WEST, Texas (AP) _ Officials in the central Texas town devastated by a fertilizer plant explosion earlier this year finally are moving forward with
distribution of money collected from private donations.
John Crowder of the West, Texas, Long-Term Recovery Center says as many as 20 families could see checks next week from the $3.6 million in donations contributed after the April blast that killed 15 people and injured 200 others.
Mayor Tommy Muska tells Dallas TV station WFAA (http://bit.ly/GB9lbw ) he’s heard complaints from residents about the slow pace of distribution but says legal and logistical hurdles had to be overcome until and after the center received tax-exempt status.
He also says federal regulations required families filing for help exhaust FEMA and other resources before getting they become eligible for donation money from the center.