Yesterday, a number of local people, including elected officials from Surry County and Mount Airy, made a trip to Raleigh to chat with legislators about Fibrowatt, the hoped-for state prison, and Surry County economic development in general.

The jaunt to the state capital was but one in a series of meetings area leaders have made to meet with state officials and elected representatives there. Some trips have been to discuss specific items — such as lobbying for a state prison to be built in Surry County — and others have been of a more general nature, such as yesterday’s trip.

Regardless, it is good to see area people getting face time with not only our area’s representatives, but legislators from other regions of the state as well. Recruiting businesses is a tough, hard, intensely competitive business, even more so during an economic downturn. Communities across the state can all offer similar incentives — land, utilities, maybe some tax cuts — but our region boosts some wonderful characteristics that add to the quality of life. Among those are abundant outdoor activity opportunities, some of the state’s best school systems, and beautiful scenery surrounding the region.

Despite all these advantages, Surry County has not, for whatever reason, been high on the radar screen in Raleigh when it has come to helping communities with economic development and business recruitment.

We hope recent efforts by local officials, including yesterday’s visit, can change that.