Great News for North Bossier Parish! Broadband Internet Coming!
Louisiana State Senator Robert Mills personally went to Plain Dealing yesterday to deliver the good news.
According to Mills, the small North Bossier town of Plain Dealing will soon be receiving state funds to help improve community infrastructure.
As the Senator met with Plain Dealing Mayor Shavonda Gay, Town Clerk Rolandria McCauley and Town Attorney Douglas Dominick, Mills was eager to break the big news. "We're happy to see the good things that are happening for your town," Mills said. "I want to work with you to help in any way I can."
Mills, happily pointed out that the coming Teal Jones lumber mill will be a huge economic boost for Plain Dealing and the surrounding area.
From officials at Louisiana Economic Development, this new mill should provide 125 new direct jobs, with average annual salaries of $47,000, plus benefits.
Also in the meeting with Plain Dealing was Bossier Parish Administrator Butch Ford, who added that there was more good news for Plain Dealing as Comcast had announced it would be bringing broadband services to Plain Dealing thanks to a $300,000 GUMBO grant. GUMBO is designed to help broadband provider applicants with deployment of services to unserved areas of the state.
"Comcast was awarded the grant and they will also be investing about two million dollars of their own money. That brings the total project to $2.3 million. They plan to begin next month with planning and mapping, then they'll start bringing fiber optic lines north along highway 3," Ford said.
Ford also pointed to money from the state's Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Off System Bridge Program that could help replace structures in the town that have been closed.
Mills said the town will be receiving state money from the discretionary fund to aid in projects such as water and sewer lines to the Teal Jones facility, and more dollars will be coming from another state funding source that will help improve streets and revitalize areas of need.
"There are very good things happening for Plain Dealing, and we hope we can continue to assist," Mills said.