Effects of federal government shutdown limited in Lawrence County, so far

As the federal government shutdown enters its second month, most Lawrence County residents continue to go about their business as usual. The shutdown’s effects have had little impact on most of the county.
During the shutdown, agencies not considered essential to the nation are shuttered until Congress and President Trump agree on a budget. However, the two federal agencies in Lawrence County, the United States Postal Service and the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service office (NCRS), are currently unaffected.
The postal service is not a part of the United States budget, as it funds itself through postage collected from customers for mail delivery. As such, postal workers continue in their duties, and unlike some of their counterparts in other parts of government, are getting paid.
The Lawrence County NCRS and other agencies working in cooperation with it are also open for business.
“All of the regional conservation offices are open and conducting business as usual, as far as our customers are concerned,” said Charlie Rahm, public affairs officer with the NRCS office located in Columbia.
Rahm also said the government appropriated funds for the NCRS before the shutdown, so that agencies employees are also currently getting paid. He couldn’t say what would happen if the funds ran out before the shutdown was resolved.
The shutdown has currently not had any effect on the functions of local government, either.
“I really haven’t seen much effect locally, said Tim Selvey, eastern commissioner of Lawrence County. Of course, we’re really concerned about those federal employees who aren’t getting paid, and how that will affect their pocketbook, and subsequently affect the economy. As far as federal dollars coming in, we haven’t seen any major effect at this point, but that could change.”
At this point, the largest impact on local government could be the hold up of federal funding given city and county governments given to them through grants.
“(Mt. Vernon) currently receives some federal funding through our transportation grant,” said Max Springer, city administrator for Mt. Vernon. “We submitted a request for payment for their portion of funding for the last quarter of 2018, which will most likely be held up till the shutdown is over.”
 The effects of the shutdown in Lawrence County may become more telling if the impasse between the president and Congress continues.
In education, the biggest concern, according to an article by Education Week, is the National School Lunch Program. Currently, the USDA, which provides free and reduced-price lunches to low-income children, has enough funds to provide reimbursements for the program through March. The USDA also has enough funds to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Women, Infants and Children running through February. If the shutdown persists past then, Lawrence County residents who rely on these services may see their assistance disrupted.
Lawrence County residents who are receiving Social Security, Medicaid and/or Medicare, on the other hand, will continue to receive their payments, as these programs are considered mandatory spending and are not affected by the budget debate.
Perhaps the least visible effect of the shutdown is the closing of the national parks. That is because the only federal land in Lawrence County is the Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge, and that land has been off-limits to the public since 2006 to protect the endangered cavefish.