with picture.FULTON CO. RECEIVES $248,655 GRANT FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING; HICKMAN, CARLISLE, BALLARD COUNTIES ADDED TO LOCAL RURAL PARTNERS NETWORK

West KY job growth

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Dr. Tom Carew Aug. 21 announced a Rural Business Development Grant award as well as the expansion of the Rural Partners Network in West Kentucky.

Both the grant and the expansion aim to spur job creation and economic development in the region.

“This grant is important because it will help create meaningful work in a region where well-paying jobs have been in short supply,” said Carew. “But thanks to the vision and leadership of some key players here, the region will see better days again.”

Fulton County Fiscal Court will use a $248,665 Rural Business Development Grant to renovate a former recycling facility into the Fulton County Training Center, which will provide accredited training programs and develop skills-based training for at-risk individuals. It’s projected to create approximately 24 jobs.

In addition to the grant, Carew announced USDA Rural Development is adding three counties to the West Kentucky community network.

“The Biden-Harris administration’s Rural Partners Network initiative is having a profound impact in this part of the Commonwealth,” said Carew. “I’m so proud that we can expand that initiative to include the Mississippi River Counties of Ballard, Carlisle, and Hickman counties.”

Background – Rural Partners Network

Launched in April 2022 and expanded in November 2022, Rural Partners Network is now active in 36 community networks across 10 states and Puerto Rico.

Community networks receive support from full-time USDA staff who live and work locally. These staff members provide technical assistance based on each community’s needs, helping them navigate federal programs, build relationships and apply for funding. In addition to USDA staff, there are staff at 24 other federal agencies dedicated to Rural Partners Network and making resources across the government easier to access for people in rural communities.

Rural Partners Network communities also benefit from coordination through other federal efforts such as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Investing in America agenda. The Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and USDA, advises the Rural Partners Network program and ensures rural voices are heard and reflected in national policies that will benefit all people in rural communities.

During the Biden-Harris administration, USDA Rural Development has supported economic prosperity and quality of life improvements in rural Kentucky by obligating over $3.3 billion. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas.