Newsroom
Date: 03-19-24
Reyno and Ravenden Receives Award
through Arkansas Economic Development Commission's
Rural Services Block Grant Program
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EAPDD was proud to participate in the grant signing for the Town of Reyno, which was recently awarded $75,000 for the purchase of a vehicle, tools, and equipment for the Reyno-Biggers Volunteer Fire Department, as well as the Town of Ravenden, which was awarded $37,040 for the purchase of fire and rescue extraction equipment for the Ravenden Volunteer Fire Department. This funding was made possible through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Rural Services Block Grant Program. We at EAPDD are proud to be a part of administering these awards for Reyno and Ravenden!
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Date: 03-15-24
Parkin Fire Station Under Construction
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Construction has begun on the new Parkin Fire Station! The city was awarded funding for the new station from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Community Development Block Grant Program. The new station is a welcomed investment in the health and safety of the Parkin community, and we at EAPDD are proud to be part of administering this project for the City of Parkin!
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Date: 03-14-24
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Powhatan and Harrisburg Receives Awards
through Arkansas Economic Development Commission's
Rural Services Block Grant Program
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EAPDD was proud to participate in the grant signing for the Town of Powhatan, which was recently awarded $71,247.15 for renovations to it’s community center, as well as the City of Harrisburg, which was recently awarded $57,811 for equipment for the Harrisburg Fire Department! This funding was made possible through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission's Rural Services Block Grant Program. We at EAPDD are proud to be a part of administering these awards for Powhatan and Harrisburg!
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Date: 02-27-24
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U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $5 Million to Support Reconstruction of the Jonesboro Municipal Airport Terminal in Arkansas
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Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, edamedia@eda.gov
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $5 million grant to the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, for airport infrastructure improvements to support job creation and economic development in the region.
This grant will support construction of a new terminal at the Jonesboro Municipal Airport, replacing one destroyed by a tornado in 2020. This EDA investment will be matched with $1.3 million in local funds.
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“Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, the Department of Commerce is investing in America to help communities recover from disasters and unlock the full potential of workers and small businesses across the country,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA grant will help ensure that Jonesboro Municipal Airport has the infrastructure needed to increase shipping services, expand regional travel, and create more good paying jobs that will transform the local economy.”
“The Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support locally driven disaster recovery and resiliency,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project will provide critical infrastructure repairs and improvements at the Jonesboro Municipal Airport, creating jobs and diversifying the regional economy.”
“As the anchor of northeast Arkansas, Jonesboro’s economic contributions are vital. While extensive damage from a tornado in 2020 threatened disruption and uncertainty, the community rallied together to rebuild and revitalize opportunity that this grant will accelerate through rehabilitating and upgrading key travel infrastructure. I’m pleased this investment will further the recovery effort by improving the airport’s functionality and potential for growth, and in turn benefit the entire region,” said Senator John Boozman.
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the East Arkansas Planning and Development District (EAPDD). EDA funds EAPDD to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
These projects are funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
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Date: 01-03-24
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Earle Community Center Project complete!
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The Earle Community Center's roof renovation project has been completed successfully, thanks to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission's funding of $273,000. Community centers play an essential role in promoting social cohesion and providing vital services to rural communities. We, at EAPDD, are delighted to have been a part of this joint venture with the City of Earle and AEDC.
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Date: 12-05-23
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Congratulations Powhatan, Harrisburg, Ravenden and Reyno!
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The EAPDD team is excited to announce another round of investments made into Eastern Arkansas totaling $241,097! These funds were made available by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Rural Services through their Rural Services Block Grant Program.
- Powhatan received $71,247 for community center renovations
- Harrisburg received $57,811 for equipment for the volunteer fire department
- Ravenden received $37,039 for equipment for the volunteer fire department
- Reyno received $75,000 for equipment for the volunteer fire department
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Date: 11-01-23
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Congratulations Reyno!
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Last week, the EAPDD team had the pleasure of attending another grant signing for an investment made in Reyno totaling $498,305! These funds were made available by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through their Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and will be used for wastewater improvements!
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In total, AEDC has awarded $2,789,880 to Eastern Arkansas communities through this round of funding. Those additional communities include Black Rock, Alicia, Marked Tree, Poinsett County, and Lepanto!
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Date: 10-30-23
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Congratulations Lawrence County!
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Last week, the EAPDD team had the pleasure of attending more grant signings for investments made in Lawrence County totaling $999,963! These funds were made available by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through their Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and will be used for wastewater improvements!
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In total, AEDC has awarded $2,789,880 to Eastern Arkansas communities through this round of funding. Those additional communities include Reyno, Marked Tree, Poinsett County, and Lepanto!
Date: 10-04-23
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Congratulations Poinsett County!
This week, the EAPDD team had the pleasure of attending another grant signing for an investment made in Eastern Arkansas totaling $329,312! These funds were made available by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through their Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and will be used to make renovations to the Stepping Stone Sanctuary Homeless Shelter in Trumann!
In total, AEDC has awarded $2,789,880 to Eastern Arkansas communities through this round of funding.
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Date: 10-27-23
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Congratulations Marked Tree and Lepanto!
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This week, the EAPDD team had the pleasure of attending 2 grant signings for investments made into Eastern Arkansas totaling $992,000! These funds were made available by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission through their Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).
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- Marked Tree received $500,000 for water system improvements
- Lepanto received $492,000 for drainage improvements
In total, AEDC has awarded $2,789,880 to Eastern Arkansas communities through this round of funding. Those additional communities include Reyno, Black Rock, Alicia, and Poinsett County!
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Date: 10-25-22
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Grant Signing Held for Pocahontas Water Project
Pocahontas–The city of Pocahontas has been awarded $781,077 from the Delta Regional Authority’s States Economic Development Assistance Program. Awarded funds will be utilized to make much needed improvements to the city’s existing water treatment plant, which will expand the current capacity and affect over 3,000 families. During the grant signing hosted by Black River Technical College, Mayor Keith Sutton detailed the current issue, saying in part “we’re producing our maximum amount of water per day at least four days of the week. Pocahontas is growing tremendously, and quick. We’re about stopped at growth because we currently cannot supply enough water for future industry”.
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According to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Pocahontas has grown nearly 12 percent over the course of the last intercensal period to a population of 7,521. This growth has been accompanied by the city’s largest industrial announcement of the last decade, Peco Foods. The renovation and expansion of the city’s water system will allow for the capacity to serve future industrial prospects and residents.
Graycen Bigger, Executive Director of the Northeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority, says “This project will make sure that we can continue growing. We’re a community that’s been growing for the last 10 years. We’ve seen new industry coming in, new housing, new commercial industry and our biggest issue right now is that we’re out of space and we didn’t have the water resources to continue growing. This funding is really going to allow us to do that and we’re so thankful for the Delta Regional Authority and the City of Pocahontas for partnering with us on this project”.
Local development districts serve as the front-line project managers for all projects funded by the Delta Regional Authority, including the Pocahontas water project. East Arkansas Planning & Development staff works with local officials and the Delta Regional Authority to ensure that projects are completed in a timely manner, consistent with regulatory compliance measures set by federal and state law.
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Jeff Morris, Director of Economic & Community Development at EAPDD, stressed the importance of collaboration between local and regional partners saying, “it’s always a pleasure for our team at EAPDD to work with Mayor Sutton and the city of Pocahontas, as well as Graycen and the Northeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority. Collaboration between partners such as what we have here is critical to moving our communities forward. East Arkansas Planning & Development District is dedicated to serving our communities across our twelve-county region and connecting them to much needed resources as provided by our friends at the Delta Regional Authority”.
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East Arkansas Planning & Development District is a non-profit regional planning agency providing grant writing, administrative, and other technical assistance for economic and community development projects across its twelve-county district. Counties served by EAPDD include Clay, Cross, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Lawrence, Lee, Mississippi, Phillips, Poinsett, Randolph, and St. Francis Counties.
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