Vidalia &8212; New businesses and new opportunities cropped up at every turn in Vidalia in 2005.

A new McDonald&8217;s rose literally from the ashes of one that burned down in 2004, and a new strip mall on Carter Street welcomed tenants such as Subway.

Construction is under way on the Vidalia Gateway and Welcome Center along the riverfront, and the town is in talks with Wal-Mart to locate a discount store in Vidalia.

Perhaps the biggest news came at the end of the year: a long awaited rubber plant has cleared all but the final hurdle to locate in the Vidalia industrial park.

LIEL, a research company looking to open a manufacturing plant for its product, would recycle used tires into new rubber.

Also, the town is negotiating with Crosspoint Group Inc. to build a plant in Vidalia to make Crosspoint&8217;s portable solar energy units and other products.

In other economic news for Vidalia, Promise Healthcare Inc., which owns and operates the Promise Specialty Hospital of Miss-Lou in Ferriday, announced plans to open a replacement facility in Vidalia for the Ferriday hospital.

Mayor Hyram Copeland said Vidalia&8217;s good news is good for the entire region.

&8220;We&8217;re excited about 2006,&8221; he said. &8220;And this is not just Vidalia, this is the entire Miss-Lou.&8221;