Lewisburg was one of 25 cities participating in a state seminar available this month to 84 municipalities in Tennessee that face state and federal regulations on the control of stormwater.

"Federal people were there from Washington to help us," Lewisburg Stormwater Director Robert L. "R.L." Williams said recently during a lengthy interview at his new office in the historic Ladies Restroom building. "They wanted to know if we were involved in smart growth."

"Smart growth," according to Williams, is a development trend that acknowledges realities in the environment.

Principles of smart growth range from building homes closer together so pipes are shorter, and therefore less expensive, to laying out a subdivision based on the topography to avoid stormwater drainage problems.

See the complete story in Friday's Tribune.