Given that Cape Girardeau County is thriving -- it's among the bright spots of Missouri -- some attention must be paid to the orderly expansion of residential, business and industrial development in areas that have a proud farming tradition.

Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson continue to expand their city limits, and both communities have operated for a long time within the structure of planning and zoning. At a joint meeting this week, both cities also expressed support for county planning and zoning.

As the county continues to prosper, it will be more and more important to abandon the town-vs.-rural way of thinking. Instead, the county's two biggest cities and the county need a three-way partnership that looks out for the best interests of everyone. By holding meetings on common issues, Cape Girardeau and Jackson are finding ways to avoid problems rather than create them.