Over 50 customers face power shutoff due to delinquent bills

Many accounts granted reprieve from extreme heat

Over 50 residential and commercial utilities customers in Fulton risk having their power shut off if they do not pay their bills by 10 a.m. today, according to the city's Chief Financial Officer, Kathy Holschlag, and Director of Administration, Bill Johnson.

Many of the accounts would have already had their power shut off due to delinquent payments, but state law and city policy both prohibited Fulton from shutting off power. This has kept several accounts in power, despite having passed both their due dates and shut-off dates.

"Utility bills are due the 15th of the month, and we typically send out shutoff notices (within a few days,)" said Holschlag. "10 days from that is the first day we can shut off. People can make an arrangement that gives them until the 5th or the 6th, so this month we have missed both shutoffs so we will be doing both together."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.