The Appalachian Regional Commission has announced grants aimed at supporting local responses to the substance abuse epidemic in Kentucky and Ohio.
The commission says in a news release it has awarded $1.14 million to WestCare Kentucky Inc. in Pikeville, Kentucky, to convert a building into a residential treatment facility for women.
The commission also awarded $1.1 million to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, to coordinate a regional treatment, recovery and workforce training network primarily for women with substance abuse problems in southeast Ohio.
In addition, the commission awarded $1.1 million to the North Carolina State University Center for Environmental Farming Systems to boost food system development in western North Carolina.
The ARC says it has invested more than $148 million in 185 projects across Appalachia since 2015.