Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2018 UCW 23 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Hope Mills News & Views John Mills, FEMA representative Clint Narramore FEMA extends deadline for hurricane help by EARL VAUGHAN JR. SwampDogs offering holiday kickball by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Residents of the Hope Mills area who suffered long- term damage as a result of both Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Matthew have been granted additional time to get assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Following a request from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, FEMA extended the deadline to apply for assistance in Cumberland County to Thursday, Dec. 13. "The deadline is usu- ally 60 days,'' said John Mills, a representative with FEMA in Washington, D.C. "That's just the initial registration. People can stay in touch to get assistance after the deadline.'' Mills said those who qualify for basic FEMA assis- tance include anyone who suffered serious hur- ricane damage from either storm to their primary residence and those who have damage or other needs not specifically covered by insurance. "FEMA by law cannot duplicate insurance pay- ments,'' Mills said. Mills was in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg area just before the storms arrived. He noted there was a lot of flooding locally. According to the most recent statistics provided by FEMA, $869 million in disaster aid has been paid to the state of North Carolina. Cumberland County is one of 34 North Carolina counties des- ignated to receive financial relief from the federal government. The county has received $13.8 million in state and federal funds, with $4.2 million going to 1,700 homeowners and renters. There have been 180 flood insurance claims filed with $3.3 million in claims paid. As of Nov. 13, more than $6.3 million in U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans have been approved for 280 homeowners and 20 businesses. FEMA has a disaster recovery center open six days a week in the Social Services Building at 1225 Ramsey St. in Fayetteville. Mills said the center will remain open based on community need. So far it has had 3,000 visits, and will likely remain open until around the time the deadline for registering on Dec. 13 approaches. Mills said those in need of financial help can contact both FEMA and the Small Business Administration at the center. "In a big disaster like this, the (Small Business Administration) makes disaster loans to homeown- ers and renters, not just businesses,'' Mills said. "The FEMA money is grants and flood insurance payments. SBA does loans, FEMA doesn't.'' FEMA provides you with a grant for tempo- rary rental assistance if your primary residence was made uninhabitable by the hurricane. Homeowners may also be able to get money from FEMA for basic home repairs or to help survivors replace personal property that was destroyed. In some cases, FEMA coordinates with chari- table, nonprofit and faith-based organizations that are working with people in the affected areas. "In some cases, people will receive money from FEMA,'' Mills said. "Some people may receive money and assistance from a charitable organization. "You've seen a lot of what's been going on, neighbors helping each other out, church groups doing good work. This is an excellent opportunity for young people that want to volunteer with local organizations to give of their time to help folks who are still struggling.'' To reach FEMA directly, Mills said the best num- ber to call is 800-621-3362. There is also informa- tion on the internet at DisasterAssistance.gov. The World Series is coming to the Fayetteville SwampDogs J.P. Riddle Stadium. It's not the fall clas- sic of Major League Baseball fame, but there will be a tro- phy and prizes as the SwampDogs host the inaguaral 2018 Kickball World Series starting at 9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 15. Clint Narramore, the new assistant general manager and play- by-play voice for the SwampDogs, said the tournament is part of a pro- motion on the part of the SwampDogs to offer fam- ily fun opportunities the whole year round, not just during baseball season. An entry fee of $25 will get your team entered into the tournament, with an entry deadline of this Saturday, Dec. 1, two weeks prior to the tournament. The rules on how people can put their team together are flexible, Narramore said. He is look- ing for a minimum of nine players per team with a maximum of 12. Standard kickball rules will apply, and the field will be laid out on the infield at Riddle Stadium. The format will be single-elimination, bracket- style play. Each game will last five innings with a 50-minute time limit. The tournament will conclude at 5 p.m. Teams can be com- posed of players of mixed ages, Narramore said, meaning they can include both children and adults. "We want the kids to be able to partici- pate, too, and we want to make sure we can include everyone in the family,'' he said. In addition to pre- senting a trophy to the winning team, the prizes will include gift cards from various local businesses. To enter or to find out more information about the tournament, call 910-426-5900 or come by the SwampDogs office prior to the entry deadline. Information is also available on the Facebook page, Fayetteville SwampDogs 2018 Kickball World Series. NEWS