Jefferson County leaders tour federal projects Friday - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Jefferson County leaders tour federal projects Friday

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  • Friday, May 17 2013 11:17 PM EDT2013-05-18 03:17:33 GMT
    An inmate is on the loose in Etowah County.  The Sheriff's department says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center (ECDC) Friday morning.  Justin Wade Hopkins, 30, escaped from
    The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says an inmate kitchen worker escaped the Etowah County Detention Center Friday morning. 
JEFFERSON COUNTY-AL -

Housing and Urban Development personnel and Jefferson County Commissioners toured parts of the county Friday to see where tax dollars are being spent, and county leaders said the federal dollars are filling gaps the financially-strapped county can't fill. 

"It's been a very difficult and daunting task to improve the quality of life with no money," said Commissioner Jimmie Stephens. "But through our Community and Economic Development and HUD, we've been able to positively improve the lives of citizens."

They stopped to tour a Fairfield senior center expansion, a Brighton fire station, Pleasant Grove housing developments, an Adamsville senior center, an Irondale senior citizens center, and more federally-funded projects.