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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Ohio Winter Crisis Program Kicking into Gear

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Friday, October 31, 2014   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Temperatures are expected to dip today and while many Ohioans are running to their thermostat, others cannot afford to turn on their heat. Just in time for the cold weather, Ohio's Winter Crisis Program starts Nov. 3 to help qualified, low-income residents with winter heating costs. Regina Clemons, director of emergency assistance with IMPACT Community Action in Columbus, says the program is there to make sure Ohioans are warm and safe when the times get tough.

"Sometimes you just have that little hiccup in life," says Clemons. "You may have car repairs or something that sets you behind for that one month, and you have to pay your heating costs because you need your heat during the winter time. So, we're there to help."

IMPACT is holding a kick-off event Saturday to help those who are qualified to apply for assistance. The program provides a one-time payment of up to $175 to put toward a heating bill for eligible households that are disconnected, threatened with a disconnect, or have less than a 10-day supply of bulk fuel. The program runs through March 31, 2015.

Eligible households must have an annual income at or below 175 percent of federal poverty guidelines, which is just over $41,000 for a family of four. It's estimated nearly 150,000 households were assisted by the Winter Crisis Program last year, some who Clemons says never needed the help before.

"Right now with the economy, with the job market, you have a new face to poverty," says Clemons. "These new faces, a lot of them were not aware that these services existed, or this help existed."

The Winter Crisis Program is administered through community action agencies and other local nonprofits, which can also help households experiencing financial difficulty sign up for the PIPP Plus Program. Clemons says that option allows utility customers to make affordable monthly energy payments on a year-round basis.


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