ARC Funding To Support Two Southwest Virginia, Non-Profit, Health Care Providers

Two important non profit, health care providers in Southwest Virginia are sharing a portion of more than three million dollars to support a recovery health program and improvements to broadband infrastructure. A POWER grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission is providing 793 thousand dollars to St. Mary’s Health Wagon, better known as Wise County’s Health Wagon. The money will be used to support a substance abuse treatment program for the Health Wagon. Meanwhile, the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission of Lee, Scott, Wise Counties, and the City of Norton will use 50 thousand dollars for the Tri State Broadband Infrastructure Feasibility Study. The funding will support a plan to establish a fiber optic network in Tennessee and southwest Virginia . Currently, only 64 percent of households in this area have access to high speed internet.