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StarNews
August 8, 2021 Page 21
Did you know you might be eligible funeral assistance if your loved one died due to CoVID-19?
ELLEN & SCOTT
family may choose to plan a memorial service in your loved one’s honor that includes all of your family and friends – something that many families are finding to be a meaningful experience. Those expenses may also be covered. Q: Who is eligible for funeral assistance? JONES-WYNN A: To be eligible for funeral assistance, you FUNERAL HOME must meet these conditions: - death must have occurred in the United The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At States, including the U.S. territories, and the FEMA, our mission is to help people before, District of Columbia. - death certificate must indicate the death during, and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and was attributed to or caused by COVID-19. - applicant must be a U.S. citizen, nonburden caused by the virus. Q. Do you know that you might be eligible citizen national or qualified alien who incurred for assistance if your loved one died due to funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. - there is no requirement for the deceased CoVID-19? A. You and your family may be eligible for a person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen special program from the Federal Emergency national or qualified alien. Q: How do I apply for funeral help from Management Agency (FEMA) that offers funeral assistance to families that have FEMA? A: Applicants should call the agency’s experienced the death of a loved one due to CoVID-19. Financial assistance of up to helpline at 844-684-6333. According to $9,000 could be provided for certain expenses FEMA’s website, no online applications will be that families have incurred as they laid a loved accepted. Applicants must provide the name of one to rest (e.g., funeral and memorial services the deceased person, the date of the funeral and and burial and cremation). It covers eligible documentation of the expenses. Documents expenses for the services you’ve already paid can be uploaded onto a special website or sent by fax or mail, according to the helpline. for when your loved one died. Many funeral homes are making families And, as our community becomes safer, your
aware of the federal program, but funeral directors cannot apply for aid on their behalf. Directors, however, can help provide the documentation of costs and copies of death certificates. Q: What costs does FEMA’s funeral-aid program cover? A: Eligible costs include funeral services, cremation, interment, transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual, transfer of remains, a casket or urn, a burial plot or cremation niche, marker or headstone, clergy or officiant services, arrangement of the funeral ceremony, and cremation or burial costs. Q: What Information do I need to provide to FEMA? A: Please have the following information before contacting FEMA to apply: Your name, social security number, date of birth, mailing address and contact phone numbers. The name, social security number and date of birth for each deceased individual. The location or address where the deceased individual passed away. Documentation and receipts for any assistance already received from other sources, including burial or funeral insurance, donations, voluntary agencies, other government programs or non-profit organizations. If you and another person both incurred
$2.2M BROADBAND from front page session, commissioners discussed the current broadband situation for many of the county’s citizens with one district commissioner describing it as “dire”. “It’s a dire need for those in my district that don’t have other opportunities,” said District 5 Commissioner Ernie Reynolds. Reynolds then addressed Martin who was in attendance at the work session presenting the details of the two grant applications. “And [these funds] provide a very essential opportunity,” said Reynolds. “I want to say thanks for continuing to do what you do to expand broadband.” Martin responded, “The pandemic has just amplified the need.” District 6 Commissioner George Chambers agreed, lamenting over his children’s difficulty in doing schoolwork saying, “In my area, Farmers High is not a ‘hot spot’, it’s slow speed. Some pockets in the county get Charter or whatever, but we don’t have that option. . . . I’m all for getting it here. Thank you!” Discussion stated the obvious, that it wasn’t just schoolwork negatively affected by lack of broadband: those who work from home, agriculture industry, and even those needing immediate access to medical records. Chairman Michelle Morgan stated, “It’s a lot bigger than just schoolwork.” The grants applications are due August 17th, with monies awarded at the end of this year. If approved, Martin said the work can be completed within 24 months. “Fiber can be on the pole in October,” he said. “The good news is that Phase I work is being done now.” The backstory to the life changing broadband deployment efforts by SyncGlobal and Carroll EMC began with the June 2020 announcement of USDA/RUS grant money awarded for this region. The official partnership to deploy fiber optic networks and broadband speed internet (up to 1Gbps) in the cooperative’s rural service territory was announced Thursday, June 25, 2020 at a kickoff celebration with Secretary of Agriculture, Sony Perdue, Governor Brian Kemp, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, and, of
designated ‘Broadband Provider’ and will be historic development for Carroll County, solely responsible for designing, constructing, Chairman Michelle Morgan said, “I am very maintaining, and operating excited to be a part of District 4 Commissioner the Fiber Network funded five counties that get by the applicable grant along together and have a Steve Fuller said, “Bringing awards. common goal that’s very “For purposes of the broadband to the rural areas of hard to find this day and NTIA Grant, the County Carroll County is comparable age right now that will agrees to commit to making to the electrification program enhance our quality of a match contribution of that REA did in the 1930s and life.” cash compensation the District 3 40s. Electrification changed lesser of ten percent (10%) Commissioner Tommy of the amount of the grant Lee said, “I feel the lives people living in the requested by the County as country. This project will allow broadband is much a subrecipient under the needed and is a great students and employees Covered Partnership or service, I just worry access to their schools and $2,200,000.00. about giving 2.2 million “SyncGlobal, and not the jobs that is not now available.” dollars away when there County, shall have the are departments within provider-customer the county that need relationship with all end-user customers. items as well, but I do know this is a service “SyncGlobal shall have exclusive the community will benefit from.” responsibility for all marketing, invoicing, District 4 Commissioner Steve Fuller said billing, and collection activities relating to “Bringing broadband to the rural areas of Fiber Network customers. Carroll County is comparable to the “The County will coordinate with electrification program that REA did in the SyncGlobal and take reasonable measures to 1930s and 40s. Electrification changed the authorize the use of County controlled rights- lives people living in the country. This project of-way for grant funded Fiber Network will allow students and employees access to facilities to the extent allowed by applicable their schools and jobs that is not now federal and State law. available.” “SyncGlobal will complete those portions of District 5 Commissioner Ernie Reynolds the Fiber Network within the County funded said, “It will bring much needed internet by a grant within the time period specified by capability to students, teachers, agricultural the grant documents producers, and other constituents throughout “SyncGlobal agrees that it will not assign the my district. I feel investing 10 cents on the public private partnership agreement or sell or dollar is a good investment for the county and I dispose of the Fiber Network facilities funded look forward to hundreds of households by a grant award that both Parties participated benefitting from it throughout my District 5.” in for the life of such facilities, without the Editor’s note: Although the county prior written consent of the County. government has an agreement with Gradick “It is agreed and understood that Communications (local radio) to livestream SyncGlobal will own all of the NTIA Grant or (and post) the county’s meetings, work OPB Grant funded network facilities, and be sessions, special called meetings, etc., Gradick responsible for all Georgia Public Service Communictions did not do so for this meeting, Commission and Federal Communications therefore this public meeting is not available. Commission reporting and remitting Other past Carroll County Commission responsibilities. meetings, etc. are available at youtube.com At Tuesday’s meeting, commenting on this Carroll County.
McBRAYER
course, SyncGlobal’s Williams and Carroll EMC’s Martin. SyncGlobal received $12.5 million in grant funds from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Broadband ReConnect Program. Coupled with matching funds between SyncGlobal and Carroll EMC, the initial capital investment amounted to almost $20 million for Phase I. These funds started the extensive process of hanging fiber on the poles along Carroll EMC’s infrastructure. The project goes back further than that to 2015 when the Carroll EMC Board of Directors tasked Martin with finding a way to get broadband to the cooperative’s members and into rural western Georgia. The project identified an initial footprint spanning across most of Heard County and southern Carroll County and followed scattered infrastructure into northern Troup County and across the Georgia state line into eastern Alabama. This newest commitment will help provide for an additional 2400 households in other identified needed areas, while also laying groundwork for 5000 more households, although another grant would be needed to finish those connections. Specifically, and importantly, the agreement states: “Each County’s matching contribution will only be applied to address costs of the fiber network within their respective County.’ Officially, the $2.2M commitment is between Carroll County as a political subdivision of Georgia and Dovetel Communications, LLC, doing business as SyncGlobal Telecom, Bremen, Georgia. During the work session, District 2 Commissioner Clint Chance asked if the Carroll County Board of Education had been approached to also help match funds. Martin pointed out that this grant must be made with a political entity and that the Carroll County school board was not, therefore did not qualify to do so. At the end of the commission discussion, Chairman Morgan tasked Chance with checking with the school board about perhaps making a contribution separately. Specifics about the grant include that: “SyncGlobal will be the County’s
funeral expenses for the same deceased individual(s), you can also provide that person as a co-applicant, include their name, social security number and date of birth on the application. The FEMA website has complete information about eligibility requirements, the documentation you will be required to provide as part of your application (e.g., a copy of your loved one’s death certificate and proof of funeral expenses incurred), and how to start the application process. Visit: www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economi c/funeral-assistance. If there is anything we can do to assist you with the application process, such as ordering copies of a death certificate or providing copies of receipts or contracts showing the expenses you incurred, please call us at 770-459-3694 or 770-942-2311 or visit jones-wynn.com Scott & Ellen Wynn McBrayer Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory Meadowbrook Memory Gardens “A Family Serving Families® ...Since 1950” 770-459-3694 - 770-942-2311 www.jones-wynn.com www.facebook.com/MeadowbrookMemoryG ardens /www.facebook.com/WynnMcBrayer caringbridge.org/visit/mcbrayer
