Port gets funds for welding school

The Port Commission of West St. Mary announced Wednesday they were awarded $1.3 million in grant funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The federal funds are to be employed in combination with $450,000 in state capital outlay funds purposed toward erecting a welding school on port grounds.
It was also announced at the monthly meeting, the lease of SBA Communications Corp., whose cell tower is located at the port, will be up at the end of April. Though, Executive Director David Allain reported expected negotiations for renewal to likely take place, soon.
In other news, a Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Port Priority state project is said to be in the first of its four planned phases of completion, with a contract of $102,000 awarded to Trio Compressed Air Systems, to begin work.
Further phases of the DOTD project were allocated their proper places in future meeting agendas as they come to consideration or resolution.