A 15-year-old from Vidalia, Lucas Wade Mullins, died in a crash in East Feliciana Parish. According to Louisiana State Police, Mullins was not wearing a seatbelt while riding in a tow truck on Louisiana Highway 19 when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned. The driver sustained serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. The crash remains under investigation.
Louisiana will receive $208 million in federal funding to improve health care in rural areas. Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein said the state’s award is among the highest in the nation and one of the top three in the Southeast. The funds are intended to expand access to care, strengthen rural health care systems, and support the implementation of new technology in underserved regions.
A new family leave policy for Mississippi state employees took effect with the start of the new year. The law, passed during the 2025 legislative session, provides up to six weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees. To qualify, workers must have been employed by the state for at least one year and must be the primary caregiver of a child following birth or adoption. The policy gives qualifying employees up to 240 hours of paid leave.
In Louisiana, the grace period has ended for the state’s ban on handheld cell phone use while driving. Drivers can now be fined for holding a phone to their ear while operating a vehicle. State Police remind motorists that using a handheld device reduces control of the vehicle. For drivers without built-in Bluetooth systems, options include FM transmitters or using a phone’s speaker function.
The Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia is at 16.38 feet and falling.
