Nine Etowah County projects will share $75,331.29 in FY2026 grants distributed through Coosa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, funding everything from fire department rescue gear to a new outdoor classroom, according to a press release from the council.
The grants were announced during a celebration at Hokes Bluff High School attended by legislators, community leaders and grant recipients.
Public safety
Gadsden Fire Department: $9,000 for water rescue equipment to help personnel respond to water-related emergencies.
New Union Volunteer Fire Department: $15,000 toward a LifePak 15 defibrillator and patient monitor for emergency medical calls.
Attalla Fire Rescue: $6,361.78 for technical rescue equipment and stabilizing struts used to secure vehicles and structures during rescues.
Schools and education
Gadsden State Community College: $7,469.51 to furnish the courtyard at its Advanced Manufacturing Center with benches, picnic tables and other features for students and visitors. The center has enrolled hundreds of students and drawn thousands of visitors since opening, according to the college’s president.
Hokes Bluff High School: $5,000 to upgrade the auditorium sound system, used for school programs, band events, athletics and the school’s annual Veterans Day program.
Gaston High School: $7,500 for a project on the scientific method and scientific laws, using hands-on learning resources.
Carlisle Elementary School: $5,000 to build an outdoor classroom for instruction and hands-on activities.
Community and
recreation
Windy Van Hooten Teaching Garden: $15,000 for the countywide Get Outside Initiative, supporting outdoor learning for residents and students.
City of Hokes Bluff: $5,000 toward a girls softball training facility.
Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, thanked recipients for identifying needs in their communities and applying for funding, noting many more applicants than available dollars.
“There are probably a hundred more great ideas like this that we would love to fund, but it is a matter of stretching dollars and cents,” Jones said.
Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Gadsden, echoed the sentiment, crediting relationships among legislators, organizations and community leaders for making the projects possible.
Coosa Valley RC&D serves an 11-county region, working with legislators, schools, municipalities and nonprofits to fund community projects.
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