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The Ala-Tom Resource Conservation and Development Council provided two grants to help finish repaving of County Road 49 and help the local forestry workers purchase new vehicles.

A group of officials including RC&D Executive Director Marie Lowder, Local RC&D representative Noopie Cosby, State Sen. Robert Stewart, State Rep. Prince Chesnutt, Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn, Dallas County Commissioner Vivian Rogers, Mayor Wayne Labbe and the Town of Valley Grande and City Council Members celebrated the completion of County Road 49. 

They held a check presentation to represent RC&D kicking in $30,000 to help complete the project that was paid through multiple means. That included money from the county commission, Valley Grande town council and Rebuild Alabama funds. 

Rogers said this project was badly needed.

“The Sheriff (Mike Grantham) called me and 911 called me that the road was so bad that they couldn’t get down the road for an emergency call,” Rogers said. “This is what it looks like when government and community work together.”

Later in the morning, they went to a property on Persimmon Tree Road to tour an area affected by the August severe thunderstorm. At this spot, the local forestry workers showed off the two new vehicles they received at $25,000 cost. The money from those vehicles came from RC&D.

“I just want to express my gratitude to the Forestry Commission for what they do,” Stewart said. “We are glad to do what we can to help you.”

Chestnut echoed his sentiments.

“If there’s something that you see for our area specifically that you think that needs to be put in there, make sure to talk to myself and the Sen. Stewart about it so we can start advocating for it in advance,” Chestnut said.

Many of the funds through RC&D are allocated based on the requests of local legislators, Cosby said.