Local activists join nationwide '50501' protest movement

KUAR | By Nathan Treece

Local activists filled the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol at noon Wednesday protesting actions taken by the Trump administration within its first three weeks.

Cynthia Coen is a native Arkansan who returned home to care for her mother. Like many others there, she said it was hard to pin down just one issue that brought her out to make her voice heard.

"It's so difficult to list everything, to list everything that's happening," said Coen. "Back to wasting water in California, over 90 million gallons of water that just went into nowhere, to defying the FEMA organization. This whole DEI situation, it’s insane.”

Local activists join nationwide '50501' protest movement

Carlos Bonilla/Little Rock Public Radio

Activists line the steps to the Arkansas Capitol grounds for the '50501' protests

Governor Hutchinson tours tornado-ravaged Trumann

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

State officials hope to have preliminary tornado damage estimates in Northeast Arkansas done by Friday (Dec. 17) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Gov. Asa Hutchinson toured hard-hit Trumann on Thursday (Dec. 16) and said the uninsured damage levels have to reach at least $5 million for FEMA aid to kick in.

To receive a federal disaster declaration which would prompt FEMA aid, the damage has to be uninsured losses that in totality reach that threshold. The governor said he thinks it will be met and he expects many of the homes in the region to be declared total losses.

Hutchinson has spoken with President Joe Biden and the president told him the federal government will move swiftly to provide public and private aid if the threshold is reached.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/12/gov-hutchinson-tours-tornado-ravaged-trumann/

FEMA Offers COVID-19 Funeral Cost Reimbursements

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced April 12th, it is offering financial assistance to families and individuals burdened by funeral expenses incurred for loved ones who’ve died due to COVID-19. Darriel Ezell, investigator and inspector for the Arkansas Insurance Department's Funeral Service Division provides application guidance.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/fema-offers-covid-19-funeral-cost-reimbursements

ADRIANNA GEO / UNSPLASH