NEWPORT-Good news for the local economy was delivered to the Cocke County Partnership's Board of Directors on Thursday at their March meeting by Sherry Butler, Partnership Vice-President.

Reporting for the EDC, Butler said a new retail establishment is coming to Newport. "We expect the official announcement to be made April 1," Butler said.

Butler did not divulge the retail firm's name or product.

She also announced that the FEMA study of the Industrial Park has been completed after a two-year period. "This was supposed to take six months," Butler said, "but we're finally done."

A letter of map revision has now been improved by FEMA, Butler said, and "will positively impact most of the companies" with "considerable savings" in insurance premiums. "This will have long-range results," she said.

For more details, please see the weekend edition of the Newport Plain Talk.