(KLZA) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday announced the selection of three Nebraska organizations to receive a total of $900,000 to support job creation efforts, business development and strengthen economic growth in rural communities.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. 

The City of Tecumseh Board of Public Works will receive a $300,000 grant, to set up a loan fund to help Johnson County Hospital upgrade its generator and modernize its electronic records management and pharmacy medication management systems. The project will create one job.

The announcement is one part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy.  

Nebraska municipal utility providers included in today’s announcement that will receive USDA funding, contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan or grant agreement include:

The City of Gering, a $300,000 grant, to capitalize a loan fund to help build two additions and a new building for the Legacy of the Plains, a historical farm and ranch museum. The project will create one full-time job, one part-time job, and help save one existing job.

The City of Gothenburg – $300,000 grant, to create a loan fund to help Gothenburg Memorial Hospital upgrade servers and computer networks for its electronic medical records system. The project will create three jobs and save four existing positions.

The funding being announced Thursday is being provided through USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program (REDLG). It provides zero-interest loans and grants to local utilities, which then, in turn, lend the funds through to local businesses for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas.