Somewhere between the recent bad news and head-scratching moves of the City of Natchez, we almost missed a great historic event.

The city recently received approval to grow by 2.68 square miles, a truly historic milestone.

Prior to the latest growth, the city’s borders last grew in 1981. That the city had not physically grown in size in nearly 30 years may be one of the underlying problems the city has had recently tied to financing.

A city that isn’t growing is usually a city that isn’t prospering.

Hopefully, the new additions may soon spark some growth in those areas.

The areas — 2.12 square miles on U.S. 61 South and 0.56 square miles off Old Country Club Road to the north — are both currently unpopulated.

Two local developers who hope to attract both commercial and residential development to the area purchased the area to the south.

Local real estate broker Glenn Green and construction company owner Ricky Edgin are probably doing more to attract new business to Natchez than perhaps any other group.

We hope they are ultimately successful both for their own sake and for the increased tax base such development could provide to the area.

Growing the tax base through expanding retail, commercial and industrial business development may turn some of the head-scratching moments into pats on the back for city leaders.