SIDNEY—In Monday's edition of The Evening Sun, a report was published that detailed a recent approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to approve nearly 2 million in grants that would lead to flood mitigation of the swath of land affected in 2006 and 2011.

But another relevant twist of fate for Sidney village residents were made aware yet another $16 million in FEMA grants were given the go-ahead to buy houses in neighborhoods between River Street and the railroad tracks.

Residents across the Southern Tier spent hundreds of thousands of dollars repairing water damaged homes and businesses, many of them reduced to taking out second mortgages after the floods of 2006 and 2011.

But now, after years of lobbying and red tape at the federal level, residents in the village of Sidney will finally get a much awaited reprieve. According to N.Y. State Sen. Charles Schumer's office, most homeowners will receive a check based on the appraised value of their home the day before the 2011 flood. The buyout is welcome news for residents.