WASHINGTONÂ â On Capitol Hill, they re called Christmas trees, but these end-of-year, rush-out-the-door spending bills that Congress crafts would be better labeled Santa s bags of toys, as they are chock full of gifts for states both blue and red.
The $1.4 trillion bill that Congress rushed to passage this week should make this an especially Merry Christmas for anyone concerned with the Great Lakes or the goal of one day being able to go to Canada again.
The bill funds federal government operations through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2021, and it includes items that will benefit the Great Lakes, as well as a measure that could eventually make cross-border travel easier.
Tips for saving on your energy bills
MGN online
and last updated 2020-12-23 10:04:48-05
The weather outside may be frightful, but your energy bill does not have to be.
Instead of cranking up the thermostat during the cold weather months, Entergy offers information on free or low-cost steps to make your home more energy efficient to help save money on your utility bills.
With many customers still working or taking on other activities from home due to the pandemic, managing and conserving your energy usage is more important than ever, Entergy says.
Remember, heating and air conditioning can account for more than 50% of a homeâs energy usage. Setting the thermostat to 68 degrees during the winter months is an easy way to reduce your energy usage. Every degree above 68 degrees can increase your bill by about 3%. So, if you crank it up to 78 degrees, for example, you could add 30% to your bill.
Mon, 12/21/2020 - 3:57pm tim
Statement of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) On the FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriation Bills and COVID Relief Package
December 21, 2020
After months of delay and painstaking negotiation, this afternoon we will have before us a spending package that includes all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, and a vitally important COVID relief package. It provides funding for programs that are critically important to the American people, and I urge its swift passage. We are already 2 months and 20 days into the fiscal year. We cannot delay further.
As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to reach agreement on this omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year, without relying on a long-term continuing resolution. This was no easy task.
Oklahoma Department of Human Services will begin taking applications for Winter Heating Assistance The Oklahoma Department of Human Services will begin taking applications for heating utility assistance on Tuesday, Dec 22. By Tiffany Bechtel | December 17, 2020 at 9:15 PM CST - Updated December 17 at 9:15 PM
DUNCAN, Okla. (TNN) - The Oklahoma Department of Human Services will begin taking applications for heating utility assistance on Tuesday, Dec 22.
For those struggling to heat their homes this winter, this is an opportunity to receive some relief from OKDHS and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Households who are already receiving public assistance may have been preauthorized for this assistance and will not need to apply. Those falling into this category have already been notified by letter.
City and Minnesota Power officials are urging people to seek help as debts mount. Written By: Peter Passi | ×
Forum News Service file photo
When it comes to the financial toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on Northland residents, the numbers speak for themselves.
About 3,000 customers of Comfort Systems, a division of Duluth s public works and utilities department, recently received notices for unpaid utility bills. That s more than triple the 922 delinquency notices sent out to Duluth residents in December 2019.
Collectively, Comfort Systems customers are more than $1.9 million in arrears.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Power reports that about 14,000 of its Northland household customers bills are now past due. That represents about 13% of the utility s residential customer base, said Tina Koecher, manager of customer experience operations for the Duluth-based utility company. She said the local difficulties paying utility bills fit within a national trend.