By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — Members of the Arkansas congressional delegation announced Friday that an omnibus appropriation bill has passed the U.S. House, and the Senate is expected to consider the legislation next week.

If approved, the bill will put extra funding in the hands of budget managers at state institutions of higher education, including ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY campuses. The omnibus appropriations bill combines nine of the 123 annual spending bills for fiscal year 2009, according to an e-mail from the region’s congressional delegation.

U.S. Reps. Marion Berry, Mike Ross and Vic Snyder and Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, all Democrats, said the funds are among the state’s first allocations from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this month. The money is provided through the Community Development Block Grant program.

Extra funds that would be allocated to ASU institutions include: ASU-Jonesboro, $951,500 and $494,000; ASU-Newport, $245,643; and ASU-Mountain Home, $427,500.

The ASU-Jonesboro funding is dedicated to two projects. The $951,500 would be for an ethanol project at the ASU-Jonesboro Arkansas Biosciences Institute, according to the e-mail.

“ASU currently has on staff a leading expert in the production of enzymes in a plant system that will lower the cost of ethanol production significantly,” according to the document. “The ABI laboratory will lead an effort to bring together a skilled team that would bring this industry to not only Arkansas, but to all agricultural areas in the United States.”

The $494,000 would be designated to a new business incubator at the ABI Institute on the Jonesboro campus.

Dr. Glen Jones, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and research at ASU-Jonesboro, said Saturday he is pleased Congress approved the omnibus bill for 2009.

“It will allow us to continue a research project under way by Dr. Elizabeth Hood and allow us to move a step closer to completing phase one of the ABI Commercial Innovation Center,” he said.

ASU-Mountain Home is expected to receive funding to construct the multipurpose Veda Sheid Center, which would be available for community-focused outreach programs in Baxter County.

“We are elated,” ASU-Mountain Home Chancellor Dr. Ed Coulter said. “This is just one more time that Congressman Berry has stepped up to the plate and led the way.”

Plans call for the auditorium to seat 1,600, banquet facilities to seat up to 500, a convention center, art gallery, amphitheater and space to house the existing ASU-MH library.

“It’ll be the most used building in all of Northcentral Arkansas,” Coulter said. “We’re billing it as our gift to the community.”

Completion is projected for the summer of 2010.

On the ASU-Newport campus, funds would be used to improve the drive skills training range.

“ASU-Newport, through its Arkansas Commercial Driver Training Institute, is a national leader in entry-level and enhanced commercial driver training for the over-the-road sector of the transportation industry,” according to the release.

Sun staff writer Karin Hill contributed to this report.

sherry@jonesborosun.com