Hi Dennis,
I've been here since 2007, having spent most of the rest of my life in Chicago and then Phoenix. It's a nice-sized town of about 12,000 now; we have a Super Wal-Mart and a few halfway decent restaurants, but it still has that great small-town feel - particularly when one has occasion to do business on the square. I'm not sure what was done during the renovation, but things seem to be in good repair, and there really isn't an obvious "ghetto" section of town. We live about three miles east of the city limits, so we have the feel of living out in the country, but we have all the "city" amenities at our fingertips. Bottom line: Nice place, low crime, friendly folks. We plan to stay awhile.
Best,
Dave