Louisiana

Rural Community Funding Summit connects Louisiana officials with state, federal resources

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Rural Community Funding Summit connects Louisiana officials with state, federal resources

Residents and government officials came together for a Rural Community Funding Summit in Rayne on Tuesday. The summit was made possible in part by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was passed.

Community members and local officials involved in the development of those communities met in the Rayne Civic Center Ballroom and learned of the resources available to them.

Cassidy said he hopes every town in Louisiana access dollars from the IIJA bill.

“When I travel to our state, I know there is a lot of need for sewer, and for water, for our ports, for broadband internet, for flood mitigation, coastal restoration, just go to different parts of the state, you can see what the needs are,” Cassidy said. “There are dollars in the infrastructure bill to help with these issues, and that is my goal.”

Richard Williams, deputy director of the Louisiana Municipal Association, was one of the officials on hand. He said the summit’s goal was to provide local governments, municipalities, parishes and local government units contact with agencies that can assist in providing funds needed to better their communities.

“We are trying to put together the people who have the money, with people who need the money,” Williams said. “The goal of this is for each municipality or local government to identify a grant or some grants that they can apply for.”

According to Williams, a grant, which is primarily federal money, is when the state or the federal government sets aside money for a particular purpose.

Chuck Robichaux, Mayor of Rayne, helped host the Rural Community Funding Summit. He said his goal is to let local officials know these agencies will be available.

“They will have support from the senator, and support from the LMA to help walk them through these programs, so they are more accustomed to it,” Robichaux said. “A lot of times, there are fears about what it takes to get a grant. They are going to take our hands and walk us through it.

Inside the Rayne Civic Center Ballroom, various organizations were on hand to provide information. Those booths included participants/funding opportunities for the following:

Broadband

Disaster Mitigation

Environmental & Agriculture

Technical Assistance with Grants

Water & Wastewater Systems

Buildings (Brick &Mortar)

Economic Development

Housing

Roads

Bigger cities like Lafayette or Rayne have grant writers who can help them request the necessary funds. But smaller cities may not have the assistance they need. Leslie Durham, executive director of the Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation, also was on hand to answer grant questions.

If a mayor or a local official were to approach Durham, for instance, looking for funds to improve their town or city, she could help find the correct funds needed.

Durham said there are always hurdles for smaller comminutes. For the 33 percent that LITACorp is helping, she said they have not been applied for federal funds.

“There are hurdles that keeping them from doing that,” Durham said. “Maybe they don’t have their ability to apply for federal funds… are it is too difficult because they may not have a consultant or a grant writer and that is why we are all here.”

LITACorp is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that assists local governments with accessing federal grants to strengthen public infrastructure, according to its website.

Cassidy said it’s one thing to say the funds are out there, but it’s another to connect them with the resources. The money will be spent somewhere, and Cassidy said his goal is ultimately investing back into Louisiana.

“We are trying to help our communities,” Cassidy said. “Some people might be saying, ‘Should we be spending this money?’ Well one, it was paid for, and two, our tax dollars are going to pay it back.”

Source link

Louisiana

Thinking of retiring in Louisiana? These are 5 best places to do so

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Thinking of retiring in Louisiana? These are 5 best places to do so

When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.

If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.

In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.

The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche

These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.

1. Oak Hills Place

Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.

2. Westminster

Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.

3. River Ridge

River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.

4. Westlake

Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.

5. Prien

Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.

Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com

Source link

Louisiana

Louisiana Tech seeks partnership with Lincoln Parish Library to help students

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana Tech seeks partnership with Lincoln Parish Library to help students

A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.

Source link

Louisiana

Supreme court sides with oil and gas firms in Louisiana coastal damage fight

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Supreme court sides with oil and gas firms in Louisiana coastal damage fight

The supreme court handed a win on Friday to oil and gas companies fighting lawsuits over coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana.

The 8-0 procedural decision gives the companies a new day in federal court after a state jury ordered Chevron to pay upward of $740m to clean up damage to the state’s coastline, one of multiple similar lawsuits.

Backed by the Trump administration, the companies argued the case belongs in federal court because they began oil production and refining during the second world war as US contractors. They deny responsibility for land loss in Louisiana and say it is wrong to sue them for what they did before state environmental regulations were in place.

Louisiana’s coastal parishes have lost more than 2,000 sq miles (5,180 sq km) of land over the past century, according to the US Geological Survey, which has also identified oil and gas infrastructure as a significant cause. The state could lose an additional 3,000 sq miles (7,770 sq km) in the coming decades, its coastal protection agency has warned.

The Republican governor, Jeff Landry, backed the lawsuits when he was attorney general, despite being a longtime oil and gas industry supporter. Attorneys for local Louisiana leaders say the supreme court appeal was a stalling tactic.

The companies appealed to the high court after jurors in Plaquemines parish – a sliver of land straddling the Mississippi River into the Gulf – found that energy giant Texaco, acquired by Chevron in 2001, had for decades violated Louisiana regulations governing coastal resources by failing to restore wetlands affected by dredging canals, drilling wells and billions of gallons of wastewater dumped into the marsh.

The case is one of dozens of lawsuits filed in 2013 alleging oil giants including Chevron and Exxon violated state environmental laws for decades.

The companies asked the justices to overturn a 2024 decision from the US court of appeals for the fifth circuit that allowed the suit to stay in state court.

Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case, saying he had financial ties to ConocoPhillips. He had recused himself from other cases due to his stock holdings.

Source link