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Carroll County made its second economic development announcement in less than three weeks on July 29 as AmeriPumps will relocate to Hillsville soon, bringing with it 125 jobs.

The most recent development comes on the heels of the July 10 press conference in which the county released information on the new Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores that will be locating off Interstate 77’s Exit 1 in Lambsburg. McDonald’s and Subway restaurants will be included in the development, which is expected to bring 70 to 90 new jobs as well as $7 million to $9 million in capital investment to the county.

With all the recent plant closings throughout the area, everybody knows that the Twin Counties is in desperate need of jobs. The sorry state of the economy doesn’t help matters, either. So anything that brings in new jobs to the area, especially Carroll County, is most certainly welcome. No matter what the July 29 announcement involves, any economic development announcement is good news for our area.

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors has taken a lot of heat in the past, but they should be applauded for doing everything in their power to try to attract businesses and jobs for the citizens. At the same time, they are making every effort possible to bring the infrastructure needed to attract more businesses and industries. Carroll County Administrator Gary Larrowe has also worked tirelessly in the same endeavors, and he should receive a lot of credit for his hard work as well.