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LAUREL — A pair of historic Laurel landmarks will soon get fresh coats of paint thanks to new county tourism funding.
The Cedar County Tourism Board awarded the City of Laurel a $2,500 Improvement Grant this fall to paint the Morning Glory School and the first house in Laurel — a project designed to help preserve the community’s early history and enhance local tourism appeal.
The award was one of four grants approved during an October board meeting at the Cedar County Museum in Hartington. Randolph, LCC Middle School and Wynot also received funding.
In Randolph, the Downtown Beautification Committee earned a $2,430 grant to add benches and decorative lighting to a vacant downtown lot. The upgrades aim to create a more welcoming gathering space for residents, visitors and shoppers.
LCC Middle School received $2,214 for an ADA-accessible playground project, and Wynot resident Mark Kober was awarded $1,000 to promote a new Airbnb and event space at 413 St. James St. Funds will support signage, business cards, flyers and website development.
The grants are intended to encourage tourism-minded improvements throughout Cedar County, boosting attractions and enhancing communities.
The next funding deadline is March 31, 2026. Eligible applications may seek up to $2,500 for bricks-and-mortar or improvement support and up to $1,000 for advertising, promotion or publicity. Entities may apply once per calendar year.
Applications are available at cedarcountyne.gov under “Lodging Tax Grant Application.” Each request must include project estimates or bids. Approved recipients must submit a project report and expense documentation within 60 days of an event or project completion. Organizations that do not file the required report will lose eligibility for future funding.
Applications and reports may be emailed to: [email protected]
