CALVIN, La. (WVUE) – A small community in north-central Louisiana is working to preserve an important piece of its history.

During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps put young men to work replanting by hand the state’s only national forest.

The tiny community of Calvin, tucked away in the resulting pine forest, holds only a few other remaining crumbling clues of that work, as Dave McNamara finds in the Heart of Louisiana.

For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.

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BATON ROUGE, La. (Gray Louisiana) – Louisiana drivers will soon no longer need annual vehicle safety inspection stickers for most personal vehicles.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 1085 into law Tuesday morning, ending the state’s mandatory vehicle safety inspection sticker program for most personal vehicles. The bill was authored by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, who has worked for years to pass the change.

The law replaces the current inspection sticker, often called a brake tag, with a $6 QR code sticker tied to the vehicle’s registration.

Fifty-nine of Louisiana’s 64 parishes will abolish the inspection stickers and use QR codes instead. Drivers in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Iberville, and Ascension parishes would still need emissions testing under federal law.

The changes are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

There will be a grace period from June 30 until Jan. 1, 2027. During that time, law enforcement will not issue citations for failing to display an inspection sticker.

Supporters of the bill have argued the inspection process is outdated and inconvenient for drivers. Bagley previously said the QR code would include limited vehicle information, such as the VIN, and would be available to law enforcement through special equipment.

The change will not apply to every vehicle. Some commercial vehicles, school buses and certain farm vehicles would still be subject to safety inspections. Some local governments would also still be able to require local inspections.

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LAFAYETTE PARISH (SCOTT) — As hurricane season officially begins, Louisiana homeowners have a new opportunity to strengthen their homes against severe weather through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, an $80 million initiative offering grants for hurricane-resistant roof upgrades.

The program is providing 3,000 grants to eligible homeowners seeking to replace traditional roofs with FORTIFIED roofs, a roofing system designed to better withstand high winds and heavy rain during hurricanes and severe storms.

State officials say the effort is intended to reduce storm damage while also helping homeowners lower their insurance premiums.

“The fortified standard itself has been proven, thanks to Alabama’s work with their program, which was tested by Hurricane Sally several years ago,” said John Ford with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. “So we have a lot of confidence in the standard.”

Homeowners can now enter a lottery for a chance to receive a grant worth up to $10,000 toward the cost of a FORTIFIED roof installation.

Ford said the program has already produced positive results across the state.

“We get great feedback. People are getting stronger roofs, and they’re seeing real reductions on their insurance premiums We’re very positive with where the program’s gone, and we feel like it’s only going to get bigger from here.”

The program requires additional oversight during the roofing process, helping ensure installations meet strict standards.

“Traditional roofing scenario, you have a contractor and a homeowner, but nobody’s verifying what that contractor’s doing,” said Jason Lopez, a certified Louisiana Fortify Homes contractor with Acadiana Roofing in Scott. “That’s been a problem with some of these hurricanes that come through. People have gotten some shoddy roofs.”

He added that the upgraded roofing system provides significantly greater protection than traditional roofs.

“A fortified roof is waterproof before they put the shingles on,” Lopez said. “A lot of your damage comes from when a hurricane or high winds come through, tears shingles off, and water goes straight into the house.”

Lopez added that Louisiana insurance companies are required to offer discounts for homes that receive a FORTIFIED designation.

“To me, it doesn’t make sense to put a traditional roof on,” he said. “If you live south of I-10, you should get a fortified roof.”

The Louisiana Department of Insurance expanded eligibility for the program this year to include Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Lafayette parishes, along with previously excluded portions of Iberia, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes.

Registration for the grant lottery is now open through June 19 at 5:00 p.m.

A complete list of eligibility requirements and application information is available here.