ARC program application workshop set for Oct. 22 in Braxton County

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) application workshop is scheduled for Oct. 22, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Days Hotel Flatwoods Conference Center in Flatwoods. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m.
To register, call ARC Program Manager James Bush at 304-558-2234, email James.E.Bush@wv.gov or register online at www.wvdo.org/arcworkshop by Oct. 17, 2013. The workshop is free and open to the public. Attendance is not mandatory to apply to the program.
The workshop will provide information regarding the ARC FY2014 program, application information and guideline updates. ARC gives the highest priority to projects that involve public infrastructure improvements (water, wastewater and telecommunications) that lead to job creation or address a critical community need.
The October workshop will be followed in November by the ARC Conference Toward Prosperity: Entrepreneurship Transforming Appalachia’s Economy. The conference will be hosted by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and the State of West Virginia, Nov. 6 – 7, in Charleston. Gov. Tomblin serves as the 2013 State’s Co-Chair for ARC. For more information on the ARC Conference, visit www.arc.gov/events.
The West Virginia Development Office administers the state’s ARC program, which is a partnership of federal, state and local participants providing financial and technical assistance for economic development and infrastructure projects. The mission of ARC is to assist the Appalachian region, comprised of 13 states including West Virginia, to become more competitive with the rest of the nation in terms of job opportunities, education, health and other socio-economic factors. ARC designates each county in each state with a county economic level: distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive or attainment.