NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture • Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. • 2nd Floor North • Suite 200 • East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 • Fax: (517) 324-5225 •
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
HOUGHTON EVENT HIGHLIGHTS USDA SUPPORT OF RURAL EMERGENCY SERVICES
EAST LANSING, May 9, 2008 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Director for Michigan Gene DeRossett today commemorated the agency’s support for emergency services by presenting ceremonial grant checks to officials from Keweenaw and Houghton counties, the cities of Houghton and Hancock, and Grant Township.
“Since its inception in 2001, the Rural Emergency Services initiative has helped Upper Peninsula communities obtain 53 police patrol vehicles and 41 fire trucks,” said DeRossett. “That is an enormous contribution to public safety.”
- Houghton County - $30,000 grant for two patrol vehicles;
- Keweenaw County - $19,000 grant for one patrol vehicle;
- City of Houghton - $34,000 grant for two four-wheel drive patrol vehicles;
- City of Hancock - $33,000 grant for two four-wheel drive patrol vehicles; and
- Grant Township - $105,000 loan and $80,000 grant for a fire truck.
The event is part of a series of ceremonies commemorating more than $17 million in grants and loans this month for communities across the Upper Peninsula. Since 2001, Northern Michigan has received $44,478,354 in loans and $3,239,050 in grants through this program. In addition to vehicles, the initiative has helped fund the expansion, renovation or construction of nine fire stations, three police stations, and numerous other emergency medical facilities.
USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. Rural Development has invested more than $76.8 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. As a result, more than 1.5 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
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