The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs recently awarded a $250,000 grant to Tippecanoe County in order for the county to be able to provide small business assistance grants to businesses adversely affected by the economic crisis created by restrictions related to COVID-19.

This was the second round of funding by the agency, with 42 rural communities receiving funding, according to a news release on the Indiana House of Representatives Republican Caucus website. The funding is intended to assist those communities in developing programs that provide grants.

"Small businesses in our communities are vital to getting the economy fully back on track," state Rep. Don Lehe (R-Brookston) was quoted as saying in the release. "They have been some of the hardest hit by this public health emergency, and this funding will provide some relief they need to continue operating."

State Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) said that, as a small business owner herself, she understands some of the additional costs and challenges businesses have faced due to the pandemic.