Lawrence County Coronavirus Relief Funds distributed; second application period under way

Lawrence County Commission has awarded nine applicants a total of $140,000 in Phase 1 reimbursements for immediate costs related to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is now launching Phase 2, which is a combination of reimbursements and advance approvals for eligible costs from nonprofits, churches and public entities.

To date, the county has also expended $61,000 for public health and other related Coronavirus costs incurred by the county.

The money comes from a $4.49 million allocation from the federal government for immediate, necessary costs associated with the outbreak. Federal guidelines dictate how the money can be spent.

Besides public health, most of the initial spending has been for education as Lawrence County schools work to educate and provide meals to students during the closings, and to develop a safer environment for the return to classes.

Applications that were funded came from Aurora, Marionville, Miller, Mt. Vernon and Pierce City school districts; the cities of Aurora and Mt. Vernon; the Lawrence County Nursing Home District; and the Lawrence County Board for the Developmentally Disabled.

Deadline for the next round of applications is July 31. Details and criteria can be found at https://www.lawrencecountymo.org/coronavirus-fund

Questions can be directed to the county commission at 466-3666.