The city of Charleston is applying for grant funds to purchase new playground equipment for a city park, new radar speed guns for the police department and development of a recreational area.
La’Keylah White, president and CEO of Hattiesburg-based Grants Unlimited, met with the Charleston Board of Commissioners on Feb. 6 to discuss the status of several grant applications.
White said she recently submitted a KaBOOM! grant application that would pay to purchase and install new playground equipment for the city park on Railroad Street in the Depot subdivision.
She also said she will be submitting a grant request for $15,000 to the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety “for radar [speed guns] and to pay some of the police salaries to do like special details for speeding and seat belt violations.”
Mayor Sedrick Smith said the city also plans to apply for a grant through the Mississippi Recreational Trails Program to establish a recreational trail in the Shade Street area, behind the East Tallahatchie School District central office.
“We’d put a trail, benches and beautify the area,” said Smith. “The reason behind it is to get something for the kids in that area. We can add to it as we see the need.”
On a motion by Ward 1 Commissioner Gyrone Kenniel and a second by Ward 3’s Tawanda Smith, the board voted unanimously to pursue the recreational grant, which provides 80/20 matching funds.
The mayor said the city also is seeking a Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation “Healthy Hometown” grant.
“It would be for $25,000 to $50,000,” he explained.
Funds from this grant can be used only “to improve a municipality’s health and wellness culture,” according to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Foundation website.
In the past, cities have used the funds to establish walking and biking trails, improve city parks, install public fitness equipment and for outreach programs that promote the importance of exercise and making healthy lifestyle choices.
A previous version of this story used the term "radar detectors" instead of "radar speed guns," which is how the presentation was made to the Charleston board.
