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Officials and providers said Louisiana residents living in underserved or unserved areas will likely start to see results soon from a nearly $1.36 billion federal grant.
The Louisiana House Commerce Committee conducted a hearing on the state’s broadband program, financed primarily with federal grants from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program and American Rescue Plan Act. 
Committtee Chairman and state Rep. Daryl DeShotel, R-Marksville, told the committee that the state received the eighth-largest allocation of the states. Louisiana has a deadline of Dec. 31, 2028, to spend those funds.
Veneeth Iyengar is the executive director of ConnectLA, which is the state’s broadband office. It was created by the second of two laws passed by the Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards creating the Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program, commonly referred to as GUMBO.
He said he’s visited 105 Louisiana communities in need of high-speed internet access.
“In 2020,” Iyengar said, “we clearly saw the need to addressing the broadband challenge and whether you’re a small business owner, whether you’re a farmer, whether you’re in public whether you’re a teacher or a student, the lack of broadband impacted every one of those constituents.” 
Iyengar said $131 million of those funds have been used to connect 66,000 households and small businesses and the state has a deadline of Dec. 31, 2026, to spend the ARPA money or return it to the federal government. 
Louisiana is also participating in other programs designed to bridge the digital divide and provide at least 25 megabits per second downloads and 3 Mbps upload speed.
The state, under the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, has received $342 million in the last six years to extend service to 175,000 locations.
Providers bid on the commission’s fund projects through a reverse auction process, which differs from a conventional one since it has one buyer and many potential sellers that compete for the lowest bid. 
From the U.S Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund, the state received $176 million in 2020 to extend service to 80,000 locations. The first round of GUMBO grants were funded by these grants. 
The biggest one is the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, with nearly $1.36 billion committed that will be administered by ConnectLA. Iyengar says that with a 25% match, that total will be closer to $1.7 billion.
He said construction of these networks, many of which will be high-speed fiber optic cable, will create 5,000 jobs to build and maintain them. 
Also, he said that health care outcomes will improve as increased access to telehealth will help rural Louisianans, many of whom suffer from a dearth of primary care physicians. 
House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, R-East Pineville, told the committee that his constituents constantly ask him about broadband service. The reason of one constituent, Johnson said with a laugh, was to be able watch their favorite soap opera on the streaming service Peacock.
“That person has the same vote as the one who wants to work on his doctorate degree from home,” Johnson said. 
Ed Serna, the associate vice president for Government Affairs for Charter Communications, told the committee that his company was awarded funding for 25,000 locations in Louisiana. He said the company has met its Dec. 31, 2025, deadline to provide service to 40% of those locations two years early. He also said the company’s goal is have its program complete by the end of 2026. 
Robert Rieger, an attorney with Adams & Reese representing Allens Communications, said his client has built 54 miles of fiber reaching about 383 of roughly 1,600 locations and are “within their construction timelines and they hit the milestones according to the program.”

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 985-380-4605.
Wednesday, March 13
7:01 a.m. Railroad Avenue/Pecos Street; Traffic incident.
7:08 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; 911 hang up.
7:35 a.m. 2400 block of Tiger Drive; Disturbance.
8:05 a.m. 400 block of Bush Street; Warrant.
8:13 a.m. 900 block of Levee Road; Suspicious subject.
8:56 a.m. 2300 block of Elm Street; Warrant.
9:27 a.m. 900 block of Fourth Street; Complaint.
10:19 a.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Arrest.
10:31 a.m. 7800 block of La. 182; Suspicious subject.
10:45 a.m. 500 block of Orange Street; Warrant.
11:11 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Medical.
12:11 p.m. 400 block of Lawrence Street; Animal complaint.
12:38 p.m. 10 block of Glenwood Street; Juvenile problems.
1:10 p.m. Veterans Boulevard/Wren Street; Stalled vehicle.
1:12 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
1:12 p.m. 1000 block of Greenwood Street; Disturbance.
1:35 p.m. 1200 block of Brashear Avenue; Vehicle accident.
2:47 p.m. 300 block of Garber Street; Animal complaint.
4 p.m. 500 block of Railroad Avenue; Assistance.
4:33 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Animal complaint.
4:57 p.m. 100 block of Bergeron Street/Bayou Vista; Theft.
5:38 p.m. 1800 block of Elk Street; Complaint.
7:13 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
7:23 p.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Alarm.
7:25 p.m. 1800 block of Filmore Street; Disturbance.
7:54 p.m. 100 block of Poncio Street; Complaint.
8:28 p.m. 2400 block of Apple Street; Medical.
10:17 p.m. 200 block of Mallard Street; Death.
11:48 p.m. 800 block of Levee Road; Disturbance.
1:32 a.m. 100 block of Eleventh Street; Complaint.
2:44 a.m. 500 block of Egle Street; Removal of subject.
5:19 a.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.

Here are upcoming events beginning Thursday:
--The Morgan City Rotary’s annual New Generation event will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Morgan City High field house.
The event challenges teams from the parish’s public and private high schools to present plans for civic improvements. Past New Generation ideas have resulted in intergenerational mixers for young people and senior citizens, more recycling receptacles and other civic projects.
--The 24th Annual Weddell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Festival will be 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at Kemper Williams Park.
The $5 admission includes on entry to the Easter egg hunt, a souvenir photo with the Easter Bunny and a goodie bag. Four start times begin at 11 a.m. for different age groups. Two winners from each age group will win bicycles.
--The annual Battle of the Badges, a horseshoe contest between St. Mary firefighters and law enforcement officers, begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Kemper Williams.
The winning team will get possession of the traveling trophy now in the hands of the firefighters.
--The Krewe of Dionysus’ Irish and Italian Parade begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Second and Everett and ends at Second and Belanger. This is a walking parade, although golf cars are allowed. The entry fee is $20.
There will be a Best Dress judging at noon. Walkers and riders must be 21 to participate.

Chief Administrative Officer Jean Paul Bourg, who has been at the forefront of efforts to fix a potential budget shortfall, submitted his resignation to the St. Mary Parish Council on Monday.
The resignation was announced at Wednesday’s Parish Council meeting.
Bourg nevertheless managed to propose budget changes to help patch an anticipated budget shortfall of $2.5 million-$2.6 million. He presented those changes to the council Wednesday.
Also at the meeting, the council amended the Feb. 26 minutes to reflect that former Parish President David Hanagriff was indeed appointed to the board of the Port of West St. Mary. The appointment was originally ruled to have failed.
And Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux explained what the parish’s role in the Louisiana Industrial Tax Exemption Program will look like after changes ordered by Gov. Jeff Landry.
CAO
Bourg built a solid reputation during his work with the pre-consolidation Gravity Drainage District No. 2, as parish public works director and, since his appointment by Hanagriff in April, as chief administrative officer.
Bourg succeeded longtime CAO Henry “Bo” LaGrange, who retired from that post and ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate last year.
During last fall’s campaign for parish president, eventual winner Sam Jones said the parish was having trouble meeting its payroll and the government had maxed out its ability to borrow. Those were controversial claims, but eventually council members and the administration settled on the idea that the parish budget would be $2.5 million-$2.7 million short by the end of the budget year in September.
Jones, speaking Wednesday, said information about the budget was difficult to come by during what he described as a “rough transition.”
Not long after taking office in January, Jones proposed replacing Bourg with former Baldwin Alderman Marion J. Newton. The council rejected Newton’s appointment.
In the following weeks, Jones said, he began to appreciate Bourg’s willingness to look at the budget and offer information. Jones found Bourg’s work and effort to be satisfactory.
“I want to tell you, he’s done a fine job,” Jones said.
There was no immediate word on the process for finding Bourg’s successor.
Budget
After proposing a series of amendments to close the budget gap last month, Bourg gave the council a list of potential expense cuts and revenue totaling $472,000. That would bring the council to within $200,000-$300,000 of its $2.5 million goal.
The council’s Budget Committee will meet at 5 p.m. March 27 to consider the proposals.
On the revenue side, Bourg proposed collecting or increasing rent from a few parish-related agencies housed on parish property, selling surplus property and raising fees for long-term camping at Kemper-Williams Park near Patterson.
The list also includes steeper cuts in parish allocations for nongovernmental service agencies, such as the Council on Aging and ARC of St. Mary/Center of Hope. Reducing allocations by 50%, instead of the 25% previously considered, would improve the budget picture by $168,000.
The parish may also explore using voice over internet protocol for its phone service rather than relying on traditional landline phones.
Among the biggest budget hurdles to clear are large debt service payments that will come due this summer.
After the payments, Bourg said, the administration will take another look at the budget and what the parish can afford.
Port board
The council voted 5-3 Feb. 26 in favor of Hanagriff’s appointment to the Port of West St. Mary board. But apparently because many issues require a clear majority for passage — six votes from the 11-member council — Hanagriff’s appointment was declared to have failed.
But three council members were absent Feb. 26. Councilman Rodney Olander of Franklin put an amendment to the Feb. 26 minutes on Wednesday’s agenda, citing a parish ordinance that says only a majority of members present is required to approve a board appointment.
The five votes for Hanagriff represented a majority of the eight members who were present, so Hanagriff’s appointment was successful after all.
ITEP
Louisiana offers a property tax break for up to 10 years for next manufacturers or expansions of existing industry under the Industrial Tax Exemption Program.
Before 2016, exemptions from local property taxes were largely a top-down decision by the state Board of Commerce and Industry. That year, then-Gov. John Bel Edwards changed ITEP to allow local governments affected by the tax exemptions to say yes or no, to reduce the abatement to 80% for five years with an option for five more, and to require the projects to meet job creation targets.
Now Gov. Jeff Landry has changed the program again, dropping the job creation requirement.
Economic Development Director Boudreaux told the council Wednesday that decisions on ITEP applications will now be up to a parishwide board made up of representatives of all the local governments. But the governor will be empowered to overrule the board’s decision.
“It looks like it doesn’t really matter what we do,” said Councilman J Ina of Franklin. “The governor can do whatever he wants to do.”
Insurance
Councilwoman Dr. Kristi Prejeant Rink of Centerville is hoping for a discussion and a possible resolution about soaring home and flood insurance rates.
Rates have risen steeply since the hurricanes of 2020-21 and the launch of a new system of rating risk used to determine premiums for federal flood insurance.
Rink told the council that St. Mary residents aren’t getting the benefit of flood prevention projects carried out here.
In recent years, the parish has seen multimillion dollar flood projects on Bayou Chene and Bayou Teche and a major levee improvement project in Morgan City.