Vibrant. Historic. Uniquely Centerville.

That is the vision for Uptown, the area including the Architectural Preservation District at the intersection of Franklin and Main Streets.

Hope appears to be on the horizon as the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be distributed across the United States. The same cannot be said for the ongoing opioid epidemic that has ravaged Ohio, and the rest of the nation, for the better part of a decade. In fact, 2020 brought about some of the darkest days we’ve ever seen in the history of the opioid epidemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented a degree of uncertainty for Ohioans, and Lawrence County residents were no exception. The concerns caused by the pandemic, and its repercussions, brought about economic sluggishness throughout the world, with healthcare, government and business leaders vigorously working to find a solution. On the local level, the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) took the challenge head-on by finding new ways to adapt and continue work from beyond the office.

Businesses have only a few days remaining to apply for export-trained interns to help them grow and boost international marketing or logistics.

In the midst of the pandemic, Main Streets and commercial centers around the world are working to rapidly reinvent themselves in an attempt to extend a lifeline to their struggling small businesses. Open streets, “streateries,” shared streets, expanded sidewalks, new bike lanes and more are popping up from city to town in an effort to save the lifeblood of their local economies and the heart and soul of their communities.