JEFFERSON CITY – Oats Inc., an 87-county transportation service that includes Clay County, and Ray County Transportation Inc., also called Direct Transit, are among rural transportation agencies set to receive a federal grant funding as part of national COVID-19 relief efforts. At the Missouri Department of Transportation in Jefferson City, Transit Administrator Joni Roeseler on Tuesday provided the amounts each transportation provider will receive: Oats is in line to receive $27,944,864 and Direct Transit will receive $1,041,578. Missouri is the first state to receive rural transportation funds. The total award to Missouri is $61.7 million. The Department of Transportation will use the funds for operating expenses and capital assistance for 30 Missouri rural agencies. “MoDOT will work closely with rural public transit providers to implement this critical funding. I want to thank my staff for reacting so quickly when the grant availability wa...