News

Jeff Davis Parish School Board voted this week to begin the first phase of a $1.8 million multiphase recovery project to address damage caused to parish schools by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a trend that has surprised many: Why, despite being squeezed by high prices, have Americans kept spending at retail stores and restaurants at a robust pace? One key reason is a relatively simple one: Wealthier consumers, boosted by strong gains in income, home equity and stock market wealth, have increasingly driven the spending. That trend represents something of a shift from the prepandemic period. And it suggests that consumer spending, the primary driver of the U.S. economy, could help sustain healthy growth this year and next.

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that it opened the probe on Thursday with the company reporting four crashes after Teslas entered areas of low visibility including sun glare, fog and airborne dust. The agency said that in addition to the pedestrian’s death, another crash involved an injury.

(The Center Square) — In a recent K-12 Study Group meeting, Louisiana educators expressed growing concerns about the overwhelming amount of standardized testing imposed on students, which they argue contributes to stress for children, teachers, and parents.

LAKE ARTHUR — The Town of Lake Arthur is having another fun night in the park with their Movie Under the Oaks event at Lake Arthur Park showing “Hocus Pocus 2” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, an independent, non-partisan reviewer, recently released an explanation of the Constitutional Amendment for the upcoming election.

(The Center Square) — The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority met on Wednesday to discuss the status of various ongoing projects, one of which is elevating homes in flood-prone areas.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was the man Israel has hunted for more than a year.