The citizens of Ironton and Lawrence County put their faith in Bill Johnson by electing him to represent them in Washington, D.C., as a representative in the House’s 6th District.

Now, Johnson will be represented here in the county, too.

Staff members for the Republican leader confirmed last week that Johnson will keep a Congressional office here in Lawrence County.

The exact location has yet to be determined but it would make sense to keep it at Park Avenue where former representative Charlie Wilson had an office during his terms.

We applaud Johnson for this move and it should be looked at as continued positive movement forward for southern Ohio.

Having a congressional office located right here, especially with a district as large and diverse in its needs as the 6th District, is very important for the region because it provides a direct conduit to the individual elected to represent our best interests.

We look forward to hearing the announcement on the location and seeing regular office hours established. We also encourage Johnson to personally visit on a consistent basis.

A number of local leaders lobbied for the Congressman to keep a presence here. It is encouraging to see that Johnson was listening and took action to prove it.

Southern Ohio needs Johnson working for us in Washington, but that starts by working with us right here at home.