The Texas Military Readiness Commission on Tuesday approved a grant application from the city of Abilene to provide 50% funding for broadband connectivity improvements at Dyess Air Force Base, the Texas Military Affairs Committee said Thursday. Abilene in a press release.
Through the grant, the state will provide $375,000 for a $750,000 project to expand fiber optic and 5G infrastructure at the base. The Development Corporation of Abilene has allocated an additional $300,000 for the project, with the remainder provided by various additional sources, according to the release.
Improvements in the connectivity of facilities used by base personnel and their families will be funded by local private contributions.
State funding will be provided through the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant program, through which government entities can apply for assistance to improve infrastructure at military installations. Abilene has received three other DEAAG grants over the past five years, which have helped fund improvements to the perimeter security fence, expansion of the visitor access control center, and new security gates.
“The State of Texas awarding of the DEAAG grant simply illustrates the dedication of the City of Abilene to the mission, to the Airmen and to the families of Dyess who protect this great nation,” Mayor Anthony Williams said in the communicated. “We couldn’t be prouder to play a part in this.”
Workforce Solutions awards contest prizes to area classes
Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas recently awarded prizes totaling more than $16,000 to area colleges and high schools who entered the 2021 Careers in Action video competition.
As part of the competition, students – under the guidance of the teacher – submitted short videos highlighting jobs in selected industries in the region, with winning submissions being selected by guest judges from businesses, media and schools in the region.
Finalists were selected from five industry categories and divisions, with separate classifications for middle and high schools and large and small schools.
The grand prize was awarded to Madison Galle’s class at Eula High School for their HVAC video. Other winners were submitted by schools in the districts of Abilene, Wylie, Anson, Clyde, Highland, Ira, Coleman and Munday.
Finalists received prize packs of their choice worth $700, with possible items including an iPad Pro or DSLR camera.
The awards presentation can be viewed at wfswct.org/cia.
Texas State Technical College to help train Hendrick Health staff
In partnership with the Practice Management Institute, Texas State Technical College will train Hendrick Health staff members on new business practices and systems, the school announced in a news release Tuesday.
According to the release, TSTC recently received a $255,586 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to facilitate training, which will be provided to Hendrick employees in Abilene and Brownwood.
TSTC and PMI employees will present courses on topics such as clinical documentation and medical coding and billing systems.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Business notebook: Abilene gets $375,000 for Dyess tech project
