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Success Stories

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…

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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 45 Stories
Man standing in front of wastewater treatment facility

Colonias Grant Brings New Wastewater Treatment Plant to Anthony, New Mexico

In southern New Mexico along the Rio Grande and the Texas border, the small City of Anthony is no stranger to the benefits of partnering with USDA Rural Development. The small community of less than 10,000 residents is a designated colonia, making it eligible for grants and… [Read More]
New Mexico
Water Construction Project

Cherokee Hills Utility District Road to Success

It’s been a long road to success, but more than 330 customers of the Cherokee Hills Utility District, will soon have something to celebrate. Cherokee Hills Utility District, a small utility district in Southeast Tennessee, was facing serious water supply and shortage problems… [Read More]
Tennessee
Ohio RD team presents award certificate to Western Water board.

Treatment Plant Expansion to Make Potable Water Even Safer for SW Ohio Residents

Springtime in rural Ohio is marked by sunny days and a palpable sense of hope and renewal.  Recently, representatives from Western Water Company and USDA Rural Development met in Morrow to celebrate a $7.5 million USDA loan awarded to fund expansion of a water treatment… [Read More]
Ohio
City-of-Carbon

Revitalizing a Community: How Rural Development Helped City of Carbon After a Devastating Wildfire

In the wake of a catastrophic wildfire that ravaged the City of Carbon, leaving 85 homes destroyed and the water system severely impacted, Sylvia Gosnell, the dedicated City Secretary, found herself facing immense challenges. The fire had torn through the water plant, leaving it… [Read More]
Texas
Water Treatment Plant Construction

Popular Grove Utility District Prepares for New Growth

With a population of more than 20,000 residents and an expected growth of approximately 10,000 new residents, the Poplar Grove Utility District in Tipton County, Tennessee understands the importance of being able to support the new growth coming to their community. In September… [Read More]
Tennessee
Stakeholders at West Portsmouth, Ohio, wastewater treatment plant.

Wastewater Treatment Gets Upgrade in Rural Ohio

West Portsmouth, Ohio, sitting serenely near the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers in Appalachia, now has an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.  According to J.P. Pickelsimer, Scioto County Sanitary Engineer, West Portsmouth’s treatment facility – built in the… [Read More]
Ohio
Pictured: Water Tower in National Park, NJ.

Joy and Earth in National Park

Nestled within the southwest corner of New Jersey lies the Borough of National Park, a small town with a big spirit. The close-knit community isn’t just a spot on the map that sounds like a hiking destination -- it's hometown to over 3,000 rural residents whose bonds run deep,… [Read More]
New Jersey
World Water Day logo

A Water Legacy in La Union MDSWA

Driving south bound with the Organ Mountains to my left you expect to see many things. Pecan farms, and Dairy farms sure, but also the beauty of southern New Mexico. If you continue on to Anthony NM, you will stumble onto a gem. Rural Development (RD) is no stranger to the area… [Read More]
New Mexico
7 people standing in front of water tank

USDA Rural Development Helps Community Access Clean Water For The First Time After Five Months

You would be forgiven for thinking that October 17th was just another ordinary day for the fifteen households of the Mt. Rose Bowl subdivision, hidden by dense forest between a ski resort and a sleepaway camp in Northern Nevada. But Sally Sue Broili vividly remembers letting out… [Read More]
Nevada
Water filtration system inside new building

Bringing Safe, Reliable Water to Rural Montana Town

In the shadow of central Montana’s Crazy Mountains sits Wilsall, a picturesque community of 200 rural residents who – with a little help from USDA Rural Development – now have a safe, reliable water supply. Nearly six years ago, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (… [Read More]
Montana