The Brief: Assistance with water billing and shutoffs, winter clothing donations, protection for dairy farms
This weekly newsletter-style article is designed to keep you connected with important information, meetings and happenings that could affect the shape of your community.
Help with high water bills and possible utility terminations
Virginia Poverty Law Center and Legal Justice Aid Society have announced that they are offering assistance to Petersburg residents who have received water bills that seem abnormally high, or people who could soon have their water shut off.
The City of Petersburg announced in October that it was going to return to water utility shutoffs after state moratoriums against the practice expired in August. Petersburg residents owed about $7.9 million when the announcement was made.
More: Water shutoffs begin in Petersburg. City soon to allocate about $4.2 million in relief funding
Immediate shutoffs are not targeted at residential accounts, but commercial and industrial accounts. A Petersburg spokesperson said they expect residential shutoffs to occur after the city allocates relief funding.
Anyone worried about either of these issues can call the Virginia Poverty Law Center Utility Service Helpline for advice and assistance at (804) 313-9363.
Petersburg also has around $4.2 million in relief funds for people who are behind on their bills. The city is encouraging anyone with past-due payments to contact the city now to set up a payment plan.
Little Creek Kung Fu needs more donations for winter clothing drive
Little Creek Kung Fu says it still needs some items for its winter coat drive. The Wudang Daoist Temple based in Petersburg collects coats, hats, gloves and other items of clothing to distribute to people in need during the year's colder months.
It's list of items is prioritized in the following order:
Men's Coats
Men's Gloves, Hats, Scarves, Socks, and Underwear
Men's Winter Clothing of all kinds
Women and Children's Coats
Women and Children's Winter Clothing and accessories of all kinds
Clothing will be distributed at the Hope Center on Christmas Day from noon to 2 p.m. alongside holiday meals. Donations can be arranged by contacting Little Creek at (804)-420-2604 or emailing lckfva@gmail.com.
Supplemental protection for small and medium-sized dairy farms
The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a signup program worth and extra $580 million in aid to dairy farmers across the country. The expanded Dairy Margin Coverage program will better protect dairy farmers across the country.
This sign-up period enables producers to get coverage through the program for another year, as well as get additional assistance through the new Supplemental DMC.
The supplemental DMC is targeting small and mid-sized dairy operations that have increased production in past years but were unable to retroactively receive payments for that supplemental production. The USDA has also recalculated feed costs, which it says will make the program more reflective of actual dairy producer costs.
The enrollment period is open now and runs through Feb. 18, 2022. Supplemental DMC coverage will require a revision to a producer's 2021 DMC contract. Applications can be made by contacting local USDA Service Centers -
Local Service Centers
Farm Service Agency Office - Phone: (804) 469-311 Ext 2 - Address: 13915 Boydton Plank Rd - Contact: David Holloway, david.holloway@usda.gov
Natural Resources Conservation Service Office - Phone: (804) 469-3311 - Address: 13915 Boydton Plank Rd - Contact: Anthony Howell, anthony.howell@usda.gov
Rural Development - Phone: (757) 653-2532 - Address: 22313 Main Street, Courtland, Va 23837-1026 - Contact: Myron Wooden, myron.wooden@usda.gov
Sussex Service Centers - (434) 246-8541 Ext 2 - Address: 20125 Sussex Dr. Sussex, Va 23884 - Contact: Donald M. Thompson, donald.thompson@usda.gov
You can reach Sean Jones at sjones@progress-index.com. Follow him at @SeanJones_PI. Follow The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: The Brief: Assistance with water billing and shutoffs, winter clothing donations, protection for dairy farms
