In Covington, the East Side is the target. Though officials say crime is down in that part of the city this year, the neighborhood has a long history of drugs, gangs and violence. We're not going to solve them overnight. We need a long-term solution. About 200 sites around the United States are designated Weed and Seed areas.
Grants are generally in the low six figures annually.
They used to be larger, but as more communities got interested in the money, demand spread, said Bob Samuels, assistant director of the Executive Office for Weed and Seed in Washington, D.C., the division of the U.S. Department of Justice that administers the program. The city can reapply for money for four more years. Covington commissioners on Tuesday night hired Terry Mann, former vocational school principal, to write the grant request. A committee of residents, business representatives and city officials has held its first planning meeting. In May, federal authorities settled a case against Mr. Mann.