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ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- Southern Utah flood victims will be eligible for assistance from the federal Small Business Association, after all.
The SBA initially said there wasn't enough damage in Kane or Washington counties for victims to qualify for low-interest loans.
But the agency announced Thursday that victims in those two Utah counties are now eligible for the loan because Mohave County, Ariz., received the agency's disaster declaration Wednesday.
Under the SBA's contiguous county policy, flood victims in Kane and Washington counties are now eligible for the same loans.
"We are delighted that the federal government is again stepping up with additional resources in the critically important task of rebuilding lives that were devastated during the recently floods," Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said in a prepared statement.
The disaster declaration makes low-interest loans available to homeowners, renters, business and private, nonprofit organizations whose property was damaged or destroyed by storms between Dec. 28 and Jan. 12.
The SBA will open a field office March 7-31 in St. George to assist flood victims in obtaining the low-interest loans.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
