Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman presented two awards Monday to Bell County officials. Also in attendance was Sen. Johnnie Turner and State Rep. Adam Bowling.

Coleman announced three different projects coming to Bell County that are a mix of Gov. Andy Beshear’s Cleaner Water Program. She said these projects will bring about $1 million to the Bell community. The Cleaner Water Program could bring as many as 3,800 new jobs across the state.

The first check was awarded to the City of Middlesboro for $478,052 for the sewer department. Mayor Rick Nelson thanked Judge Executive Alby Brock for sharing half of his check with the City of Middlesboro and Pineville. Mayor Nelson said this added about $100,000 to their total.

The City of Pineville was awarded $478,000 for a new emergency generator for the water treatment plant and lift station. Mayor Scott Madon said that the city is in the middle of a downtown project and hit a snag that was holding the project back. He said this money would be transferred to that project and the city would reapply for a generator for the plant. This one problem would have ended the project but this award will keep it moving forward.

“It’s great to be able to support rural areas of the state especially when it comes to infrastructure,” Coleman said, “like transportation funding and clean water projects. Not only does that support the local economic development and build a foundation on which we can continue to bring in the jobs in the future, but it helps our families. Anything that we can do to invest in an area and areas like that are going to benefit people across the board. It’s an honor to be able to be here with the folks who worked hard to make it happen.”