POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Bannock County veterans are asking for the community’s help to raise funds for repairs to the historic Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building after flooding caused severe water damage earlier this month.
Miguel Dominic, historian for the Veterans Memorial Building, said that a toilet in the upstairs ballroom of the nearly 100-year-old building overflowed over one weekend. Water soaked through the wood ballroom floor and into downstairs walls, prompting a need for serious repairs.
“They’re talking about taking down the walls that have gotten wet, the wood that’s underneath the ballroom floor upstairs, having to rip that out, replace that flooring,” said Dominic.
Dominic said the repairs could cost between $100,000 and $200,000, depending on whether the ballroom floor needs replaced to the standards of the building’s national historic status.
When building managers attempted to file an insurance claim, Dominic said Farm Bureau Insurance denied their claim and said that they would not cover the repairs on grounds that plumbing problems are not covered due to the building’s age.
“They insured us knowing that the building is this old,” said Dominic. “That’s disappointing, you know, especially when they serve and honor the veteran community.”
Now, the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association is asking for the community’s help to raise money for the repairs.
Reina Avila, a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran, said that the building is an important place for local veterans and the community that supports them.
“It’s pretty much the only place that I know of in town that I can go and meet and fellowship with my fellow veterans,” said Avila. “For a lot of us who have PTSD, it’s a quiet place…and it’s comfortable because we have a fellow veterans who share the same experiences, and that’s where we can talk about it and it’s actually very therapeutic.”
The Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association has set up a donation page where they are collecting $250,000 for building repairs.
Local News 8 reached out to Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance Company, they said they could not provide comment at this time.
