Scouting for a home

Atwater's Girl Scouts will remain without a place to meet for a little longer.

I just learned that the state didn't award the city the $1 million it had requested to construct a new building for the scouts that would also be used by other community groups.

The state received 94 applications for the $30 million up for grabs. The nearest award went to Madera for housing rehabilitation. Here's a map showing where the awards went.

The Scout Hut was torn down a year ago because it didn't meet building standards and was deemed unfit by Public Works Director Dave Church. The scouts scattered across the city and some closed because of the stress of not having a regular place to meet.

Helping the scouts has been a top priority for Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Rasmussen. Yet with a cash-strapped city, a solution has proved elusive.