There are good things happening at Vicksburg Mall.

With the past few departures from the mall, manager Mike Carlisle has filled vacancies quickly.

That’s no small feat, considering a few years ago malls were predicted to all but disappear from the American landscape.

Vicksburg’s mall might not pack in the same crowd it once did but it is still a vital part of our community. It houses the Vicksburg branch of Alcorn State University, a steakhouse, a number of top retailers and until recently the city’s only full-time movie theater.

Wilcox Cinema 6 closed earlier this month, leaving Vicksburg with only The Strand, which does an excellent job of presenting classic, foreign and independent films on weekends.

Soon, B&B Theatres will replace Wilcox at the mall, bringing with it plenty of popcorn, sodas and first-run feature films.

“I can’t wait for them to move in. This will be their first theater in Mississippi,” Carlisle said. “They are one of the top 10 cinema companies in the country.”

The company is holding a job fair from 3 to 8 p.m. Sept. 22, and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 23, at the Army Recruiting Center in the Mall and should open in late October or early November, just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The turnout time is amazing, considering when Wilcox moved to the mall 2008, Vicksburg had been without a theater for two years.

When the theater arrives, we hope it will have a large customers base ready to enjoy the latest cinema. Too many of our local residents drive to Clinton or Pearl for a night at the movies. We hope our community continues to support our mall where soon shoppers will have the chance again to catch dinner and a movie.