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Briefs…

Photo submitted to Times Observer Rouse Home resident Everett Cooper had a wish to see a cow up close again. He was a dairy farmer for many years. A nurse at the Rouse had a friend, Toni Gilkinson Gates, who was more than happy to surprise “Coopy” with a visit from her cattle. He really loves cows. One time Coopy even took a bull to WGH that needed an x-ray. It was so exciting for Rouse staff and Hospice to make this resident’s wish a reality.

Trunk or Treat

Holy Redeemer will host a Sensory-Friendly Trunk or Treat from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. This is a free event, but donations will be accepted to help fund the Lacy Park multi-sensory, handicap-accessible, all-inclusive playground project.

Snacks will be provided.

Warren County’s Got Talent

The Women’s Care Center of Warren presents Warren County’s Got Talent at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Warren Area High School Auditorium. The talent contest will provide a $500 first-place prize, $250 to second, and $100 to third.

Photo submitted for publication The 7th Annual Lander Volunteer Fire Department Sportsman’s Bash will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Chase Auction House, 5555 Rt. 957, Russell. In addition to a variety of firearms, other items up for raffle include this quilt, a kayak, a gun safe, and a chainsaw. The donation cost is $20. Doors will open at 3 p.m. with drawings to start at 4 p.m. For tickets call Linda @ 730-2283

A $5 donation for guests at the door will benefit the Women’s Care Center.

For more information, or to register, call (814) 723-4357, or visit the Facebook page @WCCWarrenPa.

Make-A-Wish volunteers

Children who are living with critical illnesses need the power of a wish. Make-A-Wish needs local residents to make it happen by volunteering their time and compassion to assist with fulfilling wishes.

To become a wish volunteer, individuals must be at least 21 years of age, pass a criminal background check and attend a one-time, in-person training session. Make-A-Wish is currently looking for new volunteers Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.

Photo submitted to Times Observer Ruth Nelson and Lynn Waterfield from the worship committee are shown looking over recipes in preparation for a spaghetti dinner to be held at First United Methodist Church, 200 Market Street, on Friday, Sept. 20, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Menu includes salad bar, spaghetti and meatballs, and dessert. Cost is donation and all proceeds benefit the Carillon Restoration Fund.

The next training session will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Radius CoWork, located at 1001 State St., Suite 907, Erie, Pa., from 8:15 to11:30 a.m.

As members of “wish teams,” volunteers are the faces of Make-A-Wish in their local communities. Working together, the “wish team” is assigned to a child in their area, meets one-on-one with the family and aids in determining the most suitable wish for the child.

Those interested should register as soon as possible to complete the volunteer application process in order to enroll and guarantee a spot at the training. Online registration closes on Monday, Oct. 14. To register, visit wish-volunteer-training-erie.eventbrite.com.

For those who are interested in becoming a volunteer but can’t make this training session due to distance or unavailability, still sign up online. There is an option that says “unable to attend but interested.” Make-A-Wish is always accepting applications and on-boarding prospective volunteers in preparation of future training sessions.

For more information, contact Regional Assistant Andrea Galleur-Waldo at (814) 868-9474 or awaldo@greaterpawv.wish.org.

Youth Connection performing

Members of Youth Connection will perform a tribute to Elton John before both showings of the feature film, Rocketman, this Wednesday and Friday at Struthers Library Theatre. The Youth Connection event is free. Screenings of Rocketman are not.

Starting at 6:30 p.m., the Cabaret will feature performances by Logan Johnson, Elizabeth Koebley, Hunter Peterson, John Wortman, Jared Bupp, Andrew Stalder, and Caitlin Webster. You can expect to hear songs such as Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Your Song, I’m Still Standing, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, and Hakuna Matata, to name a few.

USDA farmers’ assistance

Agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019 can apply through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+). Sign-up for this U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program began Sept. 11.

“There is no doubt that extreme weather has greatly impacted Pennsylvania’s agricultural producers over the last several years, and 2019 is no exception,” said Gary H. Groves, executive director for Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Pennsylvania. “With record amounts of crops prevented from planting nationwide and other devastation, more than $3 billion is available through this disaster relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in early June.”

WHIP+ will be available for eligible producers who have suffered eligible losses of certain crops, trees, bushes or vines in counties with a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or a Secretarial Disaster Designation (primary counties only). Disaster losses must have been a result of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms or wildfires that occurred in 2018 or 2019. Also, producers in counties that did not receive a disaster declaration or designation may still apply for WHIP+, but must provide supporting documentation to establish that the crops were directly affected by a qualifying disaster loss.

A list of counties that received qualifying disaster declarations and designations is available at farmers.gov/recover/whip-plus.

Because grazing and livestock losses, other than milk losses, are covered by other disaster recovery programs offered through FSA, those losses are not eligible for WHIP+.

Eligible crops include those for which federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage is available, excluding crops intended for grazing. A list of crops covered by crop insurance is available through USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) Actuarial Information Browser at webapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/actuarialinformationbrowser.

The WHIP+ payment factor ranges from 75 percent to 95 percent, depending on the level of crop insurance coverage or NAP coverage that a producer obtained for the crop. Producers who did not insure their crops in 2018 or 2019 will receive 70 percent of the expected value of the crop. Insured crops (either crop insurance or NAP coverage) will receive between 75 percent and 95 percent of expected value; those who purchased the highest levels of coverage will receive 95-percent of the expected value.

At the time of sign-up, producers will be asked to provide verifiable and reliable production records. If a producer is unable to provide production records, WHIP+ payments will be determined based on the lower of either the actual loss certified by the producer and determined acceptable by FSA or the county expected yield and county disaster yield. The county disaster yield is the production that a producer would have been expected to make based on the eligible disaster conditions in the county.

WHIP+ payments for 2018 disasters will be eligible for 100 percent of their calculated value. WHIP+ payments for 2019 disasters will be limited to an initial 50 percent of their calculated value, with an opportunity to receive up to the remaining 50 percent after January 1, 2020, if sufficient funding remains.

Both insured and uninsured producers are eligible to apply for WHIP+. But all producers receiving WHIP+ payments will be required to purchase crop insurance or NAP, at the 60 percent coverage level or higher, for the next two available, consecutive crop years after the crop year for which WHIP+ payments were paid. Producers who fail to purchase crop insurance for the next two applicable, consecutive years will be required to pay back the WHIP+ payment.

Additional information about WHIP+ program eligibility and payment limitations can be found at farmers.gov/recover or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.

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