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Optimum opens new retail store in Plainview
Optimum, a local provider of Internet, mobile, TV and phone services, Thursday announced the opening of a new retail store in Plainview, located at 2301 W 5th St.
The new state-of-the-art retail store offers a modern and interactive in-store experience where customers can explore the complete line of Optimum connectivity offerings, including internet, Smart WiFi 6, mobile, TV and home phone services. Customers who visit the store can also register for service, shop the latest mobile devices and accessories, pay bills, and receive assistance from a retail associate.
“We are thrilled to grow our retail presence in Texas with the opening of our latest store in Plainview,” said Jonah Pollack, Vice President of Retail Sales at Optimum. “Optimum is committed to delivering superior support and service to local Plainview residents, and we look forward to welcoming existing and new customers to our new storefront.”
Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call the store at 866-950-3281.
Koller named City of Amarillo Planning Director
Emily Koller has been named Planning Director for the City of Amarillo (COA).
Koller joined COA in August 2019 as planning manager and was appointed to assistant director in September 2021. She succeeds COA Planning Director Cris Valverde, who is retiring.
“Emily has a proven track record of success during her time here with the City of Amarillo,” said COA Assistant City Manager Andrew Freeman. “Her leadership and experience is a tremendous asset for the city, and we look forward to her serving the public in her new role.”
Koller’s career includes stints as a planner with the City of Tulsa and City of San Marcos. Prior to joining COA, she worked as a planner with the Texas Historical Commission, assisting communities throughout the state focusing on revitalization.
Koller has a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from UT-Austin and is an AICP certified planner with the American Planning Association.
For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.
Texas food banks urge legislators to increase funding for Surplus Ag Grant
The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant today in a virtual day of advocacy.
With the cost of groceries rising, many Texans are turning to food banks for support. The loss of the increased pandemic SNAP benefits (known as “emergency allotments”) in March will lead to even greater need, with all SNAP households experiencing a minimum reduction of $95 a month in SNAP benefits.
“Texans everywhere are struggling with the rising cost of food, and as a result, more Texans are seeking emergency food from food banks,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. “More investment in the Surplus Ag Grant will help food banks meet the growing need in their communities.”
Since 2001, the Surplus Ag Grant has supported a cost-effective strategy to fight hunger in Texas. The program is a partnership between Feeding Texas and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Food banks use funding from the program to obtain fresh produce that is unsellable due to imperfections or market conditions, and 100% of program funds go to farmers and transportation providers to offset the cost of harvesting, storage, packaging, and freight. Farmers are eligible for a tax deduction for their donation.
“In addition to feeding hungry Texans, the funds provided through the Surplus Ag Grant offset losses for Texas growers and mitigate the impact of food waste on the environment,” Cole said. “The program is a win-win-win for Texas.”
Texas economist Ray Perryman estimates that every $1 invested in the Surplus Ag program yields $3.27 in healthcare and education savings for Texas. “Smart policy choices and investments like the Surplus Ag Grant can help prevent hunger for today, while boosting our state’s economic competitiveness and resilience over time,” Cole said.
Farm Service Agency announces disaster designations, programs, relief options
The United States Department of Agriculture has designated 92 Texas counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas. This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans, which can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. This particular disaster declaration pertains to the excessive heat that occurred from May 1 through Sept. 30, 2022. Application deadline is Sept. 13, 2023.
Counties eligible include Armstrong, Carson, Childress, Deaf Smith, Floyd, Gaines, Gray, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Midland, Potter, Randall, Washington and many others. Contiguous counties also eligible include Coleman, Collingsworth, Crosby, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Garza, Hale, Hall, Hartley, Hockley, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Ochiltree, Parker, Parmer, Polk, Swisher and many others. New Mexico counties include Curry, Lea, Quay and Roosevelt, and Oklahoma counties include Beckham, Bryan, Choctaw, Cotton, Ellis, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Love, Marshall, Mills, Roger, Texas and Tillman.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
In addition, enrollment for two new USDA revenue-based programs opened Jan. 23 and closes June 2. The Farm Service Agency is accepting applications for Phase 2 of the Emergency Relief Program and the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program. These programs provide assistance for losses from 2020 and 2021 natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic and equitably fill gaps in earlier assistance, according to a news release.
Producers can apply for both programs during the same office visit. To be eligible, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue for the applicable year when compared to a baseline year. For more information on these and other FSA programs or to make an appointment, find your local office at farmers.gov .
The USDA has also developed a simplified direct loan application to provide improved customer experience for producers applying for loans from FSA. The application enables producers to complete a more streamlined application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages. Producers will also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or prepare a traditional, paper application for submission to their local FSA farm loan office. The paper and electronic versions of the form will be available starting March 1, 2023.
In October 2022, USDA launched the Loan Assistance Tool, an online step-by-step guide that provides materials to help an applicant prepare their farm loan application in one tool. Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. A version compatible with mobile devices is expected to be available by the summer. It does not work in Internet Explorer. To learn more, visit usda.gov.
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