Legislators announce state funds coming to area

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Orange and Brown
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Legislators announce state funds coming to area

Post by Orange and Brown »

WRITTEN BY ATHENS NEWS STAFF
MONDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2009 08:48

The State Controlling Board has OKed funds for projects at Ohio University, Hocking College and local mental-health facilities.

The monies, totaling nearly $400,000, were approved for various projects in the 92nd House district, state Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Athens, and state Sen. Jimmy Stewart each announced in separate news releases. (Stewart’s release didn’t mention the Hocking College project.)

An allocation of $197,275 will go toward an expansion at the Ohio University airport. Land is being purchased from local residents as well as the OU Credit Union in order to extend the runway protection zones in coordination with easements the university currently owns.

In March, U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, announced that $688,000 in funding for the Ohio University Airport. Wilson's office said the funding would be used to make "critical infrastructure to Ohio University Airport," which reportedly is the only airport in a nine-county region with an instrument landing system.

Wilson's office said funding would go toward the construction of an aircraft hangar and access road, the installation of a medium-intensity approach light system, and the acquisition of land parcels and navigation easements.

Also, data from the non-profit, non-partisan ProPublica journalism project (www.propublica.org) shows that OU has received $3,150,000 in stimulus money from the federal government to improve runway safety at the airport.

The state funds combined with the stimulus funds will support important airport improvements, Phillips said in her release. “These infrastructure improvements are crucial for our economic development efforts in the region, increasing the global competitiveness of area businesses,” she said.

Another release of funds amounting $35,000 will go toward the Ohio Department of Mental Health to assist with projects at Thompkins Child and Adolescent Services, Inc., a non-profit organization that serves multiple southeast Ohio counties, including Morgan County. ODMH also received $56,298 in funds to make improvements at Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare located in Athens. These funds will remove the old roof and replace it with a more dependable and better insulated one, the releases said.

For the two-year budget of fiscal years 2010 and 2011, Earl Cecil, executive director of the 317 Board, has said the board is looking at a $2.8 million reduction in funding from the ODMH. The 317 Board doles out state dollars to alcohol, drug-addiction and mental-health services in Athens, Hocking and Vinton counties. Also over the two-year budget, the board expects a $500,000 reduction from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.

Phillips also announced that Hocking College is receiving just over $100,000 to replace the original roof of the Holl Lab building in Nelsonville and the Early Learning Day Care Center, her release said. Both roofs have lasted more than 20 years and warrantees have long ago been exhausted. Phillips said that both roofing projects will be installed by companies based in southeast Ohio.


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