CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $16,898,983 in federal grants and loans to five rural communities across West Virginia. This funding, which is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Investment Program, will be used to invest and expand public works projects and facilities, as well as hospitals and affordable housing. 

“I’m glad to see this funding headed to West Virginia through USDA’s Rural Development program, which will help support our rural communities and help them better meet the needs of the people who live there. I will continue my efforts to secure resources that increase the availability of health services, strengthen our infrastructure, and improve the lives of our residents in West Virginia.” Senator Capito said.

Individual awards listed below:

  • $14,361,000 Loan for Boone Memorial Hospital Inc. (Madison, W.Va.): This Rural Development investment will be used to renovate a facility into a health clinic as an expansion of the current hospital. The hospital serves all of Boone County and portions of Logan County with quality inpatient and outpatient healthcare services. The project will provide quality outpatient healthcare and wellness services to a service area of approximately 32,200 rural residents. 
  • $1,000,000 Grant for the Town of Bradshaw, W.Va.: This Rural Development investment will be used to convert the Town of Bradshaw's waste water system to a traditional gravity system. This project will consolidate the majority of the customers onto centralized pumping stations for system efficiency and energy savings. Multiple high maintenance, high energy, consumption grinder pumps and vacuum stations will be removed. The system is a hybrid compilation of multiple technologies that suffers from high-energy consumption, regular component malfunctions, infiltration, and excessive staff time requirements. The system was completed in the mid-1990s, and both the lines and the plant have exceeded their useful life expectancy.
  • $904,783 Loan for the Forrest Place Preservation Association (Kermit, W.Va.): This Rural Development investment will be used to assist in the transfer, assumption and rehabilitation of Forrest Place Apartments, an existing multi-family housing complex in Kermit, W.Va. The project consists of 15 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units. All units will go through significant rehabilitation and improve the living conditions for all current and future tenants.
  • $616,000 Grant for the Lavalette Public Service District (Lavalette, W.Va.): This Rural Development investment will be used to upgrade the German Ridge and Dickson areas of the Northern Distribution System to an eight-inch waterline to better serve the system's customers with fire flow, reduced water loss, and reduced operation and maintenance costs associated with leak repairs. The project will also install Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) additions, automatic flushing equipment, tank cleaning, and installation of tank mixers. The mapping of the entire Northern Distribution System will provide additional security and reduce the time associated with locating problems within the distribution system. These additional funds will complete this project.
  • $17,200 Grant for the City of Smithers: This Rural Development investment will be used to assist with the purchase of a commercial tractor/mower vehicle for the city's street department. The vehicle will have multiple capabilities including mower, front loader, and backhoe attachments. The vehicle is needed to maintain the city's green spaces and for moving and clearing rocks, mud, and debris from public areas. The city does not currently have a commercial tractor for mowing and relies on two small riding mowers and multiple push mowers.

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