The 318: Mayor tests positive for COVID; South Bossier SporTran route delayed
Good evening, Shreveport. The New Year is only a few days away and a sunny Christmas Day reached a high temperature of 79 degrees. The temperature is expected to be in the 70s throughout the coming week, but cloudiness is forecasted and rainfall has an 80 percent chance Wednesday.
Shreveport Mayor tests positive for COVID; state reports omicron makes up 85 percent of new cases
Mayor Adrian Perkins has tested positive for COVID, the Shreveport Mayor's Office announced on Christmas Eve. He is reportedly asymptomatic and will remain in quarantine for 10 days.
Louisiana is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 2,835 new COVID cases on Dec. 23.
LDOH estimates 85 percent of new cases diagnosed in the week ending Dec. 13 are caused by the variant omicron.
Shreveport Regional and Shreveport Downtown airports allocated federal infrastructure bill funding
More federal infrastructure bill allocations have been announced, this time bringing $35.7 million to Louisiana airports.
The funding can be used for "runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects," and the airports will receive similar allocations for four years, according to a release from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
The Shreveport Regional and Shreveport Downtown airports will receive $2,792,879 and $295,000 annually, respectively, while airports in Mansfield, Ruston, Vivian, and Minden will receive between $100,000 and $300,000 annually.
Announced South Bossier SporTran route delayed after Mayor Chandler balks
A SporTran route in South Bossier City was set to begin operations on Jan. 3, the company announced Monday.
However, those plans have been delayed after a response Tuesday from Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler saying the route has not been approved by his administration or the City Council.
Chandler questioned if taxpayers would be responsible for the cost of the new route, and if the "frequent stops by buses could further congest our already busy roads."
SporTran CEO Dinero' Washington said the company will announce a new launch date after an agreement has been reached with the City.
Who are we watching in 2022
The staff of the Shreveport Times built our lists of people to watch in the new year. Check out which community leaders made the cut, as well as those to watch in business and arts and entertainment.
You can expect a new edition of The 318 every Sunday.
If you're interested in a deeper dive into the week's local business happenings, check out Business in the 318.
If you'd like to know more about art, food and entertainment from this week, check out Life in the 318.
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Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport Mayor test positive for COVID; Bossier SporTran route delay
