Natchez has been awarded $1.1 million in federal funds to rebuild the buttresses supporting an imperiled section of State Street between Martin Luther King and Arlington streets. According to Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson, the funding comes from a congressional appropriation signed into law last month by President Trump. The project will address failing drainage infrastructure that runs beneath State Street near Fine Avenue. Collapse of the stormwater drainage structures would force the closure of the road and require traffic to be detoured by approximately one mile.
In Louisiana, Representative Larry Bagley plans to file a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would eliminate private passenger safety inspection stickers. Bagley argues that the annual inspection fee functions as a tax without real benefit and notes that issues found in failed inspections are already enforceable by police during traffic stops. The bill would not apply to commercial vehicles.
Several states are considering legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. Measures have been introduced in Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia. Proposals in Missouri, Virginia, and West Virginia would implement permanent daylight saving time if Congress grants states the authority to observe it. Current federal regulations only allow states to opt for year-round standard time, and several states have introduced bills to move to standard time permanently.
LaSalle Parish Schools has become the first district in Louisiana to eliminate homework assignments. Superintendent Jonathan Garrett said homework does not necessarily support student achievement, as those who complete it typically already understand the material. He believes removing homework will help students and teachers make better use of the school day and allow students to rest at home. District leaders will review data at the end of the school year before determining whether the change will be made permanent.
The Mississippi River in Natchez today is at 15.08 feet and falling.
