WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency awarded almost $4 million in rural business enterprise loans and grants to organizations throughout Maine.

As part of the funding, Ashland Housing Corp. received a $400,000 loan to renovate designated elderly housing, and Aroostook County received a $180,000 grant to update a survey of employers and employees.