Residents and local representatives worked to identify some key problems in Starke County and come up with some solutions when they met for an asset mapping workshop earlier this week.
The group tasked with finding key problems in the area identified a few main issues that the county faces.
They mentioned an image problem, a low rate of educational attainment, a lack of housing and public transportation, limited local jobs, apathetic residents and the drug epidemic. One person noted that the drug epidemic could be regarded as a symptom of some of these other issues.
On the topic of education, they also included a problem with “brain drain”, which refers to young “home-grown” residents who do obtain a college education but then find work elsewhere.
In order to address these issues, some solutions were presented such as cultivating aspirations for people of all ages, providing more opportunities for college grads in order to encourage them to return to their hometowns and implementing and retaining effective drug rehabilitation programs.
It was also suggested that to dispel the reported image problem and attract more people to the area, officials should market the quality of the county, focusing on the rural aspect, the fresh air, outdoor activities and other positive aspects.
Group members added that another way to draw in more people would be to work to improve the quality of life by capitalizing on existing assets and determining areas where adjustments could be made. This would not only motivate more people to make the move to Starke County but it would make it a more appealing place for industries and developers.
