WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $200,000 to Midwest Electric Cooperative to install water lines through Maria Stein’s Marion Industrial Park and the Village of Chickasaw. The project, which is expected to create 190 jobs, will upgrade the water treatment plant.

“Water and sewer improvements help attract jobs and businesses to the region but it can often be difficult for rural communities to fully fund these projects,” Brown said. “This federal investment will help Mercer County complete these critical infrastructure improvements, making the area more competitive and boosting the local economy.”

Brown is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and, 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 in rural communities.

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