The Southern Appalachian Labor School will be receiving $107,980 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rehabilitate 10 homes for low and very low-income individuals in Fayette, Nicholas, Kanawha and Raleigh counties.
The grant is part of nearly $2.2 million being sent to 18 different projects throughout the state as jointly announced in a press release from Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
The funding, through the ag department’s rural development program, will support purchasing telecommunications technology for schools, helping agricultural producers and rural small businesses make energy efficiency improvements, providing quality, affordable housing for all West Virginians and improving water and wastewater infrastructure across the state.
The largest cash reward is $486,800 to West Virginia University to provide training and customized outreach and technical assistance services to small rural water utilities throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. The primary goal is to help small, rural communities throughout Central Appalachia improve drinking water and wastewater operations and become eligible to obtain financial resources to improve their water infrastructure.
The Pocahontas County Board of Education is getting $462,000 to create a controlled atmosphere for operational efficiency and longevity of distance learning network equipment and end-user devices. Green Bank Elementary and Middle School is located within two distinct radio quiet zones and in order to minimize harmful interference, the equipment for this location must be hard wired and shielded. Three thousand rural residents will benefit from this project as well.