Stokes County gets big economic boost

(The Stokes News) - N. C. Department of Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco announced on August 13 that four counties have been selected to participate in the continuation of the 21st Century Communities Program. Stokes County, along with Cleveland, Jones and Pamlico are the new counties.

The Stokes County Economic Development Commission applied for inclusion in this program, which is designed to foster growth in counties that are facing economic challenges to assist them in the development of programs and initiatives that will lead to economic growth. The application process was competitive and Stokes County was chosen from several candidates.

The success of the application was in large part due to the support provided by the City of King and Towns of Walnut Cove and Danbury, which each provided a letter endorsing Stokes County in their efforts to be included in this program. Having 100 percent of the taxing municipalities willing to participate in this process, as well as the willingness the county has shown to partner regionally, were seen as key to this selection.