Arkansas communities have received more than $317,000 in funding through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).
AEDC Division of Rural Services awarded approximately $317,500 to 39 counties and communities in Arkansas as part of two grant programs. In total, the division awarded $317,571.78 through the Rural Community Grant Program and the County Fair Building Grant Program.
“Although the it was a difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Arkansas Rural Development Conference, we are pleased to continue supporting our program participants by awarding grants totaling more than $317,500 to rural communities across the state,” Department of Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said in a statement.
Through the Rural Community Grant Program, 28 counties and communities received $276,379.56. To be eligible for the programs, applicants must be from incorporated towns of less than 3,000 in population and unincorporated rural areas in order to receive up to $15,000 in matching funds for community development and fire protection projects.
Eleven counties received a total of $41,192.22 through the County Fair Building Grant Program. This program allows counties with a population of less than 55,000 residents to apply for up to $4,000 in funding for “construction, renovation or general improvements of buildings or purchase of items shown to directly improve the building or the services that the county fair association may provide.”
These grants require a 50 percent match from the counties/towns.
The deadline for the next Rural Community Grant Program and County Fair Building Grant Program funding cycle is Aug. 6, 2020.
The full list of funding recipients is below:
- Antioch Fire Department — $15,000
- Barnes Rural Volunteer Fire Department — $4,877.50
- Brookland — $15,000
- Brown Grove Volunteer Fire Department — $7,500
- Columbia County — $15,000
- Cotter-Gassville Rural Fire Protection District — $12,993.34
- DeGray Volunteer Fire Department — $1,628.50
- Dutch Creek Volunteer Fire Department — $4,000
- Elkins — $15,000
- Gilbert — $9,000
- Highland — $4,918
- Hindsville — $10,000
- Holiday Island — $15,000
- Hunter Fire Department — $3,254.03
- Hwy 35 South Volunteer Fire Department — $10,530
- Lavaca Fire Department — $15,000
- Leachville — $15,000
- Lockesburg — $14,250
- Maddox Bay Volunteer Fire Department — $3,975
- Marion County — $2,000
- Oak Grove — $15,000
- Peppers Lake Volunteer Fire Department — $7,750.98
- Scott Fire Protection District — $14,961.80
- Star City — $7,072
- Thornton — $14,400
- Tyronza — $9,680
- Western Greene County Fire District — $7,838.41
- Winthrop — $5,750
County Fair Building Grant Recipients:
- Baxter County Fair Association — $4,000
- Calhoun County Fair Association — $4,000
- Carroll County Fair Association — $4,000
- Clark County Fair Association — $2,695.62
- North Franklin County Fair Association — $4,000
- Fulton County Fair Association, Inc. — $4,000
- Howard County Fair Association — $4,000
- Johnson County Fair Association — $2,496.60
- Sharp County Fair Association — $4,000
- Van Buren County Fair — $4,000
- Yell County Fair Association — $4,000