States, Cities and Counties
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents covering state government, cities and counties.
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Texas Water Development Board Approves $6,345,000 to the Beaver Creek Water Control and Improvement District #1 for Water System Improvements
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The Texas Water Development Board issued the following news release:
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $6,345,000 in grant funding from the Economically Distressed Areas Program (EDAP) to the Beaver Creek Water Control and Improvement District #1 (Burleson County). The District will use the assistance to finance the construction of the District's first water system.
With the assistance approved today, the District will be able to replace this rural area's private water wells with a community water
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AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The Texas Water Development Board issued the following news release:
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $6,345,000 in grant funding from the Economically Distressed Areas Program (EDAP) to the Beaver Creek Water Control and Improvement District #1 (Burleson County). The District will use the assistance to finance the construction of the District's first water system.
With the assistance approved today, the District will be able to replace this rural area's private water wells with a community watersupply. The project will include two water wells, groundwater treatment facilities, ground storage tanks, pumps, and a distribution system.
The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state's water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.
Texas Water Development Board Approves $13,816,350 to North Alamo Water Supply Corporation for a Wastewater System Project
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The Texas Water Development Board issued the following news release:
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $13,816,350, consisting of a $4,495,000 loan and $500,000 in loan forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $8,821,350 in grant funding from the Economically Distressed Areas Program, to North Alamo Water Supply Corporation (Hidalgo County). The Corporation will use the assistance to finance a wastewater system project.
In addition to the loan forgiveness and grant funding,
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AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The Texas Water Development Board issued the following news release:
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $13,816,350, consisting of a $4,495,000 loan and $500,000 in loan forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $8,821,350 in grant funding from the Economically Distressed Areas Program, to North Alamo Water Supply Corporation (Hidalgo County). The Corporation will use the assistance to finance a wastewater system project.
In addition to the loan forgiveness and grant funding,the Corporation could save approximately $2 million on the loan portion of the assistance by using the CWSRF.
This project will provide first-time wastewater service to several subdivisions near Weslaco.
The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state's water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.
State Transportation Economic Development Grant to Improve Werth Road in Alpena County
LANSING, Michigan, Dec. 13 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation issued the following news release:
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is awarding a state Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category F grant of $364,800 to the Alpena County Road Commission (ACRC) to make drainage and resurfacing improvements to Werth Road.
Werth Road, located in Alpena Township, is part of an important all-season commercial route providing a connection between M-65 and US-23. The roadway has deteriorated and reached the end of its useful life. To address this issue, the ACRC will
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LANSING, Michigan, Dec. 13 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation issued the following news release:
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is awarding a state Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category F grant of $364,800 to the Alpena County Road Commission (ACRC) to make drainage and resurfacing improvements to Werth Road.
Werth Road, located in Alpena Township, is part of an important all-season commercial route providing a connection between M-65 and US-23. The roadway has deteriorated and reached the end of its useful life. To address this issue, the ACRC willmake drainage improvements and resurface Werth Road from Piper Road to Lowell Avenue. These improvements will prevent further deterioration and extend the useful life of the roadway.
The total cost of construction is $464,800, with $364,800 in Category F funding and $100,000 from the ACRC.
The grant was one of 10 announced throughout the state, ranging from $168,000 to $375,000 and totaling more than $3.1 million. The grant funding is a competitive program; 43 applications totaling $13.9 million were received.
Enacted in 1987 and reauthorized in 1993, the TEDF helps finance highway, road and street projects that are critical to the movement of people and products, and getting workers to their jobs, materials to growers and manufacturers, and finished goods to consumers. TEDF "Category F" or "Urban Areas in Rural Counties" grants provide state funding for public roadway improvements that create system continuity with the secondary all-season road system.
Category F grants provide funding for projects that include improving access to the state all-season system or improving safety and all-season capabilities on routes having high commercial traffic. Eligible road agencies include county road commissions, cities and villages. More information about the program is available online at http://www.michigan.gov/tedf.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner Announces Launch of Florida Rocks! on Florida Music Tours
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 13 -- Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner issued the following news release:
Secretary of State Ken Detzner and the Florida Department of State today announced the launch of Florida Rocks! on FloridaMusicTours.com. Florida Rocks! highlights the Sunshine State's place in rock and roll history. Florida was an incubator of major rock and roll talent with many prominent and influential rock and roll musicians coming out of Florida including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jim Morrison - all members of the Rock and
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 13 -- Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner issued the following news release:
Secretary of State Ken Detzner and the Florida Department of State today announced the launch of Florida Rocks! on FloridaMusicTours.com. Florida Rocks! highlights the Sunshine State's place in rock and roll history. Florida was an incubator of major rock and roll talent with many prominent and influential rock and roll musicians coming out of Florida including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles), Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jim Morrison - all members of the Rock andRoll Hall of Fame.
"Rock and roll flourished in Florida beginning in the late 1960s and some of the genre's greatest musicians and most famous recording studios have roots in our state," said Secretary Detzner. "Through Florida Rocks! on Florida Music Tours, we are excited to share the rich history of rock and roll in the Sunshine State and places where the music is still thriving today."
The Florida Department of State is partnering with Fifth and Thomas and the Melody Trucks Band to host a launch event for Florida Rocks! this Friday, December 14 at 9:30 p.m. at Fifth and Thomas in Tallahassee in conjunction with a concert by the Melody Trucks Band.
"To me, it's important to remember that music provides a sense of community," said Melody Trucks of the Melody Trucks Band. "Music has a way of bringing people together for no other reason but their love for music. The Melody Trucks Band, hailing from Jacksonville, is fortunate to be part of one of the richest, most diverse and most inclusive music communities around. Florida Music Tours seeks to provide a digital way to bring people together for their love of music and its rich history and heritage in Florida. I am honored help launch the Florida Rocks! music tour at our concert in Tallahassee."
FloridaMusicTours.com is an educational, travel and media website that spotlights Florida's important role in American musical history and promotes the state as a top destination for music enthusiasts. Each Florida Music Tour acts as an interactive guide to a musical genre or style that takes a visitor through Florida's musical history and across the state to where that music originated and where it can be heard today.
Shannon Moore of Fifth and Thomas said, "Fifth and Thomas provides both food and music that feeds the soul. Music houses and venues have long been gathering places for artists and music lovers to connect and enjoy the sustenance that music provides. We strive to maintain that tradition here and are honored to be a part of the Florida Rocks! music tour."
Launched in 2017, the debut Florida Music Tour Florida's Got the Blues spotlights the history of blues music in Florida as well as related genres of gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. In the coming months, additional Florida Music Tours will be added that feature Latin American and Caribbean music, as well as other genres.
Start your Florida Music Tour today by visiting FloridaMusicTours.com and following Florida Music Tours on Facebook and Twitter.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissioners Elect New Chairman, Vice Chairman
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 13 -- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the following news release:
At its December meeting in St. Augustine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) elected Robert A. Spottswood, of Key West, to serve as chairman and Michael W. Sole, of Tequesta, to serve as vice chairman. Spottswood replaces Chairman Bo Rivard, of Panama City.
Background
* Spottswood has served on the Commission since September 2015, most recently as vice chairman. He is the chief executive officer of Spottswood Companies Inc. He currently serves as
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 13 -- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the following news release:
At its December meeting in St. Augustine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) elected Robert A. Spottswood, of Key West, to serve as chairman and Michael W. Sole, of Tequesta, to serve as vice chairman. Spottswood replaces Chairman Bo Rivard, of Panama City.
Background
* Spottswood has served on the Commission since September 2015, most recently as vice chairman. He is the chief executive officer of Spottswood Companies Inc. He currently serves asa member of the Third District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission and formerly served on the Governor's Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding.
* Spottswood received his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.
* Spottswood is a sixth-generation Floridian from the Keys, and cares deeply about the beautiful state of Florida and preserving it as the Fishing Capital of the World.
* Sole has served on the commission since May 2017.
* Sole is vice president of Environmental Services at NextEra Energy Inc., a leading clean energy company.
* Sole previously served as vice president, State Governmental Affairs with Florida Power and Light and as secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He was also a Captain in the United States Marine Corps.
* Sole received his Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Federal Government Forcing States to Pay for Pregnant Illegal Immigrants' Healthcare Through CHIP
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 13 -- The Oklahoma State Senate issued the following news release:
Legislation was filed Wednesday to eliminate a controversial program that provides free pregnancy-related care for undocumented non-citizens. Sen. Paul Scott filed Senate Bill 40 hoping to stop state funds from providing healthcare to pregnant illegal immigrants under the Soon-to-be-Sooners Program (STBS).
"I filed this bill to bring to light the fact that the federal government is forcing states and hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill for illegal immigrants to have their babies in the U.S. This
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 13 -- The Oklahoma State Senate issued the following news release:
Legislation was filed Wednesday to eliminate a controversial program that provides free pregnancy-related care for undocumented non-citizens. Sen. Paul Scott filed Senate Bill 40 hoping to stop state funds from providing healthcare to pregnant illegal immigrants under the Soon-to-be-Sooners Program (STBS).
"I filed this bill to bring to light the fact that the federal government is forcing states and hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill for illegal immigrants to have their babies in the U.S. Thisisn't right. They are in the country illegally," said Scott, R-Duncan. "The federal government has tied our hands. The State of Oklahoma can't stop providing funding to the more than 6,200 noncitizens receiving services under the Soon-to-be-Sooner Program or they will take away our federal CHIP funding, which is over $91 million."
The STBS program falls under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) authority. CHIP's Maintenance of Effort provisions were set to expire on September 30, 2019 but Congress passed and the President signed a resolution in January extending the program through September 30, 2027.
The STBS program was established in April 2008 as a limited scope benefits for pregnant non-citizens below 185 percent FPL. Pregnant citizens under 185 percent FPL received full scope benefits in the traditional SoonerCare program.
After January 1, 2014, the STBS coverage was changed to only include pregnant citizens with incomes between 133-185 percent FPL and pregnant non-citizens below 185 percent FPL. Pregnant citizens below 133 percent FPL are currently covered with full scope benefits under SoonerCare.
According to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the STBS program covered 9,856 individuals in FY'18: 3,629 were Oklahomans and 6,227 were non-citizens/undocumented immigrants. The program cost just over $15.74 million with the federal government providing $14.8 million and Oklahoma paying nearly $907,000.
"As a medical professional, I understand the importance of prenatal care but these mothers are illegal immigrants," said Scott. "Our responsibility is to the taxpayers of this state, not illegal immigrants. I'd like to encourage Oklahomans to call their Congressmen and urge them to remove the requirement to cover
noncitizens under the CHIP. Our healthcare system is in chaos so it makes no sense that the federal government is making the problem worse by covering thousands of illegal immigrants instead of holding them accountable and making them come to our country legally."
Scott said the program also discourages illegal immigrants from seeking citizenship.
"Why would they go through the hassle of seeking citizenship or returning to their home country when we're providing them free services," asked Scott. "It makes no sense. If they can fill out paperwork for free medical care, they can fill out paperwork to become taxpaying citizens and pay for their health services like other Americans and Oklahomans."
Arkansas EPSCoR Seeking Scientific Research, Workforce Development Project Ideas
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Dec. 13 -- The Arkansas Economic Development Commission issued the following news:
The Arkansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) Central Office is seeking scientific research, education, and workforce development project ideas through Jan. 9 to support the upcoming NSF EPSCoR proposal to expand data science research and education in the state.
The Central Office is part of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Division of Science and Technology.
Faculty at Arkansas higher education institutions
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LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Dec. 13 -- The Arkansas Economic Development Commission issued the following news:
The Arkansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) Central Office is seeking scientific research, education, and workforce development project ideas through Jan. 9 to support the upcoming NSF EPSCoR proposal to expand data science research and education in the state.
The Central Office is part of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Division of Science and Technology.
Faculty at Arkansas higher education institutionsare eligible to submit proposals. This includes community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, private institutions, and Ph.D. granting institutions. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with faculty at other campuses and departments for these projects.
NSF has identified data analytics and data science education as one of 10 priority areas for research funding, and the Arkansas NSF EPSCoR Science Advisory Committee plans to create a statewide proposal that will leverage the state's strengths in the field in order to build the its research capacity as well as create industry-university relationships that will impact the quality and quantity of skilled workers.
"Arkansas is not new to the world of data analytics and computing," said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. "We have a history of both successful innovative companies and established industry leaders breaking new ground in the use of advanced computing and data analytics. But, we know that the competition around the transformation of Big Data and its applications is stiff, and the stakes are high for our state's leading industries and future economic prosperity."
Two focus areas have been identified for Arkansas's submission:
Research Focus Area - Development of Techniques and Technologies for Identifying, Analyzing, Extracting, Testing, Labeling, and Life Cycle Managing of Value from Big Data (Large Unstructred Data Sets). Arkansas' submission for this project will capitalize on the state's expertise in data quality, visualization, data ethics, and machine learning.
Workforce Development and Education Focus Area - The purpose is to foster high-skilled, high-paying career pathways for Arkansans in data analytics and computing. Faculty can submit a project idea revolving around these four categories: post-secondary curriculum, apprenticeships, certification programs, and K12 engagement; all with emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and equity.
"The future of Arkansas's economic development is tied to our ability to succeed in data analytics and computing," said Charles Morgan, founder and past chairman and CEO of Acxiom and current chairman/CEO of First Orion Corporation. "If we are to succeed in retaining and growing existing jobs and recruiting industry, we have to have the talent and technical capabilities to meet this opportunity."
Project proposals must be submitted electronically to the Central Office by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. The forms and specific requirements for submission can be found on Arkansas EPSCoR's website at arkansasedc.com/science-technology/division/arkansas-nsf-epscor.
Arkansas's statewide EPSCoR proposal will be submitted to NSF by July 31, 2019, with an anticipated award period of Aug. 1, 2020 through July 31, 2025.
