Little River Nursing & Rehab recently received at $5.5 million loan from USDA to build a new nursing center.

Construction is slated to begin in January and be completed toward the end of 2009.

“We’re building a new nursing home facility. It’s a replacement facility for the existing Little River Nursing & Rehab,” said David Deaton, director of both Little River Nursing & Rehab and Little River Memorial Hospital. “The original one opened in 1963 and so it’s just time to update it.”

The new 76-bed center will allow for more efficient operation and greater pati...