To get things done, you have to know people and make connections.

That is the impetus for a recent trip of Ohio county commissioners to the White House in Washington D.C.

Lawrence County Commissioners DeAnna Holliday and Freddie Hayes Jr. were part of a group that made the trip last week. They spent nine hours meeting with Trump administration officials like the Secretary of Agriculture, special advisor Kellyanne Conway, Vice President Mike Pence and several more officials.

The Trump administration is making an effort to find out what the needs of local government are because that is “where the rubber meets the road” for governments.

It’s one thing for federal officials to talk about things like infrastructure or trade agreements, but it is on the local level that has a direct line on things that are needed like roads, bridges and dams. It is the farmer growing crops in Lawrence County that has their food sold to places around the world.

And our direct representatives are the county commissioners. So a direct line of communication between the courthouse in Ironton to the halls of the White House is needed to help our citizens get their products out into the market place, whether it be at the Ironton Farmers Market or a store in Canada.

In all, it seems like connections were made that can benefit the citizens of Lawrence County.