Jul. 26--No fewer than five developments reported in The Daily on Friday pointed to the nation's economy beginning to emerge from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

--Nucor Corp. said it had begun production on its new galvanizing line in Decatur to take pressure off processing at its other plants.

--3M Co. announced it made a profit during the second quarter, largely on the optical film produced in Decatur.

--The state opened bids on Phase 1 of the Robotics Technology Park it will build on U.S. 31 near Calhoun Community College.

--Dow Jones reacted to an upturn in home sales and closed Thursday above 9,000, its highest level since November.

--Columnists Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift wrote in their column that the recession is over. That might be a bit of wishful thinking, but the signs of recovery are showing. Cohn and Clift based their opinion on how big banks are performing. They pointed out that banks are repaying the loans from the federal government and pumping billions of dollars, with interest, into the Treasury Department.

The nation didn't wake up one day last fall and find the economy in the tank; that process was gradual, just as the recovery will be.

The signs of recovery are present, though, and it's now up to the White House and Congress to carry out the bipartisan plan that's in place.

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