Louisiana Mayor Tom Wallace has announced on the EAGLE 102 Wake Up Call that the County Market grocery chain will open a store in Louisiana next spring. County Market will be the second grocery store to open in Louisiana as Karl and Cathy Sippely opened Karl's earlier this year at 5th and South Carolina Streets.

Wallace said the deal was done Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. with Niemann Foods Inc. President Rich Niemann. He noted that the company will not be able take possession of the old Kroger location until September 1 and then it will take several months to revitalize the store. Wallace added the new store will hold a job fair in the future and is expected to hire 75 employees, full-time and part-time.

When Kroger left last fall the city felt the brunt of the loss losing more than $60,000 in tax money and County Market will help fill that void.

County Market recently purchased numerous Hickman's IGA stores including the one in Bowling Green and currently has a store in Pittsfield, Ill.

Stay tune to KJFM for more information as it becomes available.