(KAIR)--Four local projects are among those in 24 communities in rural Kansas counties set to receive a share of nearly $7.9 million in federal grants to assist with community development projects.

Announcement of the funds, made available through the Community Development Block Grant Program, was made Wednesday by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.

According to a release from Kelly- office, the CDBG program, facilitated and administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Division, is a federal grant program that funds various local projects. The total price tag will be matched with local funding, allowing more than $16.9 million to be available.

According to the release, awards were made in five program areas: Community Centers, Parks, and Libraries; Sidewalks and Trails; Childcare Facilities; Youth Job Training; and ADA Improvements.

Locally, the City of Atchison is awarded $414,380 for park improvement work. Brown County is selected to receive $600,000, with those funds to be used as part of the overall for community center funding. The City of Meriden is named to receive $98,242 for sidewalks and trails, while Wathena is selected to benefit through an award of $99,525, in the sidewalks and trails division. The release explains that the Doniphan County community will match those funds with $101,525, for a total of $201,050 to be used to construct a wide sidewalk, retaining wall, utility modifications, pavement marking, and surface restorations in the community.

According to the release, the CDBG program's federal funds are awarded to projects that will benefit low and moderate-income persons, prevent or eliminate slums and blight, and those projects that will resolve an urgent need that communities are not able to do on their own.