Latest news with #SouthwestVirginians
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal HUD disaster assistance approved for Feb. flood victims in SWVA
VIRGINIA (WJHL) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Monday that supplemental disaster assistance funding is now available to Southwest Virginians who were impacted by flooding in February. The flooding event took place across several Southwest Virginia counties from Feb. 10 to 18. States of emergency were declared by local governments, many roadways were overtaken by water and dozens of both human and animal rescues were conducted. Monday's announcement of released federal funding came one month after President Donald Trump issued a Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia on April 4. SEE ALSO: Steven Cloyd's brother speaks on family's 'closure' News Channel 11 previously spoke with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin days after Trump approved the disaster declaration, and he said the funding will help flood-impacted Southwest Virginians. The severe weather caused major flooding in Buchanan County–something residents have become too familiar with. Buchanan County schools were closed for more than a week following February's flooding so families could regroup. 'I am grateful to President Trump and the entire Administration for approving federal disaster assistance for the Commonwealth of Virginia. These resources aid recovery efforts in the areas of Southwest Virginia affected by Hurricane Helene last fall along with the severe flooding brought on by February's winter storms,' Gov. Youngkin said in a HUD release. 'Thank you to Secretary Turner and his team for their strong partnership supporting Virginians adversely impacted by these storms.' According to the release, HUD is providing the following supplemental resources to Southwest Virginia February flood victims: Providing financial flexibility– A 90-day moratorium is issued on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). There is also a 90-day extension granted automatically for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President's disaster declaration date. Homeowners affected by the disaster should contact their mortgage or loan servicer immediately for assistance. Conventional mortgage holders may also be eligible for additional relief through their mortgage holder. Call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320 for additional information. To learn more about disaster relief options for FHA homeowners, visit the FHA Disaster Relief site. Making mortgage insurance available - When homes are destroyed or damaged to an extent that requires reconstruction or complete replacement, HUD's Section 203(h) program provides FHA insurance to disaster victims. Borrowers from participating FHA-approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing, including closing costs. Making financing available for both mortgage and home rehabilitation - HUD's Section 203(k) loan program enables individuals to finance the purchase or refinance of a house, along with its repair, through a single mortgage. Homeowners can also finance the rehabilitation of their existing homes if damaged. Sharing information on housing providers and HUD programs - Information will be shared with FEMA and the State on housing providers that may have available units in the impacted counties, including Public Housing Agencies and Multi-Family owners. The Department will also connect FEMA and the State to subject matter experts to provide information on HUD programs and providers. Providing flexibility to Community Planning and Development Grantees - Recipients of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) Program, Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and Housing Trust Fund (HTF) Program funds can apply for needed administrative flexibility in response to Presidentially Declared Major Disaster for Virginia (DR-4863-VA). For more information on applying for a waiver or suspension of program requirements, contact the Richmond, VA Community Planning and Development (CPD) Field Office here. Providing flexibility to Public Housing Agencies - Public Housing Agencies can apply for needed waivers and flexibilities for disaster relief and recovery. For detailed information on applying for a waiver, click here for the latest Federal Register Disaster Relief Notice guidance. The Department also released PIH Notice 2021-34, which advises the public of HUD's expedited process for waivers and flexibilities from HUD regulatory and administrative requirements for various Public Housing and Voucher Programs. As a reminder, to be eligible to receive a disaster waiver, the PHA must be located in an active Presidentially declared Major Disaster Declaration area and submitted within four months of an MDD. Ensuring HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are ready to assist - HUD-approved housing counseling agencies have counselors available to assist those impacted by natural disasters to determine assistance needs and available resources. Find a HUD-approved housing counseling agency online or use our telephone look-up tool by calling 1-800-569-4287. Telephone look-up includes access to information in more than 200 different languages. You do not have to have an FHA-insured mortgage to meet with a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. There is never a fee for foreclosure prevention counseling. Assisting with housing discrimination - Housing discrimination can occur when people attempt to find and access housing following a disaster. HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is available to assist people who believe they have experienced housing discrimination. If you think your rights have been violated, you should file a fair housing complaint with HUD. You can file a complaint by calling HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or visiting How to File a Complaint on HUD's website. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the Department using the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. HUD may not help you if your complaint is filed more than one year after the last discriminatory act. You may also be able to file a complaint with a state or local fair housing agency. A list of the State and local fair housing agencies funded by HUD is available on HUD's website here. 'Parts of Southwest Virginia faced intense flooding during a wave of February winter storms,' said U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (VA-09). 'The resulting damage to businesses and homes impacted many people in Southwest Virginia who were in the middle of recovering from Hurricane Helene. Secretary Turner's announcement to extend natural disaster aid and financial flexibility resources to Southwest Virginia will help our communities access vital recovery services.' More information about the funding announcement can be found on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tax deadline extension announced for SW.Va. flood victims
tazewell, va. — Residents of Southwest Virginia impacted by the Feb. 15 flood are being afforded additional time to file their state taxes. According to the Virginia Department of Taxation, the tax filing and payment deadline for victims of the February flooding in Southwest Virginia has been extended to November 3. The new deadline applies to taxpayers located in 36 counties, including Tazewell, Bland, Buchanan, Giles, Smyth, Russell, Dickenson, Washington, Wise and Wythe. Taxpayers located in the impacted areas do not need to take any action, as extensions and waivers are automatic as long as missing returns and payments are made by November 3, according to the state tax office. U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., who represents Virginia's 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced the deadline extension Thursday. 'After the February winter storms, I sought to help deliver tax relief to the impacted Southwest Virginia communities,' Griffith said. 'After weeks of advocacy and extensive talks, I am glad that we reached this milestone. Today's announcement is significant help for Southwest Virginia, but I will continue to advocate for access to more recovery services.' Griffith said the extension applies to individual income tax returns and payments that are normally due in mid April. A number of factors contributed to the Feb. 15 flood, including a torrential rainfall that morning, melting snowfall and a ground that was already saturated by prior rains. The flooding caused significant damage and problems across the region, including in neighboring West Virginia. Griffith joined the region's congressional delegation in asking for President Donald Trump to approve Governor Glenn Youngkin's request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the region, which was later approved by Trump. Griffith said other impacted taxpayers, including businesses, which can demonstrate a hardship attributable to the February flooding in Southwest Virginia should submit a written request for penalty and interest waivers for any state taxes due on or after the flooding to the Virginia Department of Taxation at Customer Service Section Severe Storm Relief, P.O. Box 1115, Richmond, Va. 23218-1115. U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., also confirmed the filing deadline extension Thursday. 'Good news for Southwest Virginians,' Warner said. 'After my advocacy, folks impacted by severe flooding have until November 3 to file their taxes — essential breathing room for folks that are still rebuilding from heartbreaking destruction.' Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dental center celebrates opening of new lab in Abingdon
ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) — A new dental lab that will create crowns, dentures and other oral dental prosthetics has opened to help provide care to Southwest Virginians. The new 2,400-square-foot lab at the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center clinic in Abingdon opened on Thursday after a floss-cutting ceremony. Bristol man sentenced to 31+ years for carjacking Having the lab at the clinic will allow the center to streamline prosthetic manufacturing while providing other benefits, according to Dr. Scott Miller, the clinic site director. 'What that's going to be able to do is cut our lab costs, develop digital design workflow, and help us develop a workforce of digital lab technicians and help train the residents,' Miller said. Miller told News Channel 11 that the lab's presence will greatly reduce the number of appointments needed before a patient can get prosthetics, such as dentures. 'We've got 2,300 people on a waiting list at our clinic, so we need more opportunity for them to be in the chair,' Miller said. 'So if we can cut down on the treatment times, that allows us to see more people. And what we're also hoping to do is start an initiative where we can get more providers to take Medicaid by helping them cut lab costs.' The lab is outfitted with technology like 3D printers, design stations and a CAD/CAM milling area. The Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center also plans to immediately begin expanding its clinic from 14 chairs to 21. 'And next year, we're going to go from seven dental residents to eight dental residents,' Miller said. 'So things are growing, and people are getting taken care of, and that's our number one mission.' Miller said the area has far fewer dentists per 100,000 people than the national average. 'In our area, there's only 29 dentists per 100,000 people, where that statistic is 61 per 100,000 for the nation. The greatest thing about what we've done with our clinic is out of 22 graduates that come through our program, we've been able to keep six of them here. So we're helping grow the dental workforce in our area.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Warner voices concerns about possible Medicaid cuts during SWVA visit
ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) — U.S. Senator Mark Warner has spent the first half of the week in Southwest Virginia. On Tuesday morning, Warner made a stop in Abingdon to get an early look at the soon-to-open Appalachian Highlands Dental lab. The new lab is set to open Thursday with a 'floss-cutting' ceremony and will make crowns and dentures for the dental clinic. VSP: Worker killed on I-81 shoulder after dump truck reverses over him Warner helped secure federal dollars that helped fund the creation of the lab. The dental center is preparing for an expansion to the clinic and its residency program. According to Warner, 73,000 Southwest Virginians became eligible for dental care when Medicaid was expanded years ago. The Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center opened in 2020, the year before Medicaid's expansion, and since then, the center has maintained a constant waiting list. As of Tuesday, 2,300 people were awaiting dental care at the center. A staggering majority of the patients who receive care at the center are on Medicaid, according to the clinic's leadership. '83% of our patients are on Medicaid, so it's huge for our community, for Southwest Virginia, that Medicaid still be part of that,' Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center Executive Director Elaine Smith said. 'We need to continue that.' 'I wanted to hear from all of the providers,' Warner said during the visit. 'And we've got to make sure we keep and preserve these services. And truthfully, people think Medicaid, 'Well, that's just for poor people.' Now it's for kids. It's for a lot of our adults. It's for working families.' Warner expressed concern about potential hospital closures in rural areas if Medicaid is cut too much at a federal level. 'The truth is, the way our system is set up, if you cut Medicaid too much, you're going to see our hospitals shut down,' Warner said. 'I think it took us about ten years to reopen a small hospital in Lee County. You take away Medicaid, that hospital disappears. Most of the other regional hospitals will disappear, and that's what's at stake.' Warner told News Channel 11 that he hopes lawmakers will set aside party alliances when considering making cuts to programs like Medicaid and Social Security and instead think only of their constituents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Feeding Southwest Virginia, Food Lion distribute 600 boxes of food
LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) — A local food bank partnered with Food Lion Feeds and Russell County Emergency Management to distribute hundreds of boxes of food. On Thursday, Feeding Southwest Virginia worked with Food Lion and the EMA to feed hundreds of families at the Lebanon, Virginia government center. Roughly 600 food boxes and bags of fresh produce were distributed. USDA cancels shipments to Tri-Cities food banks Pamela Irvine, the president and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia, told News Channel 11 there is no shortage of food insecure people in the region. 'Food insecurity numbers are as high as what they were down here in 2008,' Irvine said. 'I mean, we have several counties down here in Southwest Virginia [where] food insecurity is 20% and higher. And so we know how challenged [the area is] economically, but also with disasters recently here in Russell County, Lebanon and Southwest Virginia, people are suffering.' Irvine credited the resilience and generosity of Southwest Virginians who help make events like Thursday's food distribution possible. 'Sometimes people just need good news and hope, and by providing something as simple as a bag of groceries and a box of food, it just enables people to go another day to have another meal,' Irvine said. Thirty Food Lion volunteers assisted in the food distribution. Food Lion Feeds manager Kevin Durkee said the grocery chain has been committed to nourishing neighbors since its founding in 1957. 'We believe that no one should have to choose between paying their rent or gas and groceries,' Durkee said. 'So if we can take away some of that uncertainty and the difficult decisions that people have to make, then that's what we're here to do.' Feeding Southwest Virginia was one of many food banks nationwide to be impacted by canceled shipments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to Irvine, a shipment with $513,000 worth of food from the USDA was canceled. 'We need the food,' Irvine said. 'We have been like a lot of organizations, kind of watching to see funding opportunities. Are we going to continue to get funded? So we lost $513,000 worth of food from April to June in funding.' Irvine said help from groups like Food Lion Feeds has been encouraging amid the federal uncertainty. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
