RISON - The Cleveland County Quorum Court gave County Judge Don Triplett permission last Thursday to apply for a grant through the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) for money to pave a portion of Broughton Road in the New Edinburg area.
Seven of the nine justices of the peace were on hand to approve a resolution during a special called meeting last Thursday at the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building in Rison.
Triplett said there is no guarantee the county will get the grant, but he is working with the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District (SEAEDD) on the grant application to get enough money to pave about one-and-1/8th miles of Broughton Road just south of New Edinburg. He said the county will have to put a 20 to 25 percent match.
During the July quorum court meeting, Pastor Jerome Sledge of Sweet Union Church, which is located about a mile down Broughton Road off Hwy. 8, asked Triplett and the quorum court about making improvements to the road. Several of his church members were in attendance at that meeting.
Sledge said the church is receiving a lot of visitors for different functions, and the dust and road conditions are a problem for those visiting. In one instance, he said he had to pull someone from the side of the road after they had slid off of it during wet conditions.
Sledge pointed out during the discussion that nearby Tolefree Road had been improved in the past, and it was their understanding from previous county judges that Broughton Road would be next. Sledge estimated the church has been waiting for about 30 years.
Triplett told Sledge in July that he had been looking for money to improve the road, but since it was a dead end, there are very few options available.
Triplett said last Thursday that he learned from SEAEDD that Broughton Road might be eligible for a DRA grant, which prompted the special meeting since the application deadline was Aug. 24.
DRA is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to spur economic growth, create jobs, and imp…