WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced $69,000 in federal grant funding and a $33,000 loan for Hocking County from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund local projects.

“Federal funding gives rural communities across the state an opportunity to make updates to critical services in their towns,” said Brown. “These awards will allow Hocking County to invest in long-term wastewater projects and boost public safety by replacing patrol cars that our law enforcement need to do their job.”

The funds were awarded by the USDA Rural Development. The City of Logan received a $39,000 grant and $33,000 loan to purchase patrol cruisers through the Community Facility Loan and Grant program. The Hocking County Board of Commissioners received a $30,000 grant to perform research and develop a plan to update failing wastewater treatment systems in Carbon Hill, Enterprise, South Bloomingville, and Union Furnace. This funding came from the Water and Waste Disposal Pre-Development Planning Grant program.

Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiated a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years. Brown supported a strong Rural Development title in the 2014 Farm Bill to encourage economic development and increased infrastructure investment in rural communities. During consideration of the farm bill, Brown successfully offered an amendment included in the Farm Bill that will fund critical U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development programs that help Ohio communities update wastewater and sewer infrastructure systems, provide access to capital for Ohio agricultural producers and small businesses, and provide technical assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers.

 ###