2 | The Lovell Chronicle | August 2, 2018
Library foundation seeking
FSA office seeking federal disaster declaration
BY DAVID PECK
In the wake of the mas-
sive hailstorm that raked
northern Big Horn Coun-
ty last Thursday night, the
Big Horn County Farm Ser-
vice Agency office in Grey-
bull is collecting loss data
from area agriculture pro-
ducers as part of a process
to see of the county can
qualify for a federal disaster
declaration.
County Executive Di-
rector Brenda Miller is in
the process of determin-
ing if there was at least a 30
percent loss of any one crop
county wide, and if, so she
will be requesting a secre-
tarial disaster declaration.
If the county does get this
declaration, producers will
be eligible for emergency
loans and some possible tax
relief, Miller said in a Mon-
day press release.
In order for the FSA
to collect this data Mill-
er is asking all farmers and
ranchers who have crop in-
surance to contact their
crop insurance agent to re-
port any of their crop losses
to see if they will qualify for
damage assistance.
“If you did not cover
your crops or typically deal
with insurance or the FSA it
is still important that your
loss is reported, and this
can be done by calling your
local FSA office and report-
ing your loss and acreage,”
Miller said.
Contact the Big Horn
County FSA office at 307-
765-2689 Ext 2.
Several agencies joined
forces to discuss the hail-
storm during a Saturday
morning meeting at Lovell
Town Hall. Those attending
either in person or via tele-
conference included Town
of Lovell officials, the Wy-
oming Office of Homeland
Security, FSA representa-
tives, Governor Matt Mead’s
office, county commission-
ers John Hyde and Felix
Carrizales, legislators Rep.
Flitner, R-Shell, Rep. Mike
Greear, R-Worland and Sen.
Wyatt Agar, R-Thermopolis,
Big Horn County Emergen-
cy Management Coordina-
tor LaRae Dobbs, the Wy-
oming Dept. of Agriculture
and the Wyoming Business
Council.
Moderator Guy Cam-
eron, Director of the Wy-
oming Office of Homeland
Security, called the Satur-
day meeting a “situation-
al awareness” meeting fo-
cused on the impact to
agriculture in the north Big
St. John’s
Lutheran Church
5th & Montana, 307-548-7127
Rev. Christopher Brandt
9 AM
Worship Service
10:15 AM
Bible Study
Visitors Welcome!
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
HELD
OVER
A Potato
different. Don’t be a potato.
input on how to spend
ed that the federal process
can be complex and asked endowment earnings
if FSA has a fact sheet on BY NATHAN OSTER So far the library foun-
the various programs avail- The Big Horn County dation has used earnings
able. Van Mark said infor- Library Foundation is seek- from the endowment to
mation can be found on the ing public input on how it enhance its selection of au-
usda.gov FSA website. should spend the earn- dio books on CD and pay
Hyde said the Big ings from its endowment for the OverDrive program,
Horn County Commission- fund and has hired an in- which allows library users
ers would be happy to send dependent consulting firm to check out books in elec-
the letter of request for the to assist with its strategic tronic form online for use
disaster declaration, but planning. on their Kindles, Nooks and
Van Mark said, “Really, no Stu Wilson and Melis- iPads. Money from the en-
request needs to be made sa Brechon from Library dowment was also used to
because we’re working on it Strategies Consulting, purchase a park bench and
right now.” She added that based in St. Paul, Minn., other exterior improve-
the declaration “is not a are scheduled to be in Big ments for the library in
magic wand” but urged all Horn County Monday, Aug. Lovell.
producers with any damage 13 and Tuesday, Aug. 14 to “What’s crucial here
to contact an FSA office. meet with elected officials, is, the requests from the
Miller said it would community leaders and li- libraries and the library
take some time to deter- brary staff and patrons. board have not approached
mine whether damage Community residents the funds that we have
acreage will qualify for the are invited to share their available to spend,” said
county for the disaster dec- thoughts with the consul- Koller. “We believe the pur-
laration and that will also tants during an 11 a.m. ses- pose is to continually en-
help determine whether a sion Tuesday, Aug. 14 at the hance the libraries and
given crop can bounce back Greybull Public Library. that nothing is gained by
somewhat, noting sugar John Koller, who serves sitting on the investment
beets in particular. as the treasurer of the earnings.”
Van Mark said she will foundation, said the con- The consultants will
ride herd on the feder- sultants will help the board use the “divide and con-
al office to make sure Wy- decide how to spend the quer” approach to tacking
oming’s data is processed earnings it receives from the task.
and that the issue gets at- money generated from the Wilson is scheduled
tention in Washington. Wyoming Library Endow- to visit with county com-
“We’ll ride ‘em hard and ment Challenge. missioners, library board
make sure it gets sent up Established in 2008 by members and foundation
the pike,” she said. “Some- the Wyoming Legislature, members while Brechon
one needs to babysit this the program initially re- will spend her time visiting
courtesy photo thing, and we’ll also be quired counties to secure the main library branch-
Thursday night’s hailstorm devastated crops in its talking to our (congressio- $10,000, after which they es and talking with the di-
destructive path. Farm Service Agency personnel and nal) delegation. Generally, a would be entitled to 3-to-1 rector and library staff
crop insurance agents are among those assessing the call from a senator or rep- matching funds. The chal- members.
damage. resentative will shake stuff lenge for Big Horn County Koller said he expects
loose. But let us work on it was to raise $100,000, all of to receive a written re-
Horn County area. amount of damage,” Van from our end first.” which would be eligible for port from the consultants,
Wyoming State FSA Ex- Mark said, adding that the Big Horn County EMC the match. which includes their rec-
ecutive Director Lois Van key to the declaration is Dobbs urged Miller to also Despite the down- ommendations, within two
Mark led much of the dis- a 30 percent loss of any work with local agrono- turn in the economy, the months of their visit.
cussion Saturday and said crop in Big Horn County. mists, who have been out communities pulled to- Like all other things, li-
FSA and Natural Resources If the 30 percent thresh- in the field meeting with gether and raised “rough- braries have had to adapt
Conservation Service per- old cannot be met, the FSA farmers. ly” $170,000. The state’s to changes in technology.
sonnel toured the area Fri- has other programs to as- As the main meeting match brought in another Koller said he will be in-
day to determine the path sist producers, she said, concluded, Dobbs noted $510,000, along with a bo- terested to hear what the
of the storm and said FSA is but added that the 30 per- that the 30 percent thresh- nus of $100,000 for meet- consultants have to say. He
aware of the financial stress cent is “the easiest” to get old for the entire county ing the original goal. said his sense is that audio
already affecting local pro- through the system. could be difficult to meet, The foundation re- books and books in elec-
ducers from the Western She said the emergency but Chief of Police Dan Laf- ceived its first earnings tronic form have grown in
Sugar Cooperative missing loans “wouldn’t in any way fin noted that his family’s from that endowment in popularity, as has public
or being late on payments make folks whole, but they vineyard on the Cannery 2016, a second distribution use of the libraries’ com-
to beet farmers. can help.” Road suffered a 70 percent in 2017 and is in line to re- puters, and that while
She said the FSA is Van Mark said pro- loss and is the only vine- ceive another $40,000 or fewer people seem to be
working to obtain a secre- ducers should first con- yard in the county. Offi- so this year. It hasn’t come checking out hard copies of
tarial disaster declaration tact their crop insurance cials urged him to report close to spending that books, those written by re-
for Big Horn County, which agent, if they have insur- the loss. money, Koller said. gional authors like C.J. Box
she said could actually be ance, then contact an FSA Dobbs also noted that “The purpose of the and Craig Johnson contin-
requested by local offi- office in Greybull, Powell or her “roadside analysis” was consultants is to help us ue to fly off the county li-
cials, the Governor’s office Worland. She asked farm- that a minimum of 80 per- assess the current state brary shelves.
or even a local farmer. She ers to “help us collect in- cent of homes in the Lovell of our libraries, to fore- For those wishing to
said FSA is already in the formation on the damage,” area were damaged by the cast the future of our li- provide input directly to
process of collecting data adding, “We have 90 days storm. braries and to provide us the Foundation, its board
and noted that all data must to put this thing together.” Laffin warned citizens with options for appropri- consists of Carolyn Wal-
be turned in to the FSA of- She said Miller will for- to not react to any compa- ately spending the money. ton, who is the chair-
fice within 90 days of the ward data to her office, and nies contacting them that We need to make clear, the man, Judy Morris, Mary
storm event. she will send it on to Wash- they don’t already know. purpose of the endowment Flitner, John and Betty
“Our staff is trying to ington, D.C. “If you haven’t reached was to supplement the li- Koller, Sandy Menke, Bar-
define the borders of the Gov. Matt Mead’s chief out, don’t deal with them,” brary budgets, not to re- bie Murdoch, Sandy Mc-
event and calculate the of staff, Kari Gray, not- he said. place any part of the library Fadden, Jennifer Miller and
budget.” Annie Mueller.
St. Joseph’s The
Serving Northern
Big Horn County The Lovell The Bible
Church
96
United Assembly
Catholic Church Methodist
of God Church
God
Church
1141 Shoshone Ave. • Lovell, WY Sunday
Church
Rosary Sunday - 10:30 AM
Sacrifice of the Mass
years
at the corner of
of 310 Idaho Ave., Lovell
Worship Service 9 AM
Sunday School 10:30 AM
1st & 3rd Weeks 6 PM
Sunday – 11 am Park & Shoshone, Lovell SERVICES
Wednesday
Services
Daily Mass & Confessions 307-548-7478
Sunday, 1-3p m Sunday School -- 9:45 a m
Prayer 6 PM
Check monthly calendar on at Assembly of God Church Morning Worship -- 10:50 a m
Reverend Sunday Night -- 6:30 p m
www.StJosephLovell.com
Melinda Penry
310 Idaho Ave., Lovell
Wed. Bible Study -- 7 p m Rev. Kurt McNabb
Fr. Glen Szczechowski Pastor Gerald Cox 307-548-7390
Rev. Dan Jarvis 56 E. Main St., Lovell
For weekly schedule
call 548-2282
Sunday: 11 AM 970-629-2085 548-7105
For special prayer requests call Pastor Cox. www.lovellbiblechurchwy.net
548-7390
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along
with some familiar allies, race against
time after a mission gone wrong.
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