South Carolina

The Oconee County Council approved a $350,000 contract for a company that conducts drilling and blasting at the county-owned quarry without anyone batting an eye. According to upstatetoday.com, “everyone from county council members to Oconee taxpayers recognize they are getting a bang for their buck.” The operations contributed more than $790,000 to the county’s general fund budget and approximately $1 million to upgrading its bridges and roads. The quarry manager said that once the county’s aggregates needs are met, the rest of its material is sold to residents, local businesses, and out-of-town buyers in other cities and states. The operation is expected to sell half a million tons of rock this year.

Utah

Utah workers have been among the luckiest recipients under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Reuters reports. By the end of May, the stimulus plan created or saved more than 21,000 jobs, with nearly 10 percent (2,041) being focused on Utah highway repair. Only four other states in the nation recorded more than 1,000 jobs being created or saved via the stimulus package during the same time period.

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