Bill contains $17M for area projects

The projects will have a
‘significant impact’ on the area, a congressman says.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Companies, agencies and projects in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys will receive about $17 million from a congressional omnibus bill.

The U.S. House approved a $555 billion spending bill Wednesday that provides money for military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and for 14 federal departments.

The Senate passed the spending package legislation Tuesday. President Bush is expected to approve it shortly.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, brought $25.4 million to his congressional district. Ryan, D-17th, represents portions of Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties.

The lion’s share of the money, about $14 million, obtained by Ryan went to Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Among the major local projects receiving funding are:

U$1.97 million to Parker Hannifin’s Youngstown division for a hybrid hydraulic program.

U $2.4 million to Ajax Tocco of Warren for research and development of tactical metal fabrication systems.

U $1.28 million for a Struthers sewer project.

U $836,000 for a Brookfield sanitary sewer project.

U $490,000 for improvements to Mahoning Avenue.

U $376,000 for the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force.

U $421,505 to the Paula and Anthony Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism for distance learning programs.

“In order to bring good jobs to our communities, businesses need to know that they have a partner in government who is committed to improving the quality of life for all our citizens,” Ryan said.

Ryan, along with U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, obtained $984,000 for a carbon geological study that is considered a key step in bringing a major coal-to-liquid fuel plant by Baard Energy to Wellsville.

Making the plant a reality “will mean thousands of jobs for the Ohio River Valley,” Wilson said.

Overall, Wilson brought $6.3 million to his 12-county congressional district, which includes all of Columbiana and a portion of Mahoning.

Wilson and Ryan also worked together to obtain $282,000 for an entrepreneurial development initiative, Salute to Success, as part of the high-tech initiative on West Federal Street in Youngstown.

Wilson also got $229,912 in the bill for the NewLife Academy of Information Technology in East Liverpool. The money would increase the academy’s information technology curriculum.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire of McCandless, Pa., D-4th, obtained $1,667,000 for four Lawrence County projects.

They are: $296,000 for construction and upgrades of Jameson Memorial Hospital’s emergency department in New Castle; $750,000 for safety upgrades to Interstate 376 in Union Township; $500,000 for development of brownfields in Neshannock Township; and $121,000 to the county’s social services agency for early childhood education programs.

Overall, Altmire received about $60 million for his district with $43 million of it for lock and dam improvements in Allegheny County.

skolnick@vindy.com