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Lanes of Vegas-Salt Lake City freeway may reopen

By WTOP Staff

KEN RITTER
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Assessment teams tallied 139 flood-damaged homes and put the projected the cost of local road repairs at $667,000 in northeast Clark County, where road crews worked Thursday to reopen a washed-out stretch of Interstate 15 about 50 miles outside Las Vegas.

Officials reported 91 damaged homes in Moapa and on the Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation Thursday after counting 48 damaged homes Wednesday in the downstream Overton and Logandale area.

The Nevada Department of Transportation said the washed-out section of I-15 near Moapa could be repaired enough to open one lane in each direction Friday. Officials say the four-lane divided highway, the key trucking and tourist route between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, usually averages about 20,000 vehicles a day.

Officials say long-haul trucks will still be detoured onto two-lane highways on a roundabout route that adds 50 miles and several hours of bumper-to-bumper congestion to their trip, while oversized loads heading north are banned altogether.

Officials said they don’t expect to restrict southbound commercial traffic.

Round-the-clock road work began after flash flooding Monday destroyed chunks of I-15 and swept through rural farm communities on the Muddy River. The more than 4 inches of rain that fell in less than two hours in the hard-baked desert hills was the biggest deluge in more than 30 years, the National Weather Service said.

Gov. Brian Sandoval declared a state of emergency Tuesday. Damage assessment teams fanned out Wednesday in Overton and Logandale, and Thursday in the Moapa and tribal area. The green lowland region is dotted with farms and horse stables along the normally lazy river draining toward the Virgin River and the Lake Mead reservoir behind Hoover Dam. The area has a combined population of about 8,500 residents.

Officials also estimated the cost of flood damage and debris cleanup at $427,000 in the dirt-road Sandy Valley community about 35 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.

County lawmakers will be asked Tuesday for an emergency declaration clearing the way to receive state and federal relief funds.

Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said Thursday that rail freight service between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City resumed after damaged tracks were repaired in the Moapa area.

The storm, spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Norbert, dumped heavy rain throughout the Southwest and set a single-day rainfall record Monday in Phoenix.

Authorities opened a serpentine detour through Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park to passenger cars, buses and recreational vehicles.

The Nevada Highway Patrol said northbound trucks will continue to be detoured for at least a week to U.S. 93, Nevada Route 319 and Utah Route 56.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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