After years of voicing concerns, some residents in Kemper County say their prayers have been answered.

Last September, residents of the Zion community said their request that a main roadway be paved was ignored.

Now the Mississippi Development Authority is awarding a $490,000 grant to pave Zion-Hampton Road.

At this time there is no word on when the work will start. As of last fall there were two businesses and more than a dozen residences located within the first mile of Zion-Hampton Road.