The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded funding to four localities in Southwest Virginia — Galax, Pembroke, Norton, Stickleysville — for various projects, according to Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.

The projects are:

  • A $5 million loan guarantee to Pembroke Telephone Cooperative for broadband. According to USDA Rural Development, this loan guarantee will be used to construct 114 miles of aerial fiber-optic plant, 14 miles of buried fiber-optic plant, and construct new fiber to the premises facilities, benefiting 1,833 subscribers in the service area.
  • A $1,542,500 loan guarantee to Galax for a ladder truck.
  • A grant of $50,000 and a loadn of $80,000 to Norton for the purhcase of two law enforcement vehicles.
  • A $50,000 grant to the Stickleyville Volunteer Fire Department in Lee County for equipment. According to USDA Rural Development, equipment secured by the grant includes a self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) refilling compressor, mounting equipment and brackets to mount the SCBA equipment to fire trucks, ventilation equipment to be used for structure fires, jaws of life equipment, a portable generator for one of the trucks, and other equipment to improve efficiency and safety.