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USDA Invests $2.19 Million in Seven West Virginia Organizations to Support Rural Community Infrastructure

Name
Emily Cannon
Email
emily.cannon@usda.gov
Release Date

West Virginia Investment is part of $222 Million Announced Nationwide

 

WILLARD, Mo., Nov. 19, 2021 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is investing $222 million to build and improve critical community facilities in 44 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. This community infrastructure funding will benefit nearly 2.5 million people in rural communities. It also includes $132 million to support health care, food security, and emergency response services for more than 850,000 rural residents in 37 states. In West Virginia, seven community facilities will receive a total of $2.19 million in loan and grant funding.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild our economy,” Torres Small said. “Rural Americans need emergency response, hospitals and medical facilities, and USDA’s loans and grants invest in critical infrastructure to make that possible. USDA Rural Development puts rural people at the forefront of investment and opportunity to help us all build back better, stronger, and more resilient.”

West Virginia Acting State Director Alan L. Harris said, “This Rural Development funding supports multiple projects that benefit critical infrastructure in rural West Virginia. From emergency response and maintenance vehicles to vital video conferencing equipment and essential hospital renovations, this key funding is improving the quality of life for residents in rural communities.”

In West Virginia, the organizations receiving a total of $2,194,700 are:

  • City of Princeton is receiving two grants:
     
    • City of Princeton is receiving a grant of $22,300. This Rural Development investment was used to purchase one new X series manual monitor/defibrillator and five automated external defibrillators (AED) with covers and related accessories.  The project was necessary to improve the essential services of the City’s emergency medical response team and these items will benefit the City’s 6,432 residents.
    • City of Princeton is receiving a grant of $42,500. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase a new excavator unit for the city of Princeton's public works department. This equipment will allow the city to continue to adequately maintain streets and underground infrastructure. The City of Princeton's public works department is responsible for maintaining over three square miles of streets, sidewalks, and underground lines and pipes.  The city's current excavator is almost 20 years old and requires frequent maintenance just to keep it in operating condition.
  • City of Romney is receiving five grants:
     
    • City of Romney is receiving a grant of $77,500. This Rural Development investment will be used by the city of Romney to purchase a dump truck with a snow plow to maintain city streets and assist in daily operations. 
    • City of Romney is receiving a grant of $8,200. This Rural Development investment will be used by the Romney Law Enforcement Department to purchase five Kenwood NX-5300K5 UHF (380-470 MHz) portable radios with speaker microphones. These radios are essential to the effectiveness of their operations in the community.
    • City of Romney is receiving a grant of $26,900. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase a 2020 patrol interceptor with all relevant equipment to replace a 2009 Dodge Charger patrol vehicle.  Romney recently annexed 20 new homes into the city's limits and needs a newer model patrol vehicle to serve this area.
    • City of Romney is receiving a grant of $62,000. This Rural Development investment will be used by the city of Romney to purchase a new Bobcat Skid Steer, a new Trac Vac Vacuum System, and a new 325-gallon Direct Application System to spray anti-icing liquids onto road surfaces.  The current skid steer is under a lease agreement which expired in October 2020. The city does not currently have access to their own Trac Vac system to clear the roads and ditches of leaves and debris, and they rely on and pay for a private entity to clear debris.  The city also has no system to pre-treat roadways for ice and snow prevention.
    • City of Romney is receiving a grant of $27,400. This Rural Development investment will be used by the city of Romney to purchase a 2021 Ford F150 4x4 service truck to be used daily by the city's public works department.  The city currently utilizes a 2004 pickup with over 156,000 miles.
  • Town of Moorefield is receiving two grants:
    • The Town of Moorefield is receiving a grant of $74,200. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase three patrol vehicles for the Moorefield Law Enforcement Department. The department currently employs nine officers who currently rely on seven vehicles.
    • The Town of Moorefield is receiving a grant of $145,100. This Rural Development investment will be used to help the town of Moorefield purchase a 2021 Hino XL8 single-axle dump truck with hydraulic and spreader controls and snow plow.  The town will also purchase a 2021 Ram 1500 crew cab 4x4 pickup for street maintenance.  The town currently utilizes a 1994 model dump truck and a 1998 Ford F150, both beyond their useful life and often requiring mechanical maintenance.
  • Spelter Volunteer Fire Department is receiving a grant in the amount of $18,800. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase a four-inch fire hose for the Spelter Volunteer Fire Department's remaining fire engine. The fire department is mandated by new fire code to upgrade its three-inch fire hose to a four-inch fire hose.
  • West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is receiving three grants:
    • West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is receiving a grant of $35,400. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase video conferencing units to allow remote hearings in McDowell County, West Virginia, to take place. Over the past year, it has been realized that due to COVID-19 we can expect remote hearings to become the norm. By purchasing the video conferencing equipment, hearings can take place in nearly empty courtrooms and follow current COVID-19 guidance. Courthouses are expected to continue to have remote hearings even once COVID-19 guidelines are lifted. The current technology is unable to integrate with most of the current equipment, and this has created a roadblock that can only be resolved by upgrading these units.
    • West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is receiving a grant of $17,600. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase video conferencing units to allow remote hearings in Roane County, West Virginia, to take place. Over the past year, it has been realized that due to COVID-19 we can expect remote hearings to become the norm. By purchasing the video conferencing equipment, hearings can take place in nearly empty courtrooms and follow current COVID-19 guidance. Courthouses are expected to continue to have remote hearings even once COVID-19 guidelines are lifted. The current technology is unable to integrate with most of the current equipment, and this has created a roadblock that can only be resolved by upgrading these units.
    • West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is receiving a grant of $17,600 This This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase video conferencing units to allow remote hearings in Calhoun County, West Virginia, to take place. Over the past year, it has been realized that due to COVID-19 we can expect remote hearings to become the norm. By purchasing the video conferencing equipment, hearings can take place in nearly empty courtrooms and follow current COVID-19 guidance. Courthouses are expected to continue to have remote hearings even once COVID-19 guidelines are lifted. The current technology is unable to integrate with most of the current equipment, and this has created a roadblock that can only be resolved by upgrading these units.
  • Roane County Commissioners is receiving a grant of $19,200. This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase a law enforcement vehicle.  The vehicle is necessary for the ongoing operations of the Roane County Sheriff Department.  The department employs seven deputies to carry out the duties required by West Virginia Code.  The department covers an area of over 459 square miles of very rural terrain.  Having reliable and safe transportation is crucial to the ongoing functions of the department.
  • Hospital Development Company (Roane General Hospital) is receiving a loan in the amount of $1,600,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to help Hospital Development Company renovate their current structure to modernize their emergency department, create a new urgent care and walk-in clinic, and relocate the MRI machine and administrative offices. The hospital will also expand their current footprint by the construction of a new medical office building adjacent to their current structure to host a primary care clinic, specialty clinics, expand the therapy department, and provide community health services.  The hospital is a not-for-profit acute care hospital providing acute inpatient, emergency, long-term nursing care, and physician clinic medical services to the residents of Roane County and surrounding areas.

USDA is investing in 537 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The assistance will fund essential community services that will help keep rural America resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects will finance emergency response vehicles and equipment; build or improve hospitals and clinics; and combat food insecurity.

Background:

More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. For more information, visit Community Facilities Direct Loan Grant Program.

 

Today’s investments complement the recently announced funding availability under USDA’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, which also is being administered through the Community Facilities program. Through this program, USDA is making up to $500 million available through the American Rescue Plan to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services and nutrition assistance.

 

Under the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, Recovery Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are expended. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/erhc.

Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate, smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

 

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