Governor Bentley Approves $325,000 in Appalachian Regional Commission Grants

By: Lori Davis, Digital Content Producer

MONTGOMERY (Governor’s Office) — Governor Robert Bentley recently approved $325,000 in Appalachian Regional Commission grants for two Alabama counties.

The Standing Rock Community waterline extension received a $200,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to install 27,450 linear feet of waterline to provide access to clean water. Residents in this area were previously sharing private community wells that were shallow and lacked sufficient capacity for adequate water. Chambers County reported 80 percent of their county wells had coliform bacteria present. This investment will provide water service to 46 households and two businesses in the Standing Rock Community in Chambers County.

Brookwood Technical High School in Tuscaloosa County received a $125,000 grant from ARC to renovate an existing gymnasium to become a new Automotive Logistics Center. This investment will offer high school and community college students an opportunity to train in and create a workforce for the evolving automotive industry.

The center will be complete with rack storage systems, forklifts and carts to mimic local automotive manufacturers and logistic centers.

“For years, the partnership between ADECA and the ARC has played a pivotal role in the development of communities in Alabama,” said Governor Bentley. “These grants are helping citizens access the most basic necessities in life— water and education.”

Funding for ARC grants are made available annually by appropriations from Congress. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is responsible for the administrative functions of the ARC in Alabama. The ARC is a regional economic development agency that was established by an act of Congress in 1965 to create a partnership between the federal, state, and local government.

“ADECA is pleased to play a role in helping extend a safe, plentiful supply of water to residents in the Standing Rock community and in helping the Tuscaloosa County School System to transform a gym into a center to prepare students for high-paying jobs in the automotive industry,” ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. said. “Our mission is to create stronger communities, and I believe these grants will do just that.”

Project managers hope to get these projects started as soon as possible.