James Helms, Jr. passed away. This is the full obituary where you can share condolences and memories. Published in the The Tifton Gazette on 2024-05-06.
“We have to pay all this back,” he told her.
She grabbed the letter from his hand, her heart sinking as she read.
Kentucky’s unemployment office had paid her husband, Roger, more than $4,200 in benefits last spring as COVID-19 first hit Kentucky.
Now, the state wanted it back.
The state’s unemployment office had determined her husband didn’t qualify for the 10 weeks of benefits it paid him, seemingly without issue, for March through May of last year.
“What are we going to do?” she thought.
She remembered watching Gov. Andy Beshear’s daily news conferences from her southeastern Kentucky home and how he said those who feared exposure to COVID-19 at work could apply for unemployment.