News that Georgia-Pacific will reopen its two dormant mills in Southwest Mississippi is quite a ray of light after three long and difficult weeks.

Amid Hurricane Katrina’s terrible destruction, she left behind timber that must be salvaged and processed.

That leaves southwest Mississippi in the position to gain 500 new jobs with Georgia-Pacific’s reopening of the mills in Roxie and Gloster.

And that means that many of the residents who have been displaced and are looking for a way to start over will be able to find work at the mills.

What’s more, the reopening is not temporary, according to company officials.

We are grateful to the state, which will provide job-training money, road repair, water systems and other infrastructure as incentives for Georgia-Pacific to reopen.

Our state officials have already made great strides to recover from Katrina. While much of world watched New Orleans in chaos, Mississippi was quietly suffering away from the spotlight. But state and local officials and resilient residents stepped up to take charge of their communities’ rebuilding, and now the state is moving forward with the right steps to rebuild the coast and the economy.

We never wanted to benefit from any of the suffering Katrina brought. But Georgia-Pacific’s announcement helps our community continue to help those who have been displaced, and will help our state and our region recover from this terrible storm.