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ADECA

October 28, 2014
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Governor awards funding for improvement projects in Blackbelt region
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Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded $2.45 million in grants to improve living conditions in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

Bentley awarded Community Development Block Grants of $350,000 each to Choctaw, Hale and Sumter counties and to the towns of Emelle, Forkland, Lisman and York.

“These grants will help address some urgent needs in an area where local revenues are stretched thin,” Bentley said. “I am pleased to assist local officials throughout the region who are striving to improve the quality of life in their communities.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the awards from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grant recipients, listed below in bold type, each will receive $350,000 for the projects described.

Choctaw County

The Choctaw County Commission will improve public water service and roads for residents in the Shady Grove community. In addition to increased water pressure for residential use, service improvements also will enable installation of hydrants to enhance firefighting capabilities. Road repairs will eliminate some hazards and improve access for service and emergency vehicles.

The Town of Lisman will make drainage improvements that will benefit about 85 households along Ruffian Avenue, Martin Avenue, Edward Avenue, West Second Avenue, Commerce Street and Coleman Circle. Residents say the lack of sufficient drainage causes water to pool for weeks in yards and roadsides, creating both a nuisance and a public health hazard.  

Greene County

Projects planned by the Town of Forkland include water service upgrades and street improvements. The town will install new water lines in several areas, add four fire hydrants, and make repairs to Halls Avenue, Boxwood Road, Dunlap Road, Smith Circle, Sugars Drive and Cooks Avenue.

Hale County

The Hale County Commission will rehabilitate and upgrade public water services by replacing a water line and adding 10 fire hydrants along County Road 29 in the Hogglesville community. The existing line has suffered about 50 breaks in the last four years, leaving area residents without water or with very low pressure.

Sumter County

The Sumter County Commission will pave about three miles of dirt roads located in the north-central part of the county. Officials say poor road conditions make travel difficult for residents and hazardous for school buses, sanitation trucks and emergency vehicles trying to maneuver. Paving will include portions of Hodges Dial Road, Buck Boyd Road and Brown Chapel Road.

The Town of York will use its grant to resurface six streets that residents say are unsafe because of potholes, uneven surfaces and eroding asphalt:  Webster Street, Walker Street, Amerson Street, College Street, Stokes Avenue, Dubose Avenue and Toomsy Avenue.

The Town of Emelle has identified 19 dwellings to be rehabilitated or demolished in order to improve living conditions in the community. The project calls for emergency repairs to be made to 15 houses to ensure they are safe and weatherproof. Four dwellings with extensive damages will be demolished and replaced with singlewide manufactured homes.  

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Contact Jim Plott or Larry Childers


For more information, visit:  http://www.adeca.alabama.gov/