City applying for “Home Town Takeover”

Any fan of HGTV’s “Home Town” are familiar with how Ben and Erin Napier have brought new life into Laurel, Miss.

The Napiers are offering to do the same for another small town in the United States. Called “Home Town Takeover,” the six-part series promises to spruce up homes, parks and city buildings in communities of fewer than 40,000 people.

Demopolis is one of those communities applying for the honor. All this week volunteers have been taking videos around the city to highlight its assets and its challenges. Filmed were Whitfield Regional Hospital, the Old School, U.S. Jones Elementary School and downtown merchants who gathered by the fountain in the Public Square.

The filming ended Thursday afternoon as dozens of people gathered at the City Landing to give a shout-out to HGTV as they were captured by Ed Newell’s camera drone.

Diane Brooker, one of the organizers for the video, said they only heard of the contest less than two weeks ago.

Demopolis is in competition with towns around the country, from New York to Texas, Tennessee and Indiana. They will submit the video by the deadline next week.

Then it’s a matter of crossing fingers until the network show makes its decision.