U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) visited the Ellsworth County Sheriff ’s Office Friday afternoon with good news in hand.

Moran announced that Ellsworth County received a $670,000 grant from the federal government to replace the 150 mobile (vehicle) and handheld radios used by all first reponders (fire, EMS and law enforcement) in the county.

He described it as a victory for rural Kansas.

“I know how easy it is for Kansans, for smalltown and rural Kansans across the state, to feel left out,” Moran said. “That Washington, D.C. doesn’t understand them. That nobody’s paying any attention. We need citizens and elected officials to work closely together to restore the sense of faith in our institutions, and I want to use my opportunity in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate to Kansans, particularly rural Kansans, that there is a voice and that there is an opportunity and that we still care about the places that we all call home.”

Moran is the lead Republican of the Appropriations subcommittee, which appropriates funds for the Department of Justice, all the federal law enforcement agencies and all the grant programs that are made available to local law enforcement across the country.

Moran said this funding opportunity is significant because it allows specific law enforcement agencies across the state to be recipients of significant amounts of money to upgrade and to make changes to their equipment at a time when, as a county, we are talking about defunding the police.

“We decided, along with my ranking member, Democratic member from New Hampshire, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, that we didn’t see the wisdom in defunding the police,” Moran said.

He noted a Republican and a Democrat came together to find ways the federal government could better fund law enforcement and provide them the tools for their own safety plus for the wellbeing of their communities.

“The money is appropriated and available,” Moran said. “I can’t say there won’t be some bureaucracy and paperwork yet to go through, (but) the money will be available.”

Moran expressed his gratitude to Ellsworth County Sheriff Murray Marston and his team, to his deputies and officers and to local law enforcement and emergency responders in the county, for what they do and for the leadership that occurs with the county commission and other local leaders to make sure Ellsworth County remains, and is, a safe place, a desirable location to raise kids and families and for seniors to stay here.

“A lot of what I’m about ever since you gave me the chance to represent you in congress is how do we keep rural America alive and well and keep places like Ellsworth and Ellsworth County with a future,” he said. “We want to find ways in Washington, D.C., never to be a problem, never to be a hindrance, but to find ways we can help make certain our communities are strong, especially our rural communities.”

Moran said this is a good example that good things can happen in a relationship between the federal government and county governments.

Marston said Moran has been a huge supporter of first responders in Kansas, not just in Ellsworth County, for quite some time.

“Our county was very fortunate that we were able to partner with his office to make these upgrades and to change what we’ve seen as just a dream, because it’s such a huge undertaking, and turning it into a reality,” Marston said.

Marston said the new equipment will take communications for first responders in Ellsworth County to the next level.

“This is a huge step in upgrading the infrastructure for Ellsworth County for the next 30-40 years,” he said.