Solutions series informs county economic development planning

Officials in Knox County, Ohio, used insights from Knox Pages' solutions stories to reinforce their development plan in light of anticipated growth from a new Intel plant located within 10 miles of the county. In public city council meetings and regional planning commission meetings, local officials cited solutions stories from Knox Pages’ investigative series “Beyond the Chip” to update their comprehensive development plan from late 2023 to the first quarter of 2025. Cheryl Splain, one of the reporters on the series, said, “One significant result is that local officials realized Mount Vernon and Knox County are already doing many of the right things to recruit business and handle growth, yet protect our communities’ identities and quality of life.” While the plans were in motion, Knox Pages engaged the local community in a capstone event where participants could have a discussion with public officials about Intel’s effect. Splain further elaborates: “What made this one unique is that the topics we covered in our solutions series — growth, housing, educational needs — are identical to issues we’re facing and of concern to residents. Participants had the opportunity to ask local officials how they plan to address concerns related to these topics.”