U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that the USDA is investing $2,659,746 in loans and grants to support rural economic development.

“This economic development funding is a great asset for rural communities to save and grow jobs,” Hinrichsen said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural Kansas in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America prospers, all of America prospers.”

Alma – This project will provide a $600,000 loan to Grandma Hoerner’s Foods, a food processing facility, to make building improvements and purchase additional equipment. The applicant will provide an additional $150,000 toward the project and the project will create 19 jobs.

Cheney – This project will provide a $422,800 loan to SPK Grocery Inc. and SPK Holdings LLC to make purchases and improvements to a grocery store in Cheney, Kan. The borrower will provide an additional $56,000 and private/commercial sources will provide an additional $49,700 toward the project for a total project amount of $528,500. The project will save 16 jobs.

Colby – This project will provide two loans of $870,000 and $150,000 to Citizens Medical Center Inc. to purchase an MRI machine and make building improvements to the MRI department at the hospital. The $150,000 Rural Development investment will be used to create a revolving loan fund through Rural Telephone Service Company Inc.  The initial loan through this revolving loan fund will be made to Citizens Medical Center.  Both loans through Rural Telephone will then be loaned to Citizens Medical Center Inc.  The applicant will provide an additional $217,500 toward the project and it is expected to save 14 jobs.

Leavenworth – This project will provide a $116,946 loan to Next to Nature Farm to construct a new facility and purchase extraction and harvesting equipment. Next to Nature Farm is a bee farm of 58 hives. They also produce fresh fruit, fruit products and operate two area farmer’s markets. The applicant will provide an additional $29,236 toward the project and the project will create four jobs.

Wellington – This project will provide a $500,000 loan to assist the city of Wellington with necessary improvements to the existing emergency department so that the facility can reopen. The applicant will provide an additional $200,000 toward the project, Ascension via Christi will additionally provide $1,134,914 and the project will create 25 jobs.

The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program which provides zero-interest loans to local utilities that they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility then is responsible for repayment to USDA.

The REDLG program also provides grants to local utility organizations that use the funding to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).  Loans are made from the revolving loan funds to projects that will create or retain rural jobs.

Contact USDA Rural Development

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/ks, or by calling (785) 271-2700.

Governor Laura Kelly today joined Kansas Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary for Business Development Bill Murphy and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Invenergy Kris Zadlo to announce Inevergy’s new Grain Belt Express transmission line.

“Kansas is uniquely positioned to be a regional and national leader in the development and expansion of clean and renewable energy,” Governor Kelly said. “The Grain Belt Express will be instrumental in helping to power Kansas and other states, and will bring nearly 1,000 jobs and billions in economic investment and energy savings to our state. My administration is committed to rebuilding our foundation and supporting key investments that will continue to boost economic development, recruit businesses, foster a healthy workforce, and produce sustained growth.”

According to an analysis on behalf of the company, the Grain Belt Express will create up to 22,525 jobs supported over the three-year construction period, 968 full-time, permanent operations jobs, and $8 billion of total, long-term economic investment in Kansas. Additionally, the project will save up to $7 billion in electricity costs for Kansas and Missouri consumers through 2045, and produce $3.7 billion in economic output during construction and $235 million in annual economic output once operations begin.

“All of us in the Kelly administration are extremely proud of our state’s position as a national leader in wind energy production – and we know the future is even brighter on this important front,” Deputy Secretary Murphy said. “Not only is Kansas wind energy production good for the environment, it’s also good for business. Wind energy is a proven job creator that employs thousands of Kansans, and has helped to fuel our state’s economy with billions of dollars in capital investment.”

Grain Belt Express will begin in Spearville, Kansas, and continue through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The project will deliver significant advantages in access to affordable energy, added infrastructure for broadband, and significant capital investment.

“Economic recovery and long-term economic competitiveness in Kansas and Missouri depend on new investment, more jobs, and tapping into low-cost, homegrown clean energy, which Grain Belt is moving full speed ahead to deliver,” Zadlo said. “Grain Belt is proud to increase our investment in Kansas and Missouri to rebuild the economy, deliver billions of dollars in energy cost savings, and meet growing renewable energy demand.”

About Grain Belt Express

Grain Belt Express is an approximately 800-mile high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line being developed by Invenergy Transmission. It will deliver up to 4,000 megawatts (MW) of low-cost, homegrown clean energy from western Kansas to millions of Americans in the Midwest and other regions. Learn more at: www.grainbeltexpress.com

In response to concerns about speeding in neighborhoods, city leaders will soon consider reducing the speed limit on residential streets in Lawrence. As part of its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting an ordinance to reduce the speed limit on residential streets from 30 mph to 25 mph, according to a news release from the city. The city’s Multi-Modal Transportation Commission is recommending the speed reduction following the results of a resident survey and a city staff recommendation. The city conducted the survey earlier this year and asked residents whether they prefer the current 30 mph standard or would like to see the speed limit lowered to either 25 mph or 20 mph. About 57% of the 511 people who responded to the survey said they wanted to lower the speed limit, with those respondents roughly split on whether it should be 25 or 20 mph.
Source: LJWorld.com.

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