Funds helped construct a new fire station in Murray, will expand water service to 70 unserved households
MURRAY, Ky. (Sep. 13, 2022) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear presented $1 million in awards to improve infrastructure in Calloway County by constructing a new fire station and expanding water service to 70 unserved households.
“Building a better Kentucky means making sure our people live in safe and healthy communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “The funding today has already helped construct a new fire station in Murray and will allow 70 households to have ready access to clean water. These are generational investments that will benefit Kentucky for decades to come.”
Murray Fire Station Project
Gov. Beshear presented $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response (CDBG-CV) funds to the City of Murray for the new fire station at 303 16th Street. Gov. Beshear announced an initial $500,000 award for the station from CDBG funds in 2020.
The new station is now operational and includes separate quarters for fire fighters as well as more efficient ventilation systems. The CDBG-CV funding was used for additional work to the building to help the Murray Fire Department plan, prepare and respond to the pandemic. The new fire station will enhance the ability of the fire fighters to respond to emergency calls in the community.
“I’m incredibly thankful for our first responders who are often the first on the scene when people’s lives get turned upside down,” Sen. Jason Howell of Murray said. “In this past year, we’ve seen how heroic and essential men and women like those at the Murray Fire Department are as communities in east and west Kentucky were devastated by natural disasters. For a long time, I’ve witnessed our firefighters do more with less in the facilities available to them, and this funding will give them better resources to serve the community they love and put their lives on the line for every day. I’m thankful to those with the department and our local officials here in Murray who communicated the necessity of these federal dollars and helped secure them.”
“The construction of a new fire department ensures the safety and health our first responders,” Rep. Mary Beth Imes of Murray said. “We rely on our first responders to act in times of need, and it is time we give back to them because they have given so much to us. The new location of the fire department will make response times faster to better serve the citizens of Murray and I am excited to see how this new building will help both our first responders and citizens.”
“The City of Murray is excited to learn that we will receive additional financial help to help pay for our new fire station,” Mayor Bob Rogers said. “We very much appreciate the Governor and his staff approving our request. The station will help immensely as our outstanding firefighters respond to emergency calls. Thank you so much.”
Dexter-Almo Heights Water District Funding
Gov. Beshear also announced his approval of $500,000 in Cleaner Water Program funding to the Dexter-Almo Heights Water District for a waterline extension project. The project will extend a 6-inch waterline down Hickory Grove Road from Jackson Road to Highway 299. The project will also extend an 8-inch main down Highway 299 South to Highway 464.
“This will ensure the people of Calloway County will have access to safe water and clean water,” Rep. Imes said. “It is important to fund projects like these two to improve the safety of those who live across the county.”
“Calloway County is always appreciative of any monies that come our way for service and utility extensions that enhance the lives of our residents,” Calloway County Judge/Executive Kenny Imes said. “Clean water is a necessity, and we are thankful the state has helped with this needed project.”
The new waterlines will provide water service to 70 currently unserved households.
“Dexter-Almo Water District is greatly appreciative for this grant through the Governor’s Office and state legislature,” said Joe Dan Taylor, chairman of the Dexter-Almo Heights Water District. “These funds will allow for the district to better serve the residents of northwestern Calloway County and continue to extend needed water lines to that portion of the county. Without these funds, this project would not be possible.”
Calloway County High-Speed Internet Funding
Gov. Beshear recapped his June announcement of $203 million in funding to expand high-speed internet across Kentucky. The West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-op Corp. was awarded a grant for $3,365,704 to expand high-speed internet access to 843 currently unserved households and businesses in Calloway and Marshall counties. These grant dollars, coupled with the matching funds pledged by West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-op, represent an overall investment for this project of $6,731,408.
About the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated Kentucky’s Department for Local Government (DLG) $38 million to help communities prevent, prepare for and respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response (CDBG-CV) program. The CDBG-CV program guidelines can be found here.
About the Cleaner Water Program
Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, $500 million has been appropriated through a bipartisan agreement with the General Assembly to provide clean drinking water and wastewater grants to fund projects across Kentucky since 2021. The 2022 funding will be allocated based on each county’s proportion of the state’s population, with the exception of Jefferson County’s share, which is discounted by 50% based on its high per capita allocation from the federal act. A list of the allocations by county can be found here.