Tennessee investing $8M in rural counties to boost local economies, tourism, broadband

Tennessee is launching the Rural Economic Development Fund, which will invest $8 million to help rural counties "get industrial and commercial sites 'shovel ready' for development and will provide grants to help local tourism programs, small town redevelopment and high-speed broadband," reports the Times Free Press in Chattanooga. "State officials hope the program can bring more of the prosperity and jobs being developed in the state's biggest cities to rural areas of the Volunteer State."

"In the most recent unemployment report for counties in Tennessee, highest jobless rates in August were all in small rural counties, including Hancock County at 10.7 percent, Henderson County at 9.9 percent, Lauderdale County at 9.3 percent and Scott County at 9.2 percent," reports the Free Press. "Employment growth has been fastest in Tennessee—and the jobless rate lowest in August—in the state's biggest metropolitan areas." (Read more)