Since 1990, the Butler Eagle has published an annual Progress report, a special section which examines how the county is making strides in different areas of development. This year’s section — which was included in Tuesday’s paper — focuses on Butler County’s progress in education, health, industry, recreation, nonprofits and real estate.

In the special section, we strive to show how the community is rallying to build up Butler County, from preparing its workforce and retaining it to supporting causes and tackling problems.

In the Education section, we examined on how local schools are incorporating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) principles into their curriculum and taking measures to ensure that students remain safe by staffing buildings with retired state troopers.

Our Industry section — which includes a list of the county’s top 10 employers — details how the county is training a strong workforce, so that it invites businesses to move here, while the Real Estate section discusses how development is attracting people to the county and how expansion of the Route 228 corridor is boosting business, generating approximately $28 billion in commodities each year.

In Recreation, we report on how tourism is boosting the county and list some of the biggest events coming this year to Historic Pullman Park. Butler County offers a variety of recreation options, from festivals and parks to a symphony, art museum and theater companies.

Our Health portion focuses on such topics as combating drug addiction in the county and technology that is transforming the Butler Health System. And our Nonprofits section includes stories about groups making a difference, from a foundation that raises money to help veterans adjust to civilian life, to a group that mentors at-risk youths.

It should be heartening for anyone who reads our story on how Butler County residents are eager to donate to fundraisers or volunteer in initiatives that help others.

In other words, there’s a lot of good taking place in Butler County and great potential for the future. The unemployment rate in the county is lower than the state average, and the county’s businesses and schools are adopting innovations that are anticipated to continue making Butler County a desirable place to live.

We acknowledge that the county has problems, from the ongoing battle against opioids and the expected growing pains that result from new development. But we’re trying to face them as a community.

Some of the county’s needs are less urgent, but still important — for example, we wrote a story about the need for more entertainment and nightlife options other than bars to retain the county’s young professionals.

But overall, Butler County is growing and expanding, and we look forward to learning as we compile stories in next year’s Progress report how the county continues to plan for its future.