A ban on outdoor burning remains in effect and likely will remain in place until East Feliciana Parish receives some measurable rain, Homeland Security Director Darryl Buhler said Sunday.

Crews from four states have assisted East Feliciana volunteer firefighters and state forestry crews in battling a series of wildfires in the parish, Buhler told the Police Jury at its Oct. 16 meeting.

The black willow trees and muddy ground rising above the water on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico can feel almost primordial — wild, untouched land as old as Louisiana itself.

It isn’t. Far from it, in fact. The swampy islands stretching out like misshapen cigars along Louisiana’s central coast are younger than many people alive today.

Optimum, the local provider of internet, mobile, and television services, announced that it has made network and infrastructure upgrades to launch up to 500 Mbps internet speeds in Ville Platte. The company said with this launch, they are now the fastest internet provider available in this market.

In the middle of the shrunken Mississippi, a barge drags a giant metal-edged suction head along the riverbed to remove sediment from shipping lanes. 

The crew of the dustpan dredge Hurley has been working around-the-clock for months to deepen the channels so boats and barges can pass through.