Grant coop announces $600,000 in success

Last week, during their monthly Board of Directors meeting, the six member agency co-op known as Regional Efforts Win Additional Regional Dollars -- REWARD -- announced that their first four grant applications have been successful. And the amount of awards totals more than $600,000.

The Heritage Senior Center has received a $350,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and a $20,000 grant from the Peter Kiewit Foundation.

The Red Willow County Mutual Finance Organization has received a $149,927 grant for radio equipment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency/Fire Administration Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program.

The McCook Public schools has been notified of a $108,647 grant for a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan from the Nebraska Department of Education.

The total received -- $638,574 -- represents a 10.48 percent return on the $60,000 initial investment made by the $10,000 from each member agency including the city of McCook, Red Willow County, McCook Public Schools, Red Willow County, MFO, Community Hospital and McCook Economic Development Corp.

All six member groups of the REWARD Board of Directors give high marks to Bonnie Buckland of Buckland Consulting LLC of North Platte, for their 100 percent success rate to date. Bonnie and her associates are currently researching several other grant projects for all six REWARD members.

Officers selected by the Board of Directors for next year include:

John Bingham, city of McCook, chairman; Steve Downer, Red Willow County, vice chairman; Sharleen Crowe, Community Hospital; secretary; and Kay Lavene, McCook Economic Development, treasurer.