Grants awarded to 5 Mesa County entities

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. ( KREX ) – Thanks to some recent grants, athletic field lighting, gym and theater upgrades and a fire rescue unit are only a few of the items that are now made possible.

On Wednesday, the Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District awarded five grants, totaling $768,498 to Mesa County entities.

The organizations are:

• Plateau Valley School District 50 received $296,546 for athletic field lighting.
• Plateau Valley Fire Protection District was awarded $143,952 for two station vehicle exhaust removal systems.
• Independence Academy Charter School received $160,000 for gym and theater upgrades.
• The City of Grand Junction got $91,000 for training facility enhancements to the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center.
• East Orchard Mesa Fire Protection District was given $77,000 for a fire rescue unit.

“The grant funding we receive from oil and gas leases is meant to return to the community to help offset impacts. The board was very happy to be able to grant out a large amount of funding to some great projects. We know these projects will benefit Mesa County and its residents for many years to come,” Dusti Reimer, grant administrator for the district, said in a press release.

The grant funds come from federal mineral lease payments that are distributed initially to the State of Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The money is then distributed to counties, municipalities and federal mineral lease districts within the state impacted by federal mineral leasing activity.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.