Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05) is pleased to announce that federal grants have been awarded to two entities in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District. The grants, totaling $573,000, were received by the Town of Whitmire located in Newberry County, along with the Hazel Pittman Center in Chester County.


Newberry County, Town of Whitmire: Improvements to Drinking Water Quality and Wastewater Management

The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded loans and grants to the Town of Whitmire in Newberry County to help improve drinking water quality and wastewater management. In total, the town received a federal grant worth $448,000 plus a loan for $1,219,000.

According to the USDA, this investment "will be used to provide replacement water pumps and to make improvements to the existing water waste system. The primary purpose of the investment will place the existing raw water pumps station back into full operation. The investment will improve water quality for roughly 2,534 individuals. Without Rural Developments assistance, the town would be unable to finance this project."


Chester County, Hazel Pittman Center: Prevention of Youth Substance Abuse

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded a $125,000 federal grant to the Hazel Pittman Center to help support local efforts to prevent youth substance abuse. (The Hazel Pittman Center was originally known as the Chester County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.)

The Hazel Pittman Center intends to use the funds from this grant to help the Chester County ECHO DUI Task Force Coalition reduce alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among youth ages 9 - 20. Objectives for this project include:

- education programs;
- saturation patrols;
- party dispersals;
- public safety checkpoints;
- compliance checks and merchant education classes to reduce the ease of access