By Bill Menner and Janie Dunning, USDA Rural Development State Directors of Iowa and Missouri

Bringing broadband to rural communities is about more than guaranteeing your daughter has 24/7 access to Twitter, or giving your son unlimited opportunities to play video games. Read more »

While the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is rich in cultural pride, identity and history, its remote location in the rugged terrain of Southeast Oklahoma has severely limited the tribe’s economic development efforts.  But a Broadband Initiative Program grant, made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will enable Pine Telephone Company (PTC) to use innovative wireless technology to deliver affordable broadband service to portions of this rural, remote and economically disadvantaged region in Southeast Oklahoma. Read more »

U.S. Senator Benjamin Nelson and Nebraska USDA Rural Development State Director Maxine Moul took part in a reception held at the USDA Rural Development State Office in Lincoln, Neb. recently.  At the reception, the Senator heard how Rural Development programs have helped rural Nebraskans. Read more »

Written by E.J. Stapler, Rural Development Public Information Coordinator, Georgia

Shirley Sherrod, Georgia state director of USDA Rural Development, Mayor Bill Austin, and other officials celebrated Earth Day in Riceboro, where Phase II of a sewer collection and treatment project will be completed thanks to a USDA Rural Development loan and grant for $7,495,200. The project will eliminate a health and safety hazard, as well as provide service for 225 new users. The funding is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“This is a wonderful way to observe Earth Day, because this project will help clean up the environment,” Sherrod said. “This project is very close to the ocean, as well.”

The City of Riceboro, located less than 10 miles from the ocean in Liberty County, is spread over about 4,000 acres, but has a population of only 800. Liberty County is ranked by the State of Georgia as being among those with the greatest need and highest poverty levels.

A sewer main will be installed to serve two areas. Those customers currently are experiencing failing septic systems, which creates a health hazard. Service will also be provided to a large, local employer.

Also, part of the Earth Day celebration was a river clean up and a poster contest sponsored by the city.

Ricky Sweat, Area Director in Baxley Georgia, talks to Georgia State Director Shirley Sherrod at the Georgia Earth Day celebration in Riceboro. The project announced by USDA will remove will remove contaminants from local rivers and streams.

by Jamie Welch, Grade 8, Worcester Preparatory School

The town of Berlin recently received $12 million dollars in grants and low-interest loans from the USDA Recovery Act.  The purpose of these grants was to renovate and update the Berlin Wastewater Treatment plant.  These upgrades are necessary because of the growing demand for wastewater treatment in the town of Berlin, and the new tough environmental requirements handed down by the State of Maryland and the EPA.  When the updates are complete, the plant will be able to process effluent down to near drinking water quality.

I recently visited the wastewater treatment plant and took a look at how the money from the USDA is being used.  Bearing Construction is the company in charge of overseeing the upgrades, some of which include reworking old equipment. Another part of the plan is the installation of a state-of-the-art piece of technology called an SBR, or Sequencing Batch Reactor.  This device works with bacteria in three different chambers to get rid of most phosphorous and nitrogen, down to almost drinking water quality.  “It’s a better quality than [the water] that most people get out of their wells,” said Jane Kreiter, Director of Water and Wastewater in Berlin.  The treated effluent is then pumped by pipeline to a spray irrigation site on Purnell Crossing Road in Libertytown, Maryland where it is used to water trees and crops.

The town has plans in the works for a second spray irrigation site in Newark which, when competed, would eliminate the need for dumping treated effluent into the coastal bays.  Many people are concerned about having the spray site in their backyards.  Kreiter is quick to point out that in Florida, people are already using treated wastewater to clean their cars and water their plants.  She says that the public is just not well informed on this, because we’ve never really had to conserve water like in Florida.  Kreiter adds that the sprayed effluent will have no negative effects on the groundwater table and aquifers.  The final decision about the new spray site will be made at a meeting of the Worcester County Commissioners some time in the near future.  If approved, the spray irrigation project is projected to cost an additional $6 million.

Kreiter says that they hope to have the upgrade and expansion project in Berlin completed by December, but adds that the recent bad weather has pushed them far behind where they should be.  When completed, this plant will be the largest wastewater treatment plant in Maryland that spray irrigates.

Touring the Berlin, MD Wastewater Treatment Plant construction site are (l-r) Dr. Merle Marsh, Director of Special Projects, Worcester Preparatory School; Jane Kreiter, Director of Wastewater; student reporter Jamie Welch, Worcester Preparatory School; and James C. Latchum, Superintendent of Wastewater, Berlin, MD.

Berlin, MD Superintendent of Wastewater James C. Latchum (l) with Worcester Prep reporter Jamie Welch.

With much of Mississippi located in rural areas and many of those rural areas lacking broadband access, it should be no surprise when USDA Rural Development’s Mississippi team chose to take extra initiative to make sure that Mississippi’s rural cities and counties take full advantage of the opportunities presented under the Recovery Act’s broadband funding.

And that is exactly what Mississippi’s State Director Trina N. George did when she hosted a Outreach and Training Workshop, held in Jackson on Tuesday, February 23^rd for Mississippi applicants for USDA Rural Development Broadband funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“For rural Mississippi to get its fair share of broadband funds,” said State Director George, “we feel we must submit competitive and complete applications. This workshop was to help us achieve that goal.”

Earlier today, USDA announced that the Bay Springs Telephone Co.’s Bay Springs Broadband Initiatives Project would receive a $4.3 million loan and $4.1 million grant. The funding will expand advanced DSL broadband services to unserved and underserved areas within five counties Jasper, Jones, Rankin, Scott, and Smith.

The workshop was modeled after the outstanding ARRA broadband workshops that have been held across the country hosted jointly by USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Like those workshops, the Jackson event spotlighted USDA broadband funds available through the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP).

The workshop was a huge hit and underscored State Director George’s concentration on outreach in promoting USDA Rural Development programs and opportunities for rural Mississippi. The workshop was also attended by staff members for a number of Mississippi’s U.S. Congressional delegation, one of whom (a staff member for a U.S. Senator) remarked as she was leaving: “This event today was just great, and so informative. It is precisely what we need to get the word out about this opportunity. It is great to see the agency doing this kind of outreach event, because it will really help a lot of Mississippians.”

“USDA Rural Development has too many good programs to just keep them to ourselves,” said State Director George. “The more we spread the word, the more rural Mississippians will benefit. And thus, our work will always begin with outreach, including such events as this one. Regarding Recovery Act opportunities, this outreach is doubly important, as that window of opportunity will close later this year.”

State Director George would also like to commend her staff,  including Rural Community Programs Director Bettye Oliver, and Linda Stovall, Janis Nolan, Nicole Barnes, Patricia McDowell, and Nita Stringer on the program staff, for their professional work in putting the workshop together.

Written by Ken Stribling, USDA Rural Development-Mississippi