Charlotte Oliver, Community News Service

The bill would guarantee workers can take two weeks of unpaid time off from work after the death of a family member.

State employees working with victims say the system doesn’t work — some even tell people not to sign up. For one woman, an “unbelievable gap” led to life-altering danger.

The state says the cover on an underground water storage tank was unsecured. Meanwhile, a state police investigation lingers and the boy’s family is in touch with an attorney.

The state launched a grant program in early August to help businesses after the flooding. But months later, fewer than one-fifth of agricultural business applicants had received payments — and those that did, on average, received tens of thousands of dollars less than needed.