Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch is looking forward to seeing the final proposals from this year’s four Stellar Communities finalists. Marshall County Crossroads – made up of Argos, Bourbon, Bremen, Culver, Plymouth, and Marshall County itself – as well as Constellation of Starke – consisting of Hamlet, Knox, North Judson, and Starke County – are both in the running for the regional designation.
The multi-year, multi-million dollar investment initiative is led by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which the lieutenant governor oversees. “The fact that people are coming together to make their plans and then to attract private investment in addition is very exciting,” Crouch says. “And so I’m anxious to see the end product by all of our Stellar applicants, and they’re all winners.”
While only one region will get a Stellar designation, the other three will get to split $1 million, to help them move forward with their regional development plans.
Crouch adds, “What we’re most encouraged about is the regional approach and communities coming together and working together across geographical and political lines, so that the whole community benefits and the whole region benefits because we have to remove those barriers and all work together.”
She noted that the regions are busy working on their final applications and presentations. The winner is scheduled to be announced in December.
