Eastern Kentucky getting $1 million grant as part of Soar program

[theHandpuppet]

Cross posted from Appalachia Group

The Independent
Ashland, Kentucky
July 8, 2014
Eastern Kentucky getting $1 million grant
By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

FRANKFORT — A national community service organization is investing $1 million in eastern Kentucky to help the region recover from the downturn in the coal industry...

...It is one of the first initiatives of the Shaping Our Appalachian Region - or SOAR - a program established by Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers to help eastern Kentucky. Beshear and Rogers also announced Monday $312,000 in technical assistance from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Eastern Kentucky has lost more than 7,000 coal mining jobs since Jan. 1, 2012. The 54-county region has an average household income of less than $30,000 and an average unemployment rate of nearly 11 percent, according to a report from the Rural Policy Research Institute.

The $1 million grant will pay 52 full-time workers a "living stipend" of $12,000. After one year, they will be eligible for a college scholarship of $5,600. The workers will be based in 11 counties, but they will provide services for all of the 54 counties identified as eastern Kentucky by SOAR....

MORE at http://www.dailyindependent.com/local/x1760123998/Eastern-Kentucky-getting-1-million-grant

[get the red out]

1. Remarkable

I love this.

[theHandpuppet]

2. Just think what could be done for the folks in Eastern Kentucky...

If the money it takes to build just one jet fighter was instead invested in a program like SOAR.

[get the red out]

3. Exactly!!!!!

I would imagine it would get coal company opposition though. That PR money and influence is felt even in Lexington. But wow, if we could help people and the world instead of building weapons to the point of insanity.