Officials and residents of Knox County have taken the first, at least, public step in addressing a problem they say desperately needs to be solved.

The group "Team Knox County" introduced themselves to the public yesterday -- they've formed to address the county's reappearance in a statewide report on poverty, indicating Knox County is one of 22 in the state that is on a State Poverty Warning List.

Galesburg's Sal Garza, with the State Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is heading-up the "Team Knox County" task force, and says he doesn't want to think about what would happen if this problem wasn't addressed head-on now and not later. "These trends are not self-correcting," Garza said. "We have to be able to address these -- address these in a very aggressive manner. If we don't, what will our future look like? And I think we start to piece together snapshots. And frankly speaking for myself, I don't like what I see."

Garza says the group is looking at how similar task forces formed in Adams and Rock Island counties have done, among others, in addressing poverty rates, and how best to alleviate them, but he says he needs one thing -- a lot of help from the community.

Garza says he would love to see as many Knox County residents who would like to join him to be a part of the committee.