WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–August 18, 2011 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced support for projects to create jobs and improve the quality of life in rural communities in 31 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement as part of the Obama Administration’s week-long focus on the rural economy and the White House Rural Council, which is addressing key areas of need in rural America including helping rural small businesses access capital, expanding rural job search and training services, and increasing rural access to health care workers and technology.
“The funding we are announcing today will help rural communities remain attractive places for job creation and business expansion,” Vilsack said. “The Obama administration and USDA are committed to ensuring that rural communities remain economically competitive by offering residents access to quality health care services, modern library facilities and school buildings, and reliable emergency equipment and services.
Financing totaling nearly $55 million in loans and grants will support 107 projects through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program. Eligible projects include essential community facilities for public use in rural areas such as fire protection, safety, health care, education and other community needs.
For example, in Rotan, Texas, the Fisher County Hospital District was selected to receive a $42,000 loan and a $35,000 grant to renovate patient rooms and offices at the hospital. The hospital serves more than 4,300 people. The funds will also be used to install a new electronic medical records system to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information, known as health information technology. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently executed between USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve collaboration and to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in rural communities.
In Shepherd, Mich., Greendale Township was selected to receive a $438,000 loan to buy a school building and convert it into a town hall and a public safety building. When complete, the renovated structure will increase meeting capacity for civic functions and also house an emergency response vehicle.
A complete list of community facilities projects that were selected for funding is below. Funding for each project is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan, grant or loan/grant agreement.
Today’s announcement is an example of investments the Obama Administration is making to help create jobs and grow the rural economy. In June, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council, chaired by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The White House Rural Council will work throughout government to create policies to promote economic prosperity and a high quality of life in our rural communities.
On Tuesday, President Obama hosted the White House Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, Iowa. The Forum brought together farmers, small business owners, private sector leaders, rural organizations, and government officials to discuss ideas and initiatives to promote economic growth, accelerate hiring, and spur innovation in rural communities nationwide. The President engaged directly with a variety of rural leaders from across the nation to discuss the importance of growing small businesses and strengthening the middle class in rural America.
Since taking office, President Obama’s Administration has taken significant steps to improve the lives of rural Americans and has provided broad support for rural communities. The Obama Administration has set goals of modernizing infrastructure by providing broadband access to 10 million Americans, expanding educational opportunities for students in rural areas, and providing affordable health care. In the long term, these unparalleled rural investments will help ensure that America’s rural communities are repopulating, self-sustaining and thriving economically.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $155 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.
Alaska
- Sheldon Jackson Child Care Center, Inc – To purchase equipment; $17,287 grant
Arkansas
- Phillips County Development Center – To construct a child care center; $250,000 loan; $50,000 grant
- City of Foreman – To purchase early warning sirens and radio equipment for the fire department; $24,000 grant
- City of Augusta – To purchase police cars and equipment; $46,000 grant
- Woodruff County – to purchase sheriff department vehicles and equipment; $31,000 grant
- Corning Area Healthcare, Inc – To construct a community medical center; $1,350,000 loan
California
- The Children & Families Commission of Fresno County – To purchase preschool equipment; $35,000 grant
- Lake County – To construct a library and senior center; $50,000 grant
- Lindsay Unified School District – To remodel health start building; $40,500 grant
Colorado
- Huerfano RE – 1 School District – To pour a concrete slab for the bleachers at the Community Sports Complex; $25,000 grant
- Yuma Hospital District – To construct a canopy wall at the emergency room entrance to protect arriving patients; $15,000 grant
Delaware
- Aerospace Education Foundation – To purchase and install a geothermal system; $50,000 grant
Georgia
- City of Butler – To purchase a patrol car; $12,210 loan; $12,210 grant
- City of Buena Vista – To purchase two patrol cars; $15,000 loan; $35,000 grant
Iowa
- Appanoose County Daycare, Inc. – To purchase a van and related equipment; $17,600 grant
- East Union Community School District – To purchase childcare equipment; $10,365 grant
- Bancroft Cay Care – To purchase childcare equipment and furnishings; $8,544 grant
- Corning Community School District – To purchase playground and equipment; $10,500 grant
- Ringgold County Hospital – To purchase information technology equipment; $50,000 grant
- The Presbyterian Village – To renovate a care center and nine units of an assisted living facility; $3,000,000 loan
Illinois
- Village of Galatia – To purchase and install a storm siren system; $15,750 grant
- Village of Palestine – To complete the unfinished interior of a facility built to house the Farmer’s Market and a community center; $30,750 grant
- Indian Grave Drainage District – To construct an additional excess flow pump station with two submersible; $2,570,000 loan
- Southern Seven Health Department – To purchase a building to be renovated and used as a health clinic; $500,000 loan
Kansas
- Prairie Sunset Home Inc – To renovate and expand a nursing home; $1,650,000 guaranteed loan; $1,650,000 direct loan
Kentucky
- City of Vanceburg – To purchase two police vehicles; $39,000 grant
- City of Jenkins – To purchase a four wheel drive police vehicle; $34,876 grant
- Jackson County Fiscal Court – To purchase two jail transport vehicles; $30,350 grant
- Owsley County Fiscal Court – To purchase a police emergency vehicle; $32,307
- Leslie County Fiscal Court – To purchase two four wheel drive Sheriff Department vehicles; $50,000 grant
- Estill County Ambulance Taxing District – To purchase an ambulance; $50,000 grant
- Caldwell County Public Health Taxing District – To construct a facility; $616,000 loan
Massachusetts
- Outer Cape Health Services – To pay for renovations; $311,580 loan
- Town of Templeton – To purchase land and construct a municipal building complex; $1,900,000 loan
Maine
- The LifeFlight Foundation – To construct an automated weather observing system; $10,500 grant
Michigan
- Houghton Lake Community Schools – To expand the daycare facility; $50,000 grant
- Portage Township – To replace the roof and electrical system in the learning center; $50,000 grant
- Creative Beginning Child Development – To purchase playground equipment; $12,000 grant
- Monroe County Opportunity Program – To construct a food pantry $1,120,000 loan
- Greendale Township – To renovate an elementary school building and convert it into a town hall and public safety building; $438,000 loan
- Joint Walkerville Area Fire and Rescue Authority – To purchase a self-contained breathing apparatus and replace the current wildfire/grass fire quick response unit for the fire department; $250,000 loan; $15,000 grant
- Village of Howard City – To purchase a grass rig that will be used as first line fire suppression unit for the Howard City Fire Department; $49,000 loan
Minnesota
- City of Hector – To purchase a grass fire fighting rig and equipment along with jaws of life equipment; $75,000 loan; $34,000 grant
- City of Kennedy – To purchase a vehicle for emergency response; $59,000 loan; $31,000 grant
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Services – To install a sprinkler system; $693,000 loan
Missouri
- City of Gideon – To purchase a police vehicle; $18,550 grant
- City of Charleston – To purchase and equip two (2) police vehicles; $46,800 grant
- City of Doniphan – To purchase police vehicles; $20,200 grant
- City of Hayti – To purchase a police vehicle; $22,500 grant
- East Prairie Nutrition Center – To purchase a delivery van; $12,000 grant
- East Prairie Nutrition Center – To purchase additional oven for meal preparation; $4,500 grant
- Senior Citizens Nursing Home District of Ray County – To construct a 30-bed assisted living facility; $3,000,000 loan
- Southeast Missouri Food Bank – To purchase and renovate a building for warehouse and offices of a regional food bank; $900,000 loan
Mississippi
- Holmes County Board of Supervisors – To purchase two patrol vehicles; $39,900 grant
- Holmes County Board of Supervisors (2) – To purchase two patrol vehicles; $40,300 grant
- Noxubee County Board of Supervisors – To construct a new jail; $2,509,000 loan
Montana
- Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation –To renovate and upgrade a building by replacing the heating system and adding additional insulation; $133,300 grant
- Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital Corporation – To replace old, second-hand boilers; resolve temperature control issues in laboratory, relocate the primary care physicians, and enclose the current receiving area and install a lift for supplies; $5,300,000 loan
North Dakota
- Pierce County – Install an elevator and remodel a bathroom in a county/city library to meet requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); $99,463 loan; $39,325 grant
Nebraska
- Brady Development Corporation – To add an addition to a medical clinic; $45,000 loan
- Palisade Rural Fire District – To construct a fire hall; $333,000 loan
- The Auburn Memorial Library Foundation, Inc – To add expand an existing library; $100,000 loan;$56,590 grant
- Keith County Area Development, Inc – To construct a public library; $2,300,000 loan
New Hampshire
- Tamworth Pre-School, Inc. – To make energy efficiency improvements; $10,500 grant
- Tiny Twisters Child Care Center – To purchase furniture, appliances and playground equipment; $27,500 grant
New Mexico
- Truchas Services Center Inc – To purchase pre-school equipment and make playground upgrades; $7,125 grant
Nevada
- Wells Family Resource Center – To replace flooring in a child care facility; $4,179 grant
New York
- Sullivan County Head Start, Inc. – To install a heating and cooling system; $27,300 grant
- Mercy Flight, Inc. – To purchase a rescue helicopter; $1,000,000 loan
- Mercy Flight, Inc. (Olean) – To purchase and retrofit a used Bell helicopter to provide air emergency rescue service to residents in Allegany & Cattaraugus County; $1,650,000 loan
Oklahoma
- INCA Community Services, Inc. – To purchase child care equipment; $32,210 grant
- Little Dixie Community Action Agency/Swink Head Start – To purchase playground equipment; $50,000 grant
- INCA Community Services, Inc./Atoka #1 Head Start – To convert an information area into a fitness room for children; $38,380 grant
- Little Dixie Community Action Agency – To make accessibility improvements; $18,504 grant
Pennsylvania
- Coal Country Hangout – To replace the roof and make the facility ADA-compliant; $50,000 grant
- Highlands Hospital – To develop an autism center; $450,000 loan; $50,000 grant
- White Haven Fire Company No. 1 – To construct a fire station; $735,000 loan
- Hughestown Hose Company – To purchase a fire truck; $265,000 loan
Puerto Rico
- ABC Infantil, Inc. – To acquire a playground and school bus for the child care center; $52,500 grant
- Hogar Ruth, Inc. – To acquire a playground; $45,763 grant
South Dakota
- West River Transit Authority – To purchase daycare equipment; $20,000 loan and $40,000 grant
Texas
- City of Anson – To purchase an electronic medical records system; $5,840 loan and $17,490 grant
- City of La Joya – To renovate a municipal building; $3,482,000 loan and $35,000 grant
- City of Raymondville – To construct a police station; $1,465,000 loan and $35,000 grant
- Fisher County Hospital District – To purchase an electronic medical records system; $42,000 loan and $35,000 grant
- Maverick County – To purchase patrol vehicles; $246,000 loan and $50,000 grant
- Bremond Historical Society –To install a heating and cooling unit, update the electrical system, and complete floors; $12,200 grant
- City of La Feria – To expand the fire station and construct a sub-station; $1,015,000 loan and $35,000 grant
- Coleman County Hospital District – To purchase an electronic medical records system; $25,000 grant
- Willacy County – To renovate the administration building; $1,060,000 loan and $35,000 grant
Utah
- Maria Montessori Academy – To purchase a school building; $2,604,000 direct loan and $4,866,000 guaranteed loan
Virginia
- Rural Family Development – To purchase computers and equipment for the Head Start program; $50,000 grant
- Kids Central, Inc – To purchase two buses and equipment for the Head Start program; $50,000 loan and $50,000 grant
- Step, Inc – To purchase vans and equipment for the Head Start program; $50,000 grant
- Rooftop of Virginia CAP, Inc. – To purchase equipment for the Head Start equipment; $17,380 grant
- Alleghany Highlands YMCA – To purchase equipment for the child day care program; $47,000 grant
- Town of Mineral – To construct a town hall; $743,800 loan
- Shenandoah County Free Clinic – To purchase and remodel a building to be used as a dental clinic; $752,700 loan
- Grottoes VFD – To make modifications to the fire station; $327,000 loan
- Hiltons VFD – To purchase a fire truck and equipment; $185,000 loan; $25,000 grant
- Oak Level VFA – To purchase a first responders truck; $45,000 loan; $18,200 grant
Vermont
- Rutland County Parent Child Center – To renovate and make accessibility and energy-efficiency enhancements to the building; $17,700 grant
- Village of Orleans, Inc. – To replace an old steam heating system with a new, energy efficient one; $33,000 grant
West Virginia
- Concord University Board of Directors – To make improvements to a child care facility; $110,000 loan and $50,000 grant
- McDowell County Commission – To purchase a vehicle for the sheriff’s office; $17,000 grant
- City of Rupert (Rupert Community Public Library) – To renovate a former store into a library; $50,000 grant
- Town of Addison (Webster Springs) – To replace a multi-purpose pavilion; $50,000 grant
Source: usda.gov
