Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

For those affected by the Easter Sunday tornadoes on Sunday, April 12, the Monroe City Council and I are happy to announce another source of relief. The Small Business Administration recently approved a disaster declaration for Ouachita Parish. SBA provides low-interest, long-term disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster damaged property. They also offer Economic Injury Disaster Loans for businesses that may or may not have sustained any physical damage, but who have difficulty meeting their routine obligations because of the disaster.

The filing deadline to return applications for property damage is July 13, 2020. The deadline for businesses who suffered economic damage to return economic injury applications is Feb. 16, 2021. SBA recommends that residents and businesses first file their insurance claims. They should not wait for your insurance to settle before applying for SBA assistance. SBA may be able to get their money to them sooner than their insurance, and they will work with insurance companies to make certain that no double-payments occur.

Homeowners, renters, businesses and private, non-profit organizations may apply online at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. The SBA has set up a Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Center. SBA Customer Service Representatives are available by phone at 916-735-1500 or by email at [email protected]. The hours are 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT, Monday through Friday. For further information, visit SBA’s website at http://www.sba.gov/disaster.

Next week will be week number three for the free mobile coronavirus testing in Ouachita Parish. You must be 18-years of age or older, and a Louisiana resident with a valid ID. You do not have to be sick or have symptoms. Testing is being conducted Monday thru Friday from 8 am until 11am (or until supplies run out). Medical officials will administer 50 free tests per location each day.

Testing locations for June 1 thru June 5 are: Monday (6/01) at Emily P. Robinson Community Center, 3504 Jackson Street; Tuesday (6/02) at West Monroe Rec Center, 1802 North 7th Street; Wednesday (6/03) at Shady Grove Elementary School, 2204 Ticheli Road; Thursday (6/04) at Forsythe Park, 2300 Sycamore Street; and, Friday (5/29) at West Monroe Rec Center, 1802 North 7th Street.

You can also get this information by calling 2-1-1 OR by texting NELAFRIENDS to 898-211. We still need to follow CDC recommendations to help stop the spread of this disease. That means wearing a mask or face covering in public, washing our hands and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Monroe is One City, with One Future. We are ALL in this together!