BRISTOL, Va. (AP) — The Virginia tobacco commission has approved more than $30 million in grants for a wide range of projects for southwest and Southside Virginia.

The Bristol Herald Courier reports (http://bit.ly/1rpb3Bl) that the panel met Thursday in Bristol.

The commission approved a wide variety of projects, ranging from $3.7 million in funding for training programs at state community colleges to $645,000 in matching money for a Wise County project expected to generate about 80 jobs. It also signed off on $43,000 to Wellmont Health System for the third phase of a program to upgrade its heart treatment services through rural ambulance providers.

The commission also approved more than $7 million for its tobacco region scholarship program and 750,000 for unspecified project in Bristol.

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Information from: Bristol Herald Courier, http://www.bristolnews.com

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