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Grant boosts drive to restore $3 million a year Idaho Rural Initiative

February 7, 2004 /

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Teton County officials were awarded a $500,000 grant on Wednesday to provide an expanded facility for a manufacturing company that will add another 36 jobs to the eastern Idaho economy.

The announcement came as state Commerce Department officials pressed legislative budget writers to restore Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s Rural Initiative to its original level of $3 million a year.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=020604&ID=s1484103&cat=section.regional

The grant brings to $7.2 million the amount of cash distributed throughout Idaho under the initiative, which began in mid-2001. Acting Commerce Director Roger Madsen said more than 500 jobs have resulted.

"This has been a resounding success," he told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

The grant program was originally set at $3 million a year but was cut to $2.35 million last year in the drive to balance the state budget. Kempthorne has called for the restoration of that cash.