Jackson Free Press

The Jackson City Council approved more than $60,000 in small-business grants to seven area business in March.

Six of the grants came from the Small Business Development Grant Program and one from the Storefront Improvement Grant Program.

Since 2009, Jackson has awarded $684,681.20 to local businesses through the grant programs.

"This small business grant program is one of a kind for the state of Mississippi. It's doing a lot of great things for a lot of small businesses. We were able to get all the details of each individual business, and we're really excited about the things that it will do for them," Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell said.

The city awarded grants to Northside Drive Texaco, J & S Food Mart and The Produce Market in the amount $10,000, to Harrison Manufacturing and Hapax Creative in the amount of $9,167, a $9,660 grant to Red Laser Technology Inc., a $4,750 grant to Young World Learning Center and a $4,500 Storefront grant to J & S Food Mart.