Fire department to receive $350k loan for improvements

Correction: Due to a source error, the community identified in the story was incorrect. It is not in Brown County.

The USDA is loaning a rural Indiana fire department almost $350,000 to renovate and expand a fire department building.

The agency announced Tuesday that it would be providing $349,800 in funding to the Van Buren Township Volunteer Fire Department Association in Monroe County through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program.

The funding is meant to  help rural areas make infrastructure improvements and provide essential facilities such as schools, libraries and day care centers.

The township fire department serves about 3,500 in Van Buren Township. More than 100 types of projects are eligible for funding in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett made the announcement Tuesday. The agency reported that it is investing $181 million in 88 projects in 27 states.