The Nebraska Energy Office, in conjunction with lending institutions in Nebraska, has begun providing assistance to those affected by floods by offering Dollar and Energy Saving Loans at 1% interest (subject to lender approval).
The Nebraska Energy Office will now offer the low-interest loans to all Nebraskans to make energy-efficient home and farm improvements. You do not need to be affected by flooding to participate in the offer.
Project loan applications are submitted to the resident’s local Nebraska lender and the Nebraska Energy Office prior to installation for verification of compliance with program requirements. The project must comply with energy-efficiency standards found on the loan application forms.
Eligible energy-efficient home and farm improvements may include replacing appliances with efficient models; door, window and insulation replacement; solar, wind and biomass projects; and irrigation systems, grain dryers and other farm-efficiency improvements.
Broken appliances, heating and cooling equipment and doors and windows qualify for emergency loan processing, officials said. Every effort will be made to approve applications within 48 hours.
More information on loan amounts, energy-efficiency requirements and loan application forms can be found at the Nebraska Energy Office Dollar and Energy Saving Loans Program webpage: neo.ne.gov/loan/index.html.
The 1% loan offer will be effective until July 1, or as funds are available.
Gothenburg chamber makes donation to cattlemen relief fund
The Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce ag committee has collected $4,150 from local and area donors for the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund.
The ag committee also contributed the full $5,000 pledged to match donations, allowing for a total contribution of $9,150.
The relief fund will distribute 100% of contributions to Nebraska cattle producers affected by recent natural disasters.
Donations may still be made online via PayPal at nebraskacattlemen.org/disaster-relief-fund.
Center in Lynch will assist flood victims
The Nebraska Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and its community partners will open a Multi-Agency Resource Center in Lynch, Nebraska, on Monday at the Lynch Middle/High School gymnasium.
The Lynch center primarily will serve Boyd County, but anyone affected by the 2019 Nebraska flood can come to the center for services and resources, officials said.
The center will offer impacted residents access to a variety of recovery resources, including financial assistance for those who qualify, from multiple relief agencies.
Two more Iowa counties eligible for disaster unemployment assistance
Residents of Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties in Iowa are eligible for disaster unemployment assistance, Iowa Workforce Development announced Wednesday.
Applications must be filed by May 17 by individuals in the two counties.
Unemployment assistance is available to eligible individuals as a result of a major disaster declared by President Donald Trump on March 23.
Iowa Workforce Development also is accepting applications from individuals in the following counties: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona and Woodbury. Those applications must be filed by April 25.
To apply, file a claim online at iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/file-claim-unemployment-insurance-benefits. For more information by phone, call 866-239-0843.
Kroc Center hosts Easter basket giveaway
Kroc Center Omaha is hosting “Operation Easter Basket” — a program providing free Easter baskets to families with children affected by flooding.
Easter basket distribution is set for 1 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Sarpy-Cass Disaster Resource Center, inside the former J.C. Penney store at Southroads, 1001 Fort Crook Road in Bellevue.
Supplies of Easter baskets are limited, so families are encouraged to pre-register by going to surveymonkey.com/r/operationeasterbasket.
The Disaster Resource Center will be open for people to come in and pick up flood-relief supplies during the event.