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Disaster Recovery Center closing |
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Thursday, 22 May 2008 |
The Saline County Disaster Recovery Center at Holland Chapel Baptist Church in Benton is closing today.
On Friday, the center, in the church’s Family Life Center, 15523 Interstate 20, will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center.
Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private and non-profit organizations.
The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday. The DLOC will be closed Saturday through Monday in observance of Memorial Day.
About 140 people affected by the recent severe storms have visited the Disaster Recovery Center since it opened April 30, and $1.2 million has been allocated so far for the disaster, said Jamilah Fraser with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The center opened after the county was declared a federal disaster after the April 3 severe storms that brought three tornadoes and flooding in the county.
“Numerous disasters that have struck Arkansas have been very devastating,” she said. “With the help of state and other agencies, along with county officials, FEMA has been able to do its job.”
People who have disaster assistance questions after the center closes or people who want to check the status of their application can call FEMA’s helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Lines are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
June 27 is the deadline to apply for disaster assistance for damages resulting from the April tornadoes and floods.
Saline County again was declared a federal disaster area from the May 2 storms that hit Hensley, which is in both Saline and Pulaski counties.
“Anyone with property damage by the May 2 severe storms, flooding and/or tornadoes, needs to call the 1-800 number or visit the Web site (www.fema.gov),” Fraser said.
“They need to call if they were affected by the May 2 storms,” she explained. “They may qualify for up to $2,880 and a slew of federal aid programs, such as housing, repair or even replacing items in their household.”
Fraser noted that FEMA encourages people to obtain flood insurance.
“Most areas in Saline County are covered by the National Flood Insurance program,” she said. People may call their city or county government offices or the Saline County Office of Emergency Management to find out whether they are on the list of areas covered. The coverage rate is around $200 per year, Fraser said.
Anyone not able to visit the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center set up at Holland Chapel should call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov.
“The DLOC will continue the SBA portion of the Disaster Recovery Center just as people have seen it operate,” said Phil Duncan, SBA public information officer. “The purpose of reopening the center is other agencies have winded down their services, and we felt like we needed more time to serve the people of Saline County.”
Disaster loans from SBA are the primary source of funds for repairing and rebuilding disaster-damaged private property. So far, SBA has approved more than $4.7 million in low-interest disaster loans to Arkansas residents and businesses affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred in March and April. Disaster loans cover uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits from other agencies or organizations.
Courier reporter Matt Burks contributed to this report.
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 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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Razorbacks
