The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering new loans to provide economic relief for small businesses across seven Arizona counties facing financial hardships from drought.
Though not for farms themselves, which are covered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the loans primarily target businesses in La Paz or Mohave County that rely on farms for their products and services.
The money comes from the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, which partly seeks to help business owners recover from declared disasters. Last month, the agency announced the program’s funds had been completely exhausted.
The SBA’s Cynthia Cowell cited the impact of hurricanes Milton and Helene.
“To tell you the truth, this is the first time that we’ve had to stop funding loans. It almost happened right after Katrina, but Congress was in session at that point; it wasn’t an election year," Cowell said.
She said once Congress returns and appropriates money for the program, the SBA will be able to disburse funds immediately. The deadline for business owners to apply is July 7, 2025.
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The bill prohibits individuals or businesses from advertising to people under the age of 21, restricts social media and online ads, and bans advertising at airports and other public transit locations.
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Milk from every dairy in Arizona has been tested for avian flu at least once since January, but this week was the first time a test turned up positive.
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As gas prices rise in Arizona, Sen. Ruben Gallego urges the Trump administration to take action and find alternatives to the state's current strategy.
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Human umpires will still be making the original call on balls and strikes. But teams will now be allowed to challenge those calls, with an automated system using multiple cameras making the final determination.
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Joann currently operates around 800 stores across 49 states. The initial list of the roughly 500 locations it's looking to close can be found on the company's restructuring website — and includes Arizona.