The Nebraska State Director for USDA Rural Development is wrapping up a extended trip to the Panhandle to recognize the agency’s top lending partners and its accomplishments in the past fiscal year.
Maxine Moul…a former Nebraska Lt Governor and Department of Economic Development director…says USDA Rural Development gave out more than a quarter-billion dollars in grants and loans to help smaller, rural communities with infrastructure, housing, and development projects.
Nearly $257.3 million went to Nebraska entities in federal fiscal year 2012 that ended September 30th, bringing the total for the past 4 years to over a billion dollars and to about $2.3-billion in the 16 year history of the agency, total funding is at $2.3 billion in Nebraska.
USDA Rural Development made 9 loans and 2 grants totaling over $51-million dollars to Panhandle entities in the fiscal year that ended September 30th.
The two biggest were $20-million dollar hospital loans…one to the Cheyenne County Hospital Association for a new hospital in Sidney, and the other to Box Butte General in ALliance for an addition and renovation project.
The third-biggest piece of USDA Rural Development funding in the Panhandle was a $7.8-million loan to Alliance-based PREMA…the Panhandle Rural Electric Membership Association…to expand and upgrade its distribution facilities, including smart-read meters.
PREMA also received a million dollar loan to help Chadron State College with infrastructure for the new Rangeland Center just getting under construction on the extreme east end of the campus.
USDA Rural Development guaranteed a $5-million dollar refinancing loan for Adams Warehousing in Sidney, and loans of $1.2-million to AARNA Hospitality of Scottsbluff and $800,000 to BPS Restaurant of Sidney to help with the transfer of ownership.
Lodgepole and Morrill received loans of $126,00 and $60,000…respectively…to cover cost over-runs on new sewer and water projects.
The agency’s two grants to the Panhandle were both relatively small…$50,000 to the Box Butte Development Corporation Revolving Loan Fund and $25,000 to the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska for a home repair program.