Updated article, click HERE.

Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations released the first batch of Fiscal Year 2024 funding bills to be voted on this week. Congressman Robert Aderholt, senior member of the Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the projects he secured for the Fourth District in these funding bills. Included in the 14 projects is $3,892,000 for the City of Russellville for a new Russellville Public Library/multipurpose community center.

“Members of Congress know the needs of their districts far more than a Washington bureaucrat,” Aderholt said. “That’s why I’ve always supported directed spending for local projects during the annual appropriations process. The 14 projects in the Fourth District that I have secured funding for all have a direct impact on people’s lives, on economic development and on educational opportunities. This is the kind of work members of Congress should do for their districts and for their constituents.”

Russellville mayor David Grissom said he received a call Monday morning from Kreg Kennedy in Aderholt’s office to inform him of the development, telling him, “Congressman Aderholt had been working hard and wanted to let me know that there was forward movement on the appropriations process, and they anticipate that your project will be signed into law by the end of the week.”

Grissom said he shared the news Monday with the Norris family who donated the land behind Russellville City Hall for the project. “We look forward to sitting down with our engineer and architect very soon to begin the building and planning process,” he added. “This will be a great addition to our downtown district in the City of Russellville.”

Russellville Public Library director Joshlyn Bowen shared her enthusiasm for the development.

“I am so very proud of what our hard work has accomplished ruing my time as director,” Bowen said. “This has to be one of the most momentous occasions we have had at Russellville Public Library. On behalf of Myself, my staff, and our library board, we want to thank Congressman Aderholt for securing the federal funding for this project and so many more that he has fought to bring to North Alabama during his time as our congressman.”

“None of this would have been possible without his work,” Bowen added. “I would like to thank Mayor Grissom and the Council Members for standing behind the vision we had for RPL when I began as director. It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when we all work together for the advancement of our community. We have lots of work ahead of us to complete this project,but we are up to the task, and we are so very excited to have the new Russellville Public Library and Media Center be a focal point in this wonderful community and be a beautiful reminder of what amazing things we can accomplish through teamwork and determination.”