It's reassuring to hear good economic news

Southwest Nebraska has more than its share of problems, chief among them the drought and Republican River water conflict with Kansas.

But there has been good news as well, and it seems to come in bunches.

March 29, the front page of the Gazette detailed projects that could add $3 million in annual payroll to the economy.

They included plans by SW Energy to break ground on an ethanol plant four miles west of McCook, which would eventually translate into 45 direct and 150 indirect jobs in the area.

And, high-tech 21st Century Systems and the McCook Economic Development Corp. announced that they want to transform a downtown landmark, the Keystone Hotel, into a retail, condominium and technology center. After outgrowing its space for nine employees in the Walsh-Brady Hall on the McCook Community College campus, 21st Century would be the anchor tenant with 20 employees to be housed downtown.

And, Pawnee Aviation is nearly ready to ship its first helicopter kits and has plans to expand into manufacturing kits for a light fixed-wing airplane, which could require 50 employees.

In a related show of entrepreneurial spirit, businessmen Tor Olson and Bill Longnecker are urging revival of the Lied Main Street program in downtown McCook.

Urging the involvement of the MEDC and McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, Longnecker said, nationally, the program had spawned 67,000 new businesses and 308,000 additional jobs -- a return of $26.67 for each $1 invested.

And today comes word of another major project -- groundbreaking on Mid America Agri Products/Horizon LLC's new ethanol project in Cambridge.

The ceremony, set for Monday, April 24, marks the start of construction of a 44 million gallon a year facility for $70 million. When it is eventually expanded, it is expected to be a $120 million facility capable of producing 88 million gallons of ethanol and employ about 40 people.

The good news does nothing to minimize our other problems -- in fact, without an adequate supply of water, it will be impossible to locally produce the corn needed to keep the ethanol plants going.

But it's certainly encouraging to see plenty of that entrepreneurial spirit in action.