sitting. Progress is designed to showcase our community, and we hope, over the next few days and weeks, you find time to sift through the pages.

To secure your copy of the Progress edition, call 1-334-289-4017.