Missouri gets disaster designation

WASHINGTON -- Twenty Missouri counties will be eligible for public assistance now that the state has been issued a major disaster declaration in the wake of last month's ice storm.

Assistance will be available for emergency work and repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

Nineteen of the counties are in the 8th Congressional District.

The affected counties include Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Stone, Taney and Wayne.