HARRISBURG – Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27), Rep. Mike Cabell (R-117) and Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-119) today announced $1.25 million in state grants have been awarded for 10 projects in Luzerne County.
“These dollars will be used to fund a variety of projects to benefit Luzerne County residents,” Culver said. “These grants help to pave roads, purchase firetrucks, acquire construction equipment, improve municipal buildings, upgrade wastewater systems and enhance recreational facilities in our communities. This is another example of the state working with local governments to serve the residents in Luzerne County.”
Grants have been awarded in the following amounts for the designated projects:
- Butler Township has been awarded $489,000 to help pay to pave a 1.79-mile section of St. John’s Road from Police Grove Road to Riccardi Drive.
- Dorrance Township was approved for $70,000 to help purchase a new freightliner truck for its road crews.
- Hollenback Township has been awarded $100,000 to help purchase a new backhoe to replace its old, unreliable one.
- Nescopeck Borough was approved for $16,000 to replace six flood-damaged, rotted or otherwise inoperable doors at the Nesopeck Borough Department of Public Works building.
- Nescopeck Borough also has been awarded $9,800 to replace the roof on the borough-owned Warren Street building that housed its former ambulance service, but now is used to store police vehicles and borough equipment.
- Rice Township was approved for $175,000 to repair the driveway and parking lot at Rice Elementary School in Crestwood School District.
- Shickshinny Borough has been awarded $35,000 to help pay to replace stormwater culverts on West Butler Street, state Route 4004 and Cemetery Street.
- Shickshinny Borough also was approved for $35,000 to help pay for upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant.
- Sugarloaf Township has been awarded $70,000 to help fund improvements at Larock Recreational Field, including restoring a tennis court, rebuilding a walking trail and exercise stations, removing and replacing overgrown trees, installing new benches, replacing the flagpole and placing new garbage receptacles at the playground area.
- Wright Township was approved for $250,000 to purchase a new police vehicle and a multi-purpose truck with a plow.
“St. John’s Road in Butler Township is one of the main thoroughfares in the Sugarloaf Valley, so the repaving work this money will help pay for will benefit all residents in this end of the county,” Cabell said. “Supervisors targeted one stretch in particular that is not in good shape, and motorists should soon be enjoying a much smoother ride. I thank Senator Culver for her help with supporting this critical infrastructure work.”
“I am thrilled to announce initiatives that reinvest tax dollars directly into our backyard,” Ryncavage said. “By funding a new police car, a public works vehicle and vital paving projects, we are enhancing public safety and improving the quality of life for our residents. These investments yield significant benefits to our local municipalities.”
The grants were awarded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) through the Local Share Account (LSA) program for Luzerne County. The CFA was created in 2004 as an independent agency of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to administer the commonwealth’s economic stimulus packages. The LSA program for Luzerne County was established to allocate local funds generated through Pennsylvania’s gaming law.
Culver Media Contact: Betsy Reichenbach
717-787-8928
Cabell Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717-260-6474
Ryncavage Media Contact: Melissa Fox
717-260-6522