RIPLEY — U.S. Rep. Tom Reed on Wednesday announced a loan of $150,000 and a grant of $50,000 for the town of Ripley. The funds will be used to purchase a new snowplow truck that will help maintain the 88 lane-miles of town road during the winter. The grant was announced by USDA Rural Development.

“We care about making sure our towns and villages have access to the equipment they need to keep our roads safe during the winter,” Reed said. “This grant and loan combination will benefit the citizens of Ripley and those who drive on Ripley’s roads greatly.”

“This is the first time the town has applied for a USDA Rural Development Grant to replace highway equipment,” said Douglas Bowen, Ripley town supervisor. “This plow truck will allow us to keep costs down for taxpayers and will also allow us to keep up with replacing our older equipment.”