The Interstate 20 Economic Development Corp.’s governing board recently agreed to extend Fontana Road to a service road north of I-20 in eastern Ouachita to benefit the expansion of a local tractor dealer.

The Ouachita Parish Police Jury earlier this week agreed to award a $1.2-million bid to Jabar Corp., a Calhoun company, to replace water mains in the Bawcomville-Brownsville area.

Voters will begin casting ballots Saturday when early voting opens for a special election to fill the 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A group of public officials and economic development figures recently launched a research park in Monroe to attract biomedical, science and technology companies to the region.

Louisiana Delta Community College's new chancellor Dr. Scott Rule plans to establish new programs that would help the workforce in northeastern Louisiana.

The Monroe area's labor force has increased by some 250 people and the number of employed has grown by 4,705 since 2010, the Louisiana Workforce Commission says.

Morehouse Community Medical Centers, Inc. dba CommuniHealth Services (CHS) last week announced the closing of $12 million in New Markets Tax Credit funding that will finance the development of a new, 41,267 sq ft state-of-the-art clinic facility in Morehouse Parish.

BATON ROUGE—With an estimated $2 billion provided to Louisiana from a federal coronavirus aid bill passed in December and the likelihood of another federal stimulus package, state legislators are hopeful they can balance the budget for fiscal 2022 with no more than modest cuts.

The city might stand a chance of attracting some new major employers or encouraging the expansion of local companies with warehouse space and a skilled workforce, Monroe officials say.

West Monroe residents say a lack of retail development near the Ike Hamilton Expo Center is a threat to the city's character and land use.

Former interim Monroe Police Chief Reginald “Reggie” Brown wants subpoenas issued to 34 people including former Mayor Jamie Mayo and the district attorney to testify in a hearing where he will appeal his termination from the police department.

The Monroe City Council this week signed off on another step toward the completion of the $36-million Kansas Lane Connector, which entails the construction of a thoroughfare linking Interstate 20 with U.S. Hwy 80 and U.S. Hwy 165.

Ouachita Parish Schools lost 87 students since October, reflecting a trend of declining enrollment that could cost the school system as much as $3 million in state funding this year.

State Sen. Stewart Cathey (District 33) will serve on the Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity, as appointed by Senate President Page Cortez.

The state Department of Health reported 443 new confirmed cases out of 7,231 tests on Feb. 22.

BATON ROUGE—Voters in most parishes supported the legalization of sports gambling last Nov. 3, but it may be 2022 by the time bettors are legally allowed to wager in Louisiana on football and other games.

More electricity blackouts are possible before Sunday as record-low temperatures continue to threaten north and central Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana recently issued statements critical of state Attorney General Jeff Landry's decision to sue a newspaper when one of its reporters sought access to public records.

Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis did not know about a recent $2-million judgment against a local attorney for defrauding a blind client before the mayor honored the attorney with a civil rights award last month, a city spokesperson says.

Gov. John Bel Edwards defended on Tuesday the decision by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, to voluntarily begin rolling blackouts, or power outages.

The state Republican party's executive committee agreed to censure U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy on Saturday after the senator voted with six other Republicans to convict former President Donald Trump for allegedly inciting an insurrection.

A local lawmaker predicted last week his proposed 22-cent increase of the state’s gasoline tax will attract a “groundswell” of support this year, despite the failure of similar efforts in 2017 and 2019.

G.B. Cooley Hospital Service District posted a general fund surplus of some $1.1 million in the past fiscal year as well as a finding related to the arrest of the district's former chief financial officer for allegedly embezzling some $400,000.

Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis recently appointed Charles A. Butcher as the director of the Monroe Regional Airport.

The city of Monroe posted a $80,000 surplus in its general fund for the fiscal year ending in April 2020.

Several Fourth Judicial District Court judges accused of concealing illegal activity at the court recently asked a special appointed judge to save them from having to defend themselves against those accusations in front of a jury.

Monroe businessman Stanley Palowsky III issued the first handful of subpoenas earlier this month seeking testimony before a trial as part of his ongoing lawsuit against Fourth Judicial District Court officials who allegedly conspired to conceal illegal activity at the court.

State lawmakers are beginning to draft legislation for the upcoming legislative session in April where they hope to gain support for measures reducing the tax burden on farmers and luring new residents and businesses to the state with tax credits.