LOCALFrom staff reports

The town of Mayersville has been awarded a $615,166 USDA Rural Development Community Connect Grant to obtain broadband Internet service for some of its citizens.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., announced the grant to the Issaquena County town of about 800 people Wednesday. Eight community organizations, including the Mayersville Community Center, will receive two years of free broadband service via the federal dollars.

Nexus Systems Inc. has been charged with establishing broadband throughout the community. The aim is to improve the quality of health care and education, providing rural businesses with access to regional, national, and international markets, thereby making rural communities such as Mayersville better places to live, Thompson said.