Thousands of tobacco farmers in the area could receive part of a $211.8 million proposed settlement in a lawsuit against the major tobacco companies. Area farmers have until Oct. 14 to fill out the paperwork needed to get part of the settlement. The lawsuit alleged that Phillip Morris USA Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., Lorillard Tobacco Co., Universal Leaf Tobacco Co., J.P. Taylor Co., Southwestern Tobacco Co., DIMON Inc. and Standard Commercial Corp. agreed to fix prices for domestic, flue-cured and burley tobacco sold at tobacco auctions in the United States. A federal judge in Greensboro, N.C., will hold a hearing Oct. 1 on whether to accept the settlement reached with all the companies except R.J. Reynolds. Farmers who grew or sold flue-cured and burley tobacco from 1996 through 2001 are eligible to be a part of the class. Most of them received a letter in the mail with application materials. Carol LaFaver, acting extension agent in Warren County, and Joe Duncan, agriculture instructor at Bowling Green Technical College, are helping farmers fill out the paperwork, which must be postmarked by Oct. 14.Its going to depend on how many people fill it out to see what they get, Duncan said. Duncan has held five sessions for farmers in Edmonson and Warren counties. He said about 100 farmers have come to these sessions and he has two more scheduled for this week, one at Southern States in Bowling Green from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and one at Richpond Market from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday. LaFaver has two sessions scheduled for this week at the extension office, Tuesday night and Thursday afternoon. Its been going real well, she said. Donald Dunn, Warren County executive director of the Farm Service Agency, has been providing records to farmers if they cant remember how much tobacco they grew in the years the settlement covers. Anyone who grew or sold tobacco could be eligible, he said. That would be a pretty substantive number of people, Dunn said. In 1996, about 3,000 people owned quotas in Warren County, he said. For more information on the settlement, see www.deloachclassaction.org or call (800) 371-9820. For help filing out forms, contact the local agricultural extension office.