Jill Foys, executive director of the Northwest Commission, brought some good news to the Clarion County commissioners on Tuesday.
Foys said the county’s application for a $1.1 million grant application for broadband services to the Appalachian Regional Commission is in the “final stages of the review” in the approval process and she is “expecting a decision.”
Foys explained the terminology means the project had not been denied and is “pending.”
The Northwest Commission partnered with Clarion County in preparing the grant application for a broadband network.
“They deserve a big pat on the back,” Clarion County Commissioner Ed Heasley said.
Foys said the funding was only available to counties that had been “coal impacted” through the loss of coal-fired generating plants or mining, and Clarion County was one of the counties that qualified.
“Of that money, $15 million is set aside for broadband projects,” Foys said. This year, she said, northwestern Pennsylvania “was fortunate” to get two projects, the other being in Erie County.