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Last phase of bridge demolition completed (not yet published)
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Call the News Booster Office at 318-339-7242 and
Find Out How!
Masonic Auction slated for Sept. 26 (published September 2, 2009)
Members of Sicily Island's Masonic Keystone Lodge #213 are happy to announce the
lodge's upcoming Auction on September 26, 2009.
All donations and gifts are greatly appreciated and will be receipted. Donations
are tax deductible.
Come by the lodge, located at 700 Chisum St. (Hwy. 15, across from the Snack
Shack), on September 26 and check out the auction items ranging from antiques
to glassware and from treasure to junk.
You won't believe the "goodies" you'll be able to find!
All proceeds of this auction will benefit the Masonic Keystone Lodge #213.
CARC receives funds from Paragon (published September 26, 2009)
The CARC Work Activity Center in Jonesville recently received a grant from Paragon Casino Resort of Marksville
in the amount of $1,000. The grant was used toward the purchase of a riding
lawn mower, a push mower, and a shed. The purchases are used in the center's
work program. Front row, from left to right are: Robin Crocker, Sondra Davis,
Kala Grimble, Angie Holloway - Mobile Yard Crew Supervisor, Billy Joe Duncan,
and Joseph Drew. Back row, from left to right, are: Ronnie Fairbanks, Arthur
Washington, Reba Wilson, George Hawkins, Timmy Woods, Carl McClure -
Transportation, Tyrone Parker, and Josh Morris.
Bond Commission approves $15.5 mil. for central La. (published September 2, 2009)
The State Bond Commission met last Thursday, August 20 and approved $15.5
million in funding for projects in Central Louisiana, according to State
Treasurer John Kennedy.
“We approved a number of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act bonds that will
benefit over 50 local communities statewide with improvements to schools and
local infrastructure,
” said Treasurer Kennedy.
The Bond Commission approved:
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) bonds for construction and
rehabilitation of schools:
Avoyelles Parish School Board, $5 million.
Concordia Parish School Board, $1.8 million.
ARRA bonds for sewer system construction and improvements:
Town of Mansura, Avoyelles Parish, $1.2 million.
Town of Clayton, Concordia Parish, $527,000.
Town of Urania, LaSalle Parish, $1.2 million.
Town of Boyce, Rapides Parish, $900,000.
Town of Hornbeck, Vernon Parish, $525,000.
Town of Leesville, Vernon Parish, $850,000.
City of Winnfield, Winn Parish, $1 million.
$2.5 million to the Louisiana Community Development Authority for the
construction and equipping of a multi-purpose building to be used for economic
development in Vidalia.
Statewide Bond Commission approvals include:
$80 million in GO Zone bonds for the Industrial Development Board of the Parish
of Ascension, Louisiana Inc. to finance the construction and equipping of the
BASF Methylamines chemical production plant in Geismar.
$350 million in GO Zone bonds for the Louisiana Community Development Authority
to finance the design, construction and equipping of a hospital facility in
Baton Rouge. The Woman
’s Hospital Foundation project includes a 520,000 square foot medical center, two
medical office buildings, a central energy plant and support services building.
Aquaculture impoundment reservoirs eligible for CRP (published September 2, 2009)
Eligible aquacultural producers may now begin signing up at the local Farm
Service Agency (FSA) Office for participation in the Farmable Wetlands Program
(FWP), an important component of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Authorized incentives include a payment of $100 per acre, an incentive payment
of 40 percent of the cost to establish the practice and a 120 percent rental
rate.
According to J Kevin Routon, County Executive Director for the Catahoula-LaSalle
Parishes FSA Office
"The Farmable Wetlands Program is a helpful tool for producers to help protect
clean water, control soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitats to preserve
these resources for future generations,"
The Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP) is a voluntary program designed to restore
up to one million acres of U.S. farmable wetlands and associated buffers by
improving the land's hydrology and vegetation. Eligible producers can enroll
eligible land in FWP through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). FWP is
limited to no more than one million acres and no more than 100,000 acres in any
one state. Through FWP, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) establishes 10-15
year contracts with agricultural producers.
Routon said that Louisiana’s FWP acreage allocation is 100,000 acres.
Land eligibility for the Farmable Wetlands Program was expanded within the 2008
Farm Bill to include land that was devoted to commercial pond-raised
aquaculture in any year during 2002
– 2007. Commercial pond-raised aquaculture means any earthen facility from which $1000
or more of freshwater food fish were sold or normally would have been sold
during a calendar year.
Producers must provide verification of commercial pond-raised aquaculture with
supporting records such as feed purchase records, stocker purchase records,
harvest and/or sales records.
FWP participants must also agree to restore the hydrology of the wetlands, to
establish vegetative cover which may include emerging vegetation in water,
bottomland hardwoods, cypress and other appropriate tree species, and to the
general prohibition of using of the enrolled land for commercial purposes,
including crawfishing for commercial purposes.
Aquaculture facilities must be out of production before the effective date of an
approved contract.
Changes to Farm Stored Facility Loan program (published September 2, 2009)
In accordance with 2008 Farm Bill provisions, changes to the Farm Storage
Facility Loan (FSFL) program have now been implemented. This will allow
producers of eligible commodities to obtain low-interest financing to build or
upgrade farm storage and handling facilities with higher loan maximums, longer
terms and for commodities not previously covered.
According to J Kevin Routon County Executive Director for the Catahoula-LaSalle
Parishes Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office, this program is intended to help
ensure that producers of eligible agricultural commodities have adequate
capacity to store their harvest until they sell it on the open market.
Participants are required to provide a down payment of 15 percent, with CCC
providing a loan for the remaining 85 percent of the net cost of the eligible
storage facility and permanent drying and handling equipment. Loan terms of 7,
10 or 12 years are available depending on the amount of the loan. Routon said
the maximum principal amount of a loan through FSFL is $500,000.
Interest rates for each term rate may be different and are based on the rate
which CCC borrows from the Treasury Department. The interest rate for the loan
will be the rate in effect on the date that the application is approved by the
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
Payments are available in the form of a partial disbursement and/or final
disbursement. The partial disbursement will be available after a portion of the
construction has been completed. Producers choosing to receive a partial
disbursement would receive a loan for 50 percent of the projected and approved
total loan amount. A loan would be made for the remaining amount when all
construction is completed.
Applications for Farm Stored Facility Loans must be submitted to the FSA County
Office that maintains the farm's records. Routon emphasized that a Farm Stored
Facility Loan must be approved before any site preparation or construction can
begin.
Commodities eligible for farm storage facility loans include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley or minor
oilseeds harvested as whole grain, hay, renewable biomass, as well as fruits
(including nuts) and vegetables - cold storage facilities.
For more details and additional information on the Farm Stored Facility Loan
Program, or other FSA price support programs, contact your local Farm Service
Agency Office or nearest USDA Service Center.