Two area cities are set to receive funding for small-scale projects through a new Kansas Department of Commerce program.

The City of Longton has been awarded $5,500 to install new city welcome signs while Oswego will receive a $10,000 grant for new swing sets at Riverside Park. Both grants come through the Towns Grant Program created by the State Commerce Department in partnership with with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, The Kansas Health Foundation, and the Sunflower Foundation. The program is designed to help fund projects in rural communities that might not otherwise have the resources to be completed.

The Towns Grant program supports communities with a population of 5,000 or less that have not received funding from the Kansas Department of Commerce since 2019. The initiative aims to increase local capacity, grow community and youth engagement, mobilize volunteers and spark investment in both the community and local businesses.