15 S.C. communities receive share of $6.4 million in funding.

Fifteen S.C. communities have received more than $6.4 million in funds from the latest round of Community Development Block Grant funding.

The S.C. Commerce Department awards CDBG funds, allocated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in the fall and spring of each year. Recipients are selected through a competitive process and must provide at least a 10% match in project funding.

Projects must meet at least one of three objectives: benefit low- to moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of blight, and/or meet urgent needs where existing conditions post a serious and immediate threat and where other resources are not readily available.

"The CDBG program is a critical tool in the overall development and growth within our state," S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said in a news release."We're proud to say that these grants will not only attract more investment to our state but will also benefit the everyday lives of the people who live in these communities."

The selected projects, which will benefit 40,916 S.C. residents, are:

Anderson County, south Anderson neighborhood demolition, $239,150

Beaufort County, Detour Road sidewalk extension, $200,000

City of Beaufort, Spanish Moss Trail extension, $200,000

City of Bennettsville, west...