Anne Hazlett visits Marion County, Kansas

Old infrastructure, isolation and broadband access are among the issues Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, said she has been hearing since she took the post last year. Rural Development programs help address those issues, and last year alone, the USDA invested $1.5 billion into rural areas through its Community Facilities Direct Loan program. In February, the agency announced it was funding $563,500 for projects in Kansas, including for storm sirens in Anthony and renovation of a building in Frankfort where meals are prepared and served to the elderly. Marion County’s emergency equipment needs were also was on that list, and Hazlett, who was on her way to a rural opportunities conference in Newton, made a stop to see how the system was working. Watch High Plains Journal and HPJ.com for Field Editor Amy Bickel’s story about Hazlett’s visit.