Disaster loan outreach centers open in five counties

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security says disaster loan outreach centers in five counties across Indiana will be open until Aug. 27.

The agency said the centers in Morgan, Brown, Huntington, Jay and Jefferson counties opened Thursday to serve businesses, individuals and not-for-profits affected by storms and floods in June and July.

The centers are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

Small Business Administration disaster loans up to $200,000 are available for homes and up to $40,000 for personal property. Loans up to $200,000 are available to businesses and not-for-profits.

The outreach centers are located at the Brown County Emergency Services Building, the Huntington City-Township Public Library, the Jay County Courthouse, Madison City Hall, and, in Mooresville, Churches in Mission's Hope House.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and others have asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack to make a secretarial disaster declaration for eight additional counties hit by heavy rains and flooding since May 1.

Pence, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Indiana Farm Service Agency Executive Director Julia Wickard sent a letter to Vilsack on Thursday requesting the disaster declaration for Clark, Fulton, Morgan, Owen, Rush, Shelby, White, and Whitley counties.

Vilsack last week issued a disaster declaration for 53 counties, making farmers there eligible for low-interest emergency loans. The Agriculture Department said farmers in 35 other Indiana counties contiguous to the original 53 also were eligible. Those 35 counties include some if not all of the eight covered in the state officials' letter Thursday.