Don’t look now, but a recent visitor to Warren County is starting to receive some national acclaim. In a Washington Post opinion piece by E.J. Dionne, state Gov. Josh Shapiro is being characterized as an official who will get things done.

What’s the greatest example? Easily, it’s the Interstate 95 repairs near Philadelphia after a horrific vehicle fire.

Here is a bit of what Dionne wrote recently.

“You might know Shapiro as the guy who got a collapsed part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia fixed within 12 days. Given how long public projects take to complete, he deserved all the attention he got for this achievement.

“It sure made him popular at home. In late June, a Quinnipiac Poll found that 57 percent of Pennsylvania voters approved of Shapiro’s job performance while only 23 percent disapproved. Strikingly, 53 percent of independents and even 34 percent of Republicans gave their Democratic governor positive marks.

“For Shapiro, the I-95 moment is part of a larger task: to prove to voters that government can be effective and also operate in the interest of those who feel left out, left behind and disrespected.”

As Dionne notes, “effective government” is not always what constituents witness. Often, it is a malaise — a long, drawn out process that makes many believe getting things done is not a priority.

Interstate 95 is impressive feat for all connected, especially the crews doing the work. But leadership is important as well.

Last week, we noted the population drain occurring in this region and state in this corner. That is another urgent matter — almost as important as I-95 — for the Shapiro team to address.