Louisiana
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.”
Louisiana authorities captured the third and final inmate who escaped from St. Landry Parish Jail following a weeks-long manhunt.
In early December, three inmates — all 20-somethings jailed on “charges of a violent nature” — removed the mortar and concrete blocks of a deteriorating part of a jail wall, then used sheets and other materials to scale the side of the building, dropped to the first-floor roof, and escaped, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office has said.
The last remaining escapee, 24-year-old Keith Eli, was apprehended Friday without incident in Opelousas by narcotics detectives and SWAT, the sheriff’s office said. Eli faces one count of attempted second-degree murder.
Eli’s capture comes weeks after authorities apprehended Johnathan Jevon Joseph, 24, on December 8. Joseph had been jailed on charges of principal to first-degree rape, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, among other counts. “Numerous tips” and “intelligence gathering” led authorities to find the escapee, the sheriff’s office said.
Days earlier, Joseph Allen Harrington, a 26-year-old in custody on numerous felony counts, including home invasion and cruelty to juveniles, died by suicide after authorities found him, Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux told the Associated Press.
A tipster had recognized Harrington, who was pushing an e-bike. Authorities found the e-bike at the home and then used a loudspeaker to urge the individual to come out of the house. They later heard a gunshot and authorities found his body inside with a hunting rifle, Boudreaux said.
Authorities announced the inmates had escaped on December 3.
Maj. Mark LeBlanc, of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, told the AP that he hadn’t heard of anyone escaping from the jail in this manner before.
“These three were just a little more creative than in years past,” he told the outlet.
However, the three men’s jailbreak came months after 10 inmates at another Louisiana jail — the Orleans Justice Center — in May.
The group was able to open a faulty cell door inside the New Orleans-area jail, squeeze through a hole behind a toilet, and then scale a barbed-wire fence to freedom. They escaped in the early hours of May 16.
Authorities found a message drawn around the hole: an arrow pointing at the gap and the words “To Easy LoL.”
While nine of the escapees were captured within six weeks of their jailbreak, the final inmate — who had the most violent criminal record of the group — wasn’t found until October.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 20, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
6-8-5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
7-2-9-7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
0-7-9-8-1
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Easy 5 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
07-17-20-28-33
Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from Dec. 20 drawing
10-11-15-16-26-28
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – The federal government is building a nationwide standard as the United States competes in a global A.I. race, much the same as the Space Race of the 20th century.
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a uniform federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in the United States.
The order emphasized a need for AI companies to be allowed to innovate without hinderance from excessive regulations, so that the system would not become fragmented.
Marva Bailer is the CEO and founder of Qualaix, which works to improve productivity and innovation with AI through conversations. She said this framework a step towards realizing an untapped potential in the United States for innovation and productivity through AI.
“We are leading the AI race,” said Bailer. “What is getting people’s attention is there are areas that we could be a lot stronger and lean in a lot faster.”
We spoke with KALB political analyst Greg LaRose to learn how this new framework might impact Louisiana’s development.
Since 2024, the construction of multiple AI data centers has been announced across the state, with each new center estimated to be worth billions of dollars and promising new jobs and growth for Louisiana.
According to LaRose, the executive order should not realistically confine any of the state’s major AI projects.
“Through the Louisiana lens at that executive order from President Trump, I’m not really seeing anything that really confines what’s going on in the state.”
The majority of the state’s laws are concerned with deep fakes.
In October, Louisiana governor Jeff Landry issued his own executive order which banned, “Communist Chinese AI platforms’ from systems within state government.”
While it is unclear how Louisiana will enforce Landry’s order, LaRose said the state does face other concerns.
“I think they’re more concerned about giving China access to the data that is used to create, say, a Louisiana-based deep fake or any type of issue,” said LaRose. “For example, like transcription software that people are increasingly using to make record-keeping a lot easier. I think the idea is that that type of information be kept out of hands that we don’t want it in.”
This, as the global AI race heats up heading into 2026.
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