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It’s been a rough year for everybody.

COVID-19 has hit the region, the state, the country and event the globe hard.

But as spring dawns across Northeastern Pennsylvania and the weather turns warmer, we find reasons to be optimistic.

Really, more than optimistic. We at the Times Leader feel that the region has taken its first steps in overcoming the devastating effects of the pandemic.

You can feel it as you walk through downtown Wilkes-Barre and see restaurants and bars come back to life. You can feel as you walk into businesses throughout the region that just a few short months ago were forced to close their doors but now are returning to the hustle of everyday business.

And you can feel in our parks and other recreation areas that are now filled with activity.

Of course, we still must be vigilant. We will wear out masks. We will get our vaccinations, and we will socially distance when appropriate.

But rest assured, life is slowly but surely returning to normal in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Our annual inNOVAtion section is inside today’s newspaper, taking a look at what we’ve been through and what our future may look like.

We hope you find the section informative.

We also hope that once you are done with the section that you will share the same optimism we have for the future of our region.