[naviga:h3]West Liberty adds new floodplain area[/naviga:h3]

West Liberty council passed the new floodplain ordinance earlier this month, accepting new maps and continued regulations.

Council member Cheryl McMurray, said changing the maps helps maintain low rates for those who use FEMA flood insurance.

The ordinance would adopt the new Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain map, which designates risk areas for insurance purposes. The new map would replace the previous map.

The ordinance allows new building in FEMA-designated areas with the restriction that the building’s first floor must be 18 inches above the estimated elevation of a 100-year flood.

McMurray said the biggest change to the new map is the added designation of Hogue Run’s surrounding area as a floodplain. The area surrounding the borough’s stretch of the Slippery Rock Creek also remains a designated floodplain.

Despite the new increase in floodplain area, she said only a few families have permanent residences in the designated areas, and there are no plans to build more at this time.

[naviga:h3]Butler VA to help homeless vets[/naviga:h3]

The VA Butler Healthcare was awarded nearly $20,000 to help homeless veterans in Clarion County.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) are awarding nearly $500,000 to help 85 homeless veterans in Pennsylvania find a permanent place to call home.

The Clarion County Housing Authority was issued $18,379 to help five veterans.

The rental assistance is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines HUD’s rental assistance with VA case management and clinical services.

Across the Mid-Atlantic region, a total of $2.3 million in HUD-VASH funding has been awarded to Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

In the program, VA Medical Centers assess veterans who are experiencing homelessness before referring them to housing agencies for vouchers. Veterans participating in the program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.

Nationally, more than 87,000 vouchers have been awarded and about 144,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program since 2008.

[naviga:h3]SRU is ‘Green’ for financial health[/naviga:h3]

Slippery Rock University earned green designation by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s financial assessment.

Green indicates that a school requires little or no warning, according to the assessment. The ratings, independently compiled and assessed by the state system, determine a school’s financial risk.

“We’re pleased with the continued progress that we’ve demonstrated for this financial assessment,” said Molly Mercer, SRU associate vice president for finance.

“A positive assessment allows us to be in a strong position to provide the education and other services that our students need and to continue to invest in the campus.”