Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush has announced that more than $2.03 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards will be distributed to communities across the 117th Assembly District. The funding will support workforce training, child care, flood mitigation, infrastructure resilience, recreation, and economic development projects throughout Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
“These investments reflect the real priorities of the North Country, strengthening our workforce, protecting our communities from flooding, improving infrastructure and supporting local economic growth,” said Blankenbush. “This funding will help our towns, counties and local organizations move important projects forward that make our region a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
In Jefferson County, funds include $316,000 for Jefferson-Lewis BOCES to expand welding and heavy equipment training facilities. Little Luke’s Childcare LLC will receive $495,000 to purchase and renovate a new facility aimed at expanding access to child care for working families.
Lewis County is set to receive funding for flood resiliency efforts such as $129,048 for an East Martinsburg Road flood study and $60,028 for dam analysis to improve preparedness against flooding. Additional grants will go toward county-wide pre-planning and zoning updates as well as $208,056 for new trail maintenance equipment designed to boost recreational tourism.
St. Lawrence County projects include $50,000 allocated for wastewater infrastructure resiliency upgrades in areas prone to flooding. Another grant of $380,000 will support the establishment of a fully integrated natural flake graphite processing facility intended to strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities in the region.
“These projects demonstrate how strategic state investment can support local solutions,” Blankenbush added. “I will continue advocating for funding that recognizes the unique needs of rural communities and ensures the North Country is not left behind.”
Blankenbush represents Assembly District 117—which covers parts of St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and Oneida counties—serving since his election in 2010 according to his official website. He maintains offices in Carthage at 40 Franklin Street and in Albany at LOB 322 (source). Affiliated with the Republican Party (source), Blankenbush lives in Black River with his wife Sheila; they have two children and six grandchildren (source). Before entering government service as a state assembly member (source), he worked as branch manager at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and founded BEL Associates (source).
