FRANKFORT, KY (July 12, 2022) — Residents of the City of Benton and Marshall County are set to benefit from grant awards totaling over $3.38 million.
The bulk of funding, $3,365,704 in matching funds, will be awarded to the West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-op to help expand reliable high-speed internet. The City of Benton will receive $15,500 in Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) for improvements at H. H. Lovett Park and City of Benton Park.
“I’m grateful these funds will make their way into our community here in Benton and Marshall County,” state Senator Danny Carroll, a resident of Benton, said. “My colleagues and I were diligent in our allocation of hundreds of millions in ARPA funds over the past two legislative sessions, so it means a lot to our city and county that our residents here will be beneficiaries of grant funding.”
West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-op’s overall project cost for broadband expansion is $6,731,408. This investment is expected to provide high-speed internet access to 843 unserved households and businesses in Calloway and Marshall counties.
Improvements at H. H. Lovett Park includes installation of a new .26 mile paved walking trail. A project at City of Benton Park will expand the existing ballfield sidewalk by 55 feet.
LWCF funding is administered by the Department for Local Government (DLG) following federal review and approval of applications by the National Park Service. LWCF provides federal grant funds to protect important natural areas, acquire land for outdoor recreation and to develop or renovate public outdoor recreation facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, sports and play fields, swimming facilities, boating facilities, fishing facilities, trails, natural areas and passive parks.
Visit legislature.ky.gov for more information on Senator Danny Carroll. To find details on Land and Water Conservation Funds, visit the DLG website here.