Disaster aid OKd for area

After approval of 11 more Nebraska counties for disaster aid Thursday, most Southwest Nebraska counties are eligible for such aid.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approval brings to 37 the total number of counties in the state receiving a primary designation.

The counties approved for the primary designation were Blaine, Buffalo, Cherry, Dawes, Furnas, Gosper, Grant, Hooker, Phelps, Sheridan and Thomas counties.

All but Cherry and Dawes counties were already covered in earlier designations because they were next to the 26 counties previously named primary disaster areas.

Gov. Mike Johanns earlier this month asked the federal government to declare the entire state of Nebraska a disaster area because of the worsening drought.

The primary designation makes qualified ag producers in those and adjacent counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

The aid will assist those producers who suffered loss from the cold spring and summer heat, drought and grasshopper infestation.

The adjacent counties covered in Thursday's declaration include: Adams, Arthur, Box Butte, Brown, Custer, Dawson, Franklin, Frontier, Garden, Hall, Harlan, Howard, Kearney, Keya Paha, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Morrill, Red Willow, Sherman and Sioux.

Producers in all but Brown, Hall, Howard and Keya Paha counties were covered in previous designations.