March 28, 2024 3:30 a.m.

In Wednesday, Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that they secured investments for what they term “essential community-initiated projects” across Oregon in both of the fiscal year 2024 government funding packages that recently cleared Congress and have been signed into law by President Joe Biden.

With the support of Oregon’s Congressional delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, the senators helped secure a total of 139 projects for Oregon in the final FY24 spending bill.

In Douglas County, projects included:

*$2.38 million for the City of Myrtle Creek for a water infrastructure improvement project to replace an essential plant treatment pod to meet the city’s demand

*$2.034 million for Umpqua Community College Medical Careers Hub and Clinic toward the construction of their medical careers hub facility on the UCC campus. The building will include a public clinic, fulfilling a need for medical services, and providing clinical space for students to learn.

*$650,000 for the City of Sutherlin to acquire and develop a 13-acre parcel and 17,000 square foot building to provide emergency shelter and supportive, wrap-around services to address health, financial, or other barriers to securing stable housing for people experiencing homelessness in Sutherlin.

*$500,000 to help Glide Revitalization renovate a community space to be utilized for childcare, social services, office space and a library. The center will serve the Glide community as well as the entire Glide School District. This will help residents that work in the Glide area and need access to childcare where they work.

Quotes from southern Oregon community-initiated project recipients are linked: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Southern-Oregon-FY24-CIP-Quotes.pdf