Southern Bancorp has agreed to acquire the Bank of Bolivar County, which operates two branches in the Mississippi communities of Shelby and Mound Bayou. “Across the country, we’re seeing a trend of small, rural community banks closing their doors due to increased regulatory costs and declining profit margins,” said Southern Bancorp, Inc. CEO Darrin Williams. “And larger banks are usually unwilling to purchase them... Southern, however, is different. Our mission is to focus on rural, distressed markets, because we understand that without access to responsive and responsible financial capital... more businesses will close, more jobs will be lost, and ultimately, these communities will disappear.”