Top story of the Year No. 6:
Retail growth continues in Meridian

By By William F. West / community editor
Jan. 1, 2003
Retail growth continued to boom in Meridian last year, with the addition of Office Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and an off-shoot of the Toys R Us chain.
Besides that, the city also saw new stores and locations for Apple's Dollar Store and Dollar Tree.
And shoppers have responded by coming to Meridian in droves instead of heading west to Jackson or east to Birmingham.
The Toys R Us chain was so impressed with Meridian that they chose it as one of three locations for its new Geoffrey store which sells toys and children's clothing.
Besides retail, Meridian saw the addition of several restaurants. Two of the bigger, high-profile eateries include the Crescent City Grill and Montana's Bar-B-Q &Seafood Restaurant.
Meanwhile, work continued on renovations to a longtime Meridian and Mississippi landmark Weidmann's. The bar already is open; the restaurant is expected to follow this year.