At Tuesday’s meeting of the Lawrence County Commission, the three commissioners again heard from Mary Williams, a resident of South Fifth Street in Ironton, who voiced concerns of some residents in that area about the former Lombard Elementary School site being chosen as the location of a new Lawrence County Jail.

Commissioners assured her that they were working on trying to find an alternate site that would not have objections from neighbors.

At the end of the meeting, both sides found common ground to continue working toward a resolution.

It was a good example of civics in action, in which residents made a list of their concerns and had a spokesperson go before the commission during public comment, with commissioners then being receptive to those issues and responding.

Too often today, people think that lashing out in social media posts or outlandish online videos, or sitting out a process or offering no solution is the path to take when there is a greivence.

We commend both the commissioners and Williams for addressing their differences civilly and exploring multiple options.

This conversation should continue and engagement can lead to better solutions for all.