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Mario Matos was a young man in a hurry when he arrived in America in 1975. Fresh from high school in his native Peru, he rushed from job to job in restaurants and sewing factories, always looking for a way to get a toehold on the American Dream.

With rising winds blowing in a morning sky dark as midnight and forecasts of rain and hail for the Eastman area, Andy Lundell was busy shepherding small airplanes into their hangars at Georgia Aviation and Technical College (GATC).

Local rumor has it that when Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, came to Macon looking for a new store location he soon spotted the exit sign for Bass Road on Interstate 75 just north of the city. "That's where it's going," he reportedly declared.

Fast facts about Macon/Bibb County: population, government, unemployment rate, median income, top employers.

The 10-year partnership between Macon developers Jeff Jones and Clay Murphey has lasted longer than many marriages. Together the two have accounted for more $25 million in development downtown and they say they're just getting started.