Author: Imported Author 1980807

Ron Eller has officially won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House in Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District. He defeated Adams County Supervisor Kevin Wilson, who had previously thanked supporters and stated he would see the vote count through. Eller will face Democrat Bennie Thompson in the general election. Thompson has held the seat since 1993.

Louisiana Central, a 10-parish economic development organization, has launched its regional strategic plan called Elevate 2030. The plan is organized around four key pillars. Louisiana Central President and CEO Chris Masingill said the plan includes efforts to be bold and connected in economic development strategies, noting both legacy and emerging industry sectors in central Louisiana. He also highlighted the importance of proactive marketing and communication, emphasizing the need for the region to tell its own story. Additional pillars include building organizational excellence and strengthening strategic partnerships.

Officials with the Mississippi State University Extension Office are advising landowners with timber damage from January’s ice storm to watch for bark beetles and disease. Early signs of bark beetle activity include pitch tubes, which appear as small balls of tree sap mixed with inner bark and resemble popcorn on the sides of trees. These can range from pea-sized on heavily stressed trees to dime or nickel-sized on less stressed trees. Red or fading treetops are another sign and are often the first indicator noticed by landowners.

Legislation that would allow Louisiana communities to vote on whether they want fluoride in their public drinking water is advancing to the state Senate floor. Senator Mike Fesey of Houma supports banning fluoride from public water systems, claiming it causes health issues and lowers IQ in children. After an unsuccessful attempt last year to pass a statewide fluoride ban, Fesey is now backing a measure that would let voters gather signatures to place the issue on local ballots. Senator Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette voted for the bill after local option provisions were added, stating his support for allowing communities to decide for themselves.

The Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia is at 39.60 feet and falling.

Two additional teenagers have been arrested in connection with the January shooting that killed a Wilkinson County high school student. Sixteen-year-olds Kevin Slack and Marion McNabb were taken into custody over the weekend. They, along with 18-year-old J’monta Franklin, face charges of murder and aggravated assault. The victim, Najee Bates, was a passenger in a car traveling along Highway 24 near Centerville on January 19 when the vehicle was shot at. Deputies reported that two other passengers, brothers Tony Brown Jr. and Marcus Green Jr., were also in the car and survived.

A bill to expand high-dosage tutoring has been approved by the Louisiana Senate Education Committee. The legislation, authored by Senator Patrick McMath, would increase funding for the program from 30 million dollars to 45 million dollars and extend services from kindergarten through fifth grade to kindergarten through eighth grade. State education officials say high-dosage tutoring has played a major role in Louisiana’s recovery from COVID-19 learning loss, contributing to broad support for the expansion.

Negotiations continue among Mississippi lawmakers as they work to finalize a teacher pay raise before the legislative session ends. Some legislators say unexpected budget pressures, including increased Medicaid costs, may influence the final size of the raise. A proposal in the state Senate includes a 6,000-dollar raise for K–12 teachers over three years, with an additional 3,000 dollars for special education teachers.

The Louisiana House Criminal Justice Committee has advanced a bill that would impose a prison sentence of one to five years for possessing, producing, or distributing deepfake images depicting nude minors. Representative Brian Fontenot introduced the legislation after a 13-year-old girl in his district was victimized by an artificially generated explicit image. The bill is named the Ivy Daniels Act.

The Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia is at 39.47 feet and rising.

A grand jury in Adams County has decided not to indict a man involved in an October 2024 shooting that resulted in a death during a fight at a convenience store. The incident occurred at a Shell station on U.S. 61 North in Washington, where James Keating died after an argument that reportedly began with a spilled cup of ice and escalated into gunfire.

Nearly two weeks after Bill Cassidy challenged Julia Letlow to three debates, she has not committed to participating. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says candidates leading in the polls often avoid debates, as taking part can provide an opportunity for lower‑performing opponents to gain ground. The third major candidate, John Fleming, has stated he is willing to debate Cassidy at any time. Hogan notes that Cassidy and Fleming could attempt to target Letlow in her absence, but their impact may be limited if voter attention is low. He says interest may be diminished given Letlow’s status as the endorsed candidate of former President Donald Trump.

The Mississippi Senate is making another attempt to advance legislation aimed at reforming the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS). Earlier in the session, several bills — including one proposing a cash infusion to address approximately $26 billion in debt — failed to move forward. On March 17, senators added six PERS‑related measures to a House bill through an amendment. Proposed reforms include reducing the years of service required for full retirement benefits for Tier 5 employees from 35 years to 30 years. State Senator Daniel Sparks says a return‑to‑work option would allow retirees to reenter the workforce and earn up to 80 percent of the salary for the position while still receiving retirement benefits, without affecting those benefits.

Louisiana state senators are calling for changes within the Department of Children and Family Services to address child abuse deaths. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow reports that 12 children in Louisiana have died this year, following 53 deaths last year. Shreveport Senator Thomas Presley asked DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris to offer specific recommendations to improve the agency’s effectiveness. Harris says the department has been adopting best practices used by successful private‑sector organizations. She is expected to present a set of improvement proposals to legislators in two weeks.

The Mississippi River at Natchez‑Vidalia is at 39.08 feet and rising.

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Adams County supervisors agreed to support Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson’s request for the state legislature to name the Sergeant Prentiss Bridge on Liberty Road in honor of former Mayor Butch Brown. Brown, who died in 2023, served three terms as mayor. Because the bridge is owned by the state, the name change requires legislative approval.

Supervisors also backed efforts to pursue state and federal funding to replace the city’s aging Canal Street Bridge. According to Gibson, the bridge’s condition is deteriorating and could become impassable by 2030 without replacement.

A recent WalletHub report ranks Louisiana as the third best state for doctors. Analyst Chip Lupo says the ranking is based on 19 metrics that include the average annual wage of physicians, the number of hospitals per capita, and the quality of public hospital systems. Louisiana ranks 10th in average salaries for doctors, with specialist salaries strengthening that position. Lupo also notes that the state’s low cost of living benefits young physicians managing significant student loan debt.

In Mississippi, legislation aimed at speeding up recovery from January’s winter storm is heading to Governor Tate Reeves. The bill creates the 2026 Local Government Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program, which would be administered by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The program would provide loans to cities and counties to cover cleanup costs while they await potential FEMA reimbursement.

Louisiana Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter-Reed told lawmakers that many public colleges and universities are facing financial strain. She said the state’s higher education system is underfunded by $869 million and noted that current funding levels match those from 2012 without adjustment for inflation. Reed said regional institutions are most affected because tuition revenue makes up 60 percent of the state’s higher education budget, meaning small enrollment changes can have a significant impact. She also cited rising athletic expenses, including NIL, revenue sharing, and transfer portal costs. Reed is requesting an additional $119 million in funding for the next fiscal year.

The Mississippi River at Natchez is at 13.39 feet and rising.

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