U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright announced that the Rural Development arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $12,700 community facility grant to Summit Hill.

The Rural Development funds will be used to purchase a new all-wheel drive SUV for the Summit Hill Police Department.The SUV will allow officers to better handle calls that require a larger or all-terrain vehicle. The SUV will replace the department’s current vehicle manufactured in 1988.“Targeted federal grants like these Rural Development funds from the USDA go a long way toward helping small communities like Summit Hill, and the surrounding area, make improvements for local residents,” Cartwright said. “Too often, rural communities do not have access to the resources necessary for such purchases, and the loans and grants provided through Rural Development ensure our small towns do not get left behind.”The purpose of the Community Facility grant and loan program is to provide affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas.“Essential community facility” is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. Applicants must be governmental entities or nonprofits, and the program is competitive, nationally.