Chet Edwards For Congress

Wednesday, January 02, 2008
City, hospital receive federal funds for repairs

Madisonville Meteor
By Dave Lewis | Meteor staff writer

Madison County residents will be seeing visible proof of their tax dollars at work this coming year with federal funds coming here to help repair the roof at Madison St. Joseph Health Center and to resurface Collard Street.

According to an announcement Thursday, Dec. 27, from the office of U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, $117,000 has been earmarked to renovate the roof and emergency room at Madison St. Joseph, a 57-year-old non-profit facility.

The hospital here has seen the number of emergency room visits increase by nearly 40 percent in recent years in what has been designated a Health Professional Shortage Area and a Medically Underserved Area by the federal government.

Funding for both the hospital and Collard Street comes from the final 2008 appropriations bill, which passed both the U.S. House and Senate earlier in December and was signed by President George W. Bush on Dec. 26.

“I am pleased that my colleagues in the Congress approved my request to help relocate the emergency room for the St. Joseph's Hospital in Madisonville, and I especially want to commend Madisonville community leaders for stressing the importance of this priority project to me,” said Edwards, who is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

The Collard Street project was earmarked for $169,000, which will help repair potholes and broken curbs on one of the town's major east-west feeder streets.

“Improving roads,” said Edwards, “is important for future economic growth and the quality of life in Madisonville. I want to thank Madisonville city leaders for recommending this important project to me.”

Madisonville Mayor Sonny Dean said receipt of the news was “fantastic.”

Interim city manager Dave Ward said, “We're going to rebuild Collard street, not just fix potholes. I'm not 100 percent sure how much of Collard Street we can repair. We'll probably have enough to go from S.H. 75 to S.H. 21 and widen it a bit to make it more conducive to two-way traffic and put a good surface on it rather than seal coat.

“I'm going to get bids to hot mix (asphalt). That is what I hope we'd be able to do to it. It's a very busy street and needs to be widened a good 18-24 inches. I wish we would have enough to go the full length, but I just don't think $196,000 will go all the way.

“I will assure you the west side of Collard to North Madison that has been a problem area will be fixed. That's one of the busiest intersections in town.”