WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today announced the award of $232,000 to upgrade local facilities and help purchase new vehicles. The grants will be awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program.

“Local governments in Mississippi provide essential services that make our state a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” Wicker said. “These USDA grants will help our local governments keep us safe, maintain infrastructure, and serve Mississippians.”

The USDA Rural Development grants for Mississippi will support the following projects:

• Leflore County Board of Supervisors – $30,073 to help replace the existing lighting system in the courthouse with an energy efficient LED lighting system. The project will provide adequate lighting for public safety at the facility.
• City of Winona – $22,800 to support the purchase of two new patrol cars for the city police department. The new vehicles will allow a safer and quicker response time to public emergencies.
• City of Macon – $42,000 to help purchase two police vehicles for the city police department. The new vehicles will allow the city to provide police services to residents.
• City of Forest – $37,000 to contribute to the purchase of two new police patrol cars so the department can adequately serve citizens of the city.
• City of Forest – $50,000 to help purchase a new garbage truck. The new truck would replace an older vehicle, which is no longer economically feasible to maintain.
• City of Forest – $50,000 to support the purchase of a new dump truck. The new truck will ensure the city public works department is able to provide safe and reliable services for local citizens and businesses.

Each federal grant will be combined with a local contribution to fund the total project cost.