HARRISBURG – Lots of cardboard checks are coming from Harrisburg.

The Columbia Montour vo-tech school will receive an $80,000 boost in funding.   The state says the funding is to expand and improve access to first-class equipment and educational advantages.  Two state lawmakers announced the grant funding, state senator Lynda Schlegel Culver, and state house member Robert Leadbeter of Berwick.

Sen. Culver said the students are preparing to become productive citizens in our local economy, “The hands-on skills and training provided by career and technical centers help students prepare to enter the workforce and obtain good-paying jobs.”

Leadbeter said the funding will help promote family sustaining jobs, “This will be another factor contributing to our conservative values of hard work and determination, which benefits the local businesses that drive our community.”

Meantime…

State house member Michael Stender is out with a list of grants for fire companies around here. In a news release, he said, “As a former career and volunteer firefighter, it is an honor to see this state funding help our local fire and EMS companies in the 108th District.

Local fire companies and EMS services received between $13,000 and $17,000. The funding is for equipment, debt reduction, training, certification, education, public outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts. Rep. Stender said the grants came from slot machine gaming proceeds..