What a difference a decade can make

Back in 2007-2008, the economy in the United States tanked to one of the lowest levels since the Great Depression. Home, commerical and other building values dropped dramatically. The housing market virtually crashed, taking with it the construction field. All new construction ground to a virtual halt, layoffs at factories abounded and unemployment soared.
Each year, The Chronicle puts out a special “Horizons” issue, what we here more commonly refer to as our “progress” issue. The goal is to document the progress made in our community and its immediate area.
That was tough to do after the recession set in 2007. We chased down every glimmer of hope that something was being accomplished, that progress was being made, and tried to squeeze a story out of it. It was almost as hard as squeezing a job out of a bottomed-out economy or a few extra pennies out of a paycheck.
The past couple of years, that trend has swung to the other end of the pendulum. This year, we had several plums to pick from as we documented progress in Glencoe and the area.
Nowhere is a recovering economy more evident than in new construction. Although there has hardly been a housing boom, construction has been going on all around us.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has invested millions of dollars into a new feed mill on 10th Street. McLeod County will be starting its jail expansion within a couple of weeks, and Glencoe-Silver Lake voters approved — on its third ballot — a much-needed building project. Glencoe Regional Health Services continues to look at new ways to serve its patients and clients, and that is evident in the construction of a third floor to accommodate its rehab services. The city of Glencoe continues to improve its streets and infrastructure with the Armstrong Avenue project.
  And along with construction, there are other fun things that show that the entrepreneurial spirit is still strong in the community. Several new businesses opened this past year. The Alsleben family has shown that business acumen can be home-grown and fostered within a family. A church is starting an educational day care.
This year’s Horizons was a fun issue for our staff to work on. It gave us a chance to showcase what’s happening in our community.
This year, we’ll be able to chronicle the fruition of many of these projects and, hopefully, the beginning of many more.