JACKSON, Ky. -- U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers announced four federal grants totaling over $1 million for Breathitt County to improve emergency operations, enhance public service and make necessary improvements at the Julian Carroll Airport. 

Three of the grants were awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD), including $480,000 for the City of Jackson to renovate a new emergency services building for the local fire and police departments; $63,500 for the Breathitt County Fiscal Court to purchase a new truck for the Breathitt County Road Department; and $112,600 to purchase a new garbage truck for the City of Jackson's Solid Waste Department. 

"Breathitt County experienced historic flooding earlier this year, proving the need for major improvements to emergency services and vehicles necessary to keep this community going when it's needed the most," said Congressman Rogers. "It is always an honor to support the work of our local leaders and work together to bring home the resources necessary to serve the people of Eastern Kentucky." 

The City of Jackson will renovate the current fire station for use as an emergency services building for both the fire and police departments. The new center will help adequately meet the two departments' needs in order to provide efficient and effective emergency response.

“We are excited to move forward on this project to renovate an existing city building and make it more functional and accessible for an emergency services building. The project will provide a new home and much needed space for our Jackson Police Department," said Laura Thomas, Mayor of Jackson. "Dealing with a pandemic and major flooding has made the need for sanitation services more important than ever. The City was spending too much money on maintenance to keep our trucks running, and these funds allowed us to purchase a new garbage truck to serve the needs of our community.”

The fourth grant was awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration totaling nearly $430,000 for improvements at the Julian Carroll Airport in Breathitt County. The project will install drains to protect the runway and taxiway from deterioration, remove non-hazard tree obstructions to meet FAA standards, and funds an aeronautical survey to identify all obstructions to make the airport safer. 

For more information about Congressman Rogers' work in Washington and at home in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.