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News

Meetings at a Glance

SNAP benefit signup Tuesday @ 9:30am-3pm East Carroll Parish Community Action Agency EAST CARROLL PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 1st Tuesday of month @ 6:30 pm • in the Board R oom, Administration building DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVER’S LICENSE OFFICE 1st Thursday of month from 9am-3 pm (lunch 12-1) East Carroll Parish Police Jury office building (old health unit) EAST CARROLL PARISH POLICE JURY COMMITTEES 1st Wednesday of month @ 10am • in the Police Jury Room EAST CARROLL PARISH POLICE JURY Tuesday following committee meetings @ 12 noon • in the EAST CARROLL HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD 2nd Wednesday of month @ 10am • at Housing Authority, Mike Ave. LAKE PROVIDENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY 3rd Thursday of month @ 12 noon LPHA office, Foster St.

Judge clears path for teacher stipends

Gov. Jeff Landry can move forward with his strategy to cut public school operations funding to provide another round of teacher pay stipends this year after a Baton Rouge judge threw out an order Monday that was preventing the plan from moving forward.

Events

July 2026 THURSDAY 2 DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVER’S LICENSE OFFICE 9am-3pm (lunch 12-1) • East Carroll Parish Police Jury office building (old health unit) FRIDAY 3 Chair exercise for adults • 10am • ECP Library SATURDAY 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY • Fireworks at 9pm MONDAY 6 SNAP benefit signup 9:30am-3pm • East Carroll Parish Community Action Agency TUESDAY 7 EAST CARROLL PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6:30 pm • in the Board Room, Administration building WEDNESDAY 8 Chair exercise for adults • 10am • ECP Library EAST CARROLL HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD 10am • at Housing Authority, Mike A ve..

ARRESTS

Arrests as of June 29, 2026: East Carroll Parish Sheriff: 6/19/26 - Gregory Hopkins, 47, introduction of contraband into prison, malfeasance in office. Bond $15,000.

Announcement

District Attorney James Paxton retired June 30, 2026, concluding 33 years of service to the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s o_ce, including 18 years as District Attorney. First Assistant District Attorney Edwin Moberley will succeed him as the new District Attorney. The public was invited to celebrate this new leadership transition at a reception July 1, 2026, 10:00 a.m., in the Police Jury room at the Madison ParishCourthouse.

Around the bend...

Poverty Point World Heritage Site events in July: Prehistoric Pottery • Saturday, July 11 • indoor demo 10am-1pm; focused on indigenous pottery created over 3,500 years ago • attendees can create their own items such as figurines, abstract art, coiled clay pots, and clay pipes• no special equipment is required • wear or bring appropriate clothes for working with potentially messy clay Artifact Identification • Saturday, July 25 • 10am-4pm • on-site specialists will help better understand the artifacts you find in your fields or along the banks of waterways • all events held at 6859 Highway 577 in Pioneer

Outlook good for yields from parish crops

Timely rains in the last week have left East Carroll farmers more optimistic about their crop outlook than in the past few years. Irrigation pipe is waiting, but has not yet been laid for many due to the several one- to two-inch rains that have fallen in the parish.

Law says no fees for using debit card

Disturbed by that extra “convenience fee” tacked on when you use your debit card at local businesses and restaurants? Effective on August 1, 2026, retail businesses can no longer charge consumers fees to use their debit cards. SB254 was proposed in February, and the governor signed it into law on June 2, 2026. The new bill will create new obligations on businesses, including removal of all fees assessed to cardholders who elect to use their debit cards.