PINEVILLE, Ky. (May 26, 2023) – Today at the Mountain Laurel Festival Governor's Luncheon, Gov. Andy Beshear presented $2,021,823 in awards to support economic development, transportation, law enforcement, infrastructure, tourism and nonprofits.
“As we celebrate another year of the Mountain Laurel Festival, we thought we’d bring some more good news to Bell County,” said Gov. Beshear. “Today’s announcements are helping build that brighter future in Kentucky that we all want.”
“We are always very appreciative of any grant funds we can get,” said Pineville Mayor Scott Madon. “These funds will be used to upgrade and provide additional protection for our police Dept. Also, the funds to improve our water system will provide better service to many of our residents”
Middlesboro Economic Development
Gov. Beshear recapped his announcement that Middlesboro is the recipient of $244,488 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The funds will assist with the deconstruction and site cleanup of a four-story building located on Cumberland Avenue. The building is the site of the former Middlesboro Elks Home. Once the building is demolished and site cleanup is completed, the lot will be marketed by Discover Downtown Middlesboro for redevelopment.
Bell County Tourism Funding
Gov. Beshear announced $88,076 in funding to help tourism marketing efforts in Bell County. The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help the tourism industry recover after the pandemic. The funds are distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism to eligible tourism organizations throughout the commonwealth.
Middlesboro Road Resurfacing
Gov. Beshear also announced $47,000 to help resurface part of South 23rd Street in Middlesboro. Heavy trucks use this road as an ingress/egress point for moving goods to and from two large employers: Smithfield and Blue Diamond Enterprises.
Supporting Law Enforcement
Gov. Beshear announced $1,766.82 from the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security through the Law Enforcement Protection Program. The funds will be used to better protect police officers.
Nonprofit Assistance
Gov. Beshear announced $176,728 to three nonprofits in Bell County. The awards come from the Nonprofit Assistance Fund, which is helping organizations across Kentucky recover from the effects of the pandemic. The funding comes from ARPA, and Gov. Beshear supported the allocation of funds by the 2022 General Assembly. This fund will provide one-time direct relief payments to support the mission and long-term sustainability of each eligible nonprofit.
Gov. Beshear presented the following awards:
$100,000 to the Pineville Community Health Center;
$74,097.06 to The Salvation Army of Middlesboro; and
$2,631 to the Henderson Settlement.
Cleaner Water Program
Gov. Beshear announced the commitment of $1,463,765 in funding from the Cleaner Water Program to support four projects.
Gov. Beshear announced the commitment of funds for the following projects:
$514,949 to Middlesboro for improvements to its wastewater treatment plant;
$119,048 to Middlesboro to improve a lift station;
$299,325 to the Pineville Utility Commission to bring public water to unserved homes; and
$530,443 to Pineville to upgrade a leaky waterline.
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