Bluegrass Times

GREENUP, Ky. - On September 11, during an intermission of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) annual conference hosted in Ashland, Gov. Andy Beshear traveled to the city of Greenup to announce nearly $4 million in funding to benefit Greenup County and its citizens.  

The funds will help resurface roads, promote tourism, support local law enforcement, make improvements to the city of Raceland Park, support local nonprofits and expand access to high-speed internet for residents and businesses.

“These announcements are improving the quality of life for families throughout this county, from making sure they have safe roads to drive to work, school or church, to ensuring every Kentucky family has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet,” said Gov. Beshear. “We’re making sure all our communities have what they need to thrive so we can build a brighter future for every Kentucky family.”

“The funds announced today will upgrade our infrastructure and encourage more people and businesses to come to our communities,” said Greenup County Judge/Executive Bobby Hall. “We’re very grateful for the state’s support as we build a brighter future for all of our people. We will continue to work hard on the local level to support every citizen of Greenup County.”

Transportation Awards

Gov. Beshear presented $320,000 in discretionary funding from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to Greenup County. A total of $260,000 will be used to resurface Speedens Crossing. The remaining $60,000 will be used to resurface Russell Plaza Drive.

Tourism Marketing Funding

Gov. Beshear awarded more than $35,200 to the Greenup County Tourism and Convention Commission to support travel marketing and promotion. The award is part of the $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding announced by the Governor in July to boost the state’s tourism industry and economy.

“The Greenup County Tourism Commission is appreciative of the ARPA funds that will become visible with way-finding signage that promotes the beautiful outdoor destinations we have in our county,” said Executive Director of the Greenup County Tourism and Convention Commission Anne Stephens. “Adventure tourism is important to our state. We are excited to take the opportunity to focus on it in Greenup County because of this tourism funding.” 

The funds are distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism to eligible tourism organizations throughout the commonwealth.

Law Enforcement Protection Program

Gov. Beshear presented $4,550 from the Law Enforcement Protection Program to support officers with the Bellefonte Police Department.

City of Raceland Park Improvements

Gov. Beshear announced his selection of the city of Raceland to receive $87,500 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for improvements. The funds will be used to construct 12 outdoor light posts, pour 4,000 square feet of crumb rubber and purchase four new pieces of playground equipment that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project will undergo review by the National Parks Service for final approval.

Nonprofit Assistance Fund

Gov. Beshear presented over $26,000 in funding to two Greenup County nonprofits from the Team Kentucky Nonprofit Assistance Fund, which helps organizations across Kentucky recover from the effects of the pandemic. The funding comes from the federal ARPA, and Gov. Beshear supported the allocation of funds by the 2022 General Assembly. This fund provides one-time direct relief payments to support the mission and long-term sustainability of each eligible nonprofit. The awards include $17,242 for Helping Hands of Greenup County and $9,154 for Heritage Arts and Science Center.

High-Speed Internet Expansion

As part of his commitment to connect every home and business in Kentucky to affordable, reliable high-speed internet, last week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced a record $386 million investment to expand access in 46 counties, bringing high-speed internet access to more than 42,600 homes and businesses for the first time.

Today, Gov. Beshear presented more than $3.3 million of these funds to bring high-speed internet service to homes and businesses across Greenup. The awards are the result of a bipartisan agreement signed into law by Gov. Beshear in April 2021 that allocated $300 million in federal ARPA dollars to the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund.

Earlier today in Ashland at the ARC annual conference, the Governor joined federal co-chair Gayle Manchin to announce ARC grant awards totaling more than $1.5 million to support recovery programs that help boost the workforce in Eastern Kentucky. While in Ashland, the Governor also awarded more than $15 million to benefit five counties in Eastern Kentucky.

Original source can be found here.