It's better news for people who need help, but bad news in that it's indication of a higher unemployment rate.

Larry Huston, Buchanan County Chairman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, announced this week, the county will get nearly $60,000 from the federal government in 2009 to help those struggling to get by. That's nearly a 24% increase over last year's figures.

That money will be divided between about a dozen social service organizations like the AFL-CIO, Salvation Army, and America's Second Harvest Food Bank, just to name a few.

Huston says the increase in funds helps, but it's still not nearly enough. "We are getting three and four fold increase in people calling for assistance in utilities, rent help, emergency food and things like that. More than we've had in several years."

Huston says the board will meet mid January to decide how the money will be divided. Then it will likely be the first of February when the agencies can start putting that money to work.