Governor Haslam Recommends Cocke County for Appalachian Regional Commission Grant
Grant to Extend Waterline
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today his recommendation for a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to provide public water to households in Cocke County.
Funds provided by the ARC grant would assist in extending a waterline to 12 households in the Grassy Fork Community, the second phase of a three-phase project to connect Grassy Fork Elementary School and other nearby households to public water.
“I’m happy to recommend Cocke County for this much-needed Appalachian Regional Commission grant to increase access to public water,” Haslam said. “The ARC grants help communities complete important projects, and I am excited the state of Tennessee is working with the local communities to make this happen.”
The first phase of the project was funded in 2012 by an ARC grant to the city of Newport, and the final phase will be backed by Community Development Block Grant funds to continue the waterline to the elementary school. The ARC funding would allow for the entire project to begin.
The grant was recommended following an application by Cocke County and is supported by state Sen. Steve Southerland (R-Morristown), state Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), Cocke County Mayor Vaughn Moore and Newport Mayor Connie Ball.
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tennessee) also supported the funds.
Each year, ARC provides funding for several hundred projects in areas such as business development, education and job training, telecommunications, infrastructure, community development, housing and transportation. Serving 52 counties in east and middle Tennessee, ARC has offered assistance to the region for almost 50 years.
Additional ARC grant recipients will be announced throughout the summer.
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. The commission is a unique alliance composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a presidential appointee representing the federal government. For more information, please visit www.arc.gov.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
