Gas company hands out checks

A local school and a local organization were recent recipients of extra money generated from the monthly bills of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas customers.

Main Street McMinnville received $2,500 and Dibrell Elementary was given $2,000 thanks to a Project Hometown Help program started by Middle Tennessee Natural Gas.

The program takes the monthly bills of Middle Tennessee Natural Gas customers and rounds it up to the next highest dollar. For example, a monthly bill of $156.13 would be rounded up to $157 with the extra 87 cents going to Project Hometown Help.

The bills are automatically rounded up unless customers contact Middle Tennessee Natural Gas and indicate otherwise.

The money given to Dibrell Elementary will help purchase educational materials for the classrooms.

The money given to Main Street McMinnville will help renovate downtown buildings, develop special events to attract people downtown, and implement phase two and three of the downtown master plan.

All money collected through Project Hometown Help is distributed to local organizations and charities.