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Leader's Buddy Davis dies at 72

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Update, July 16: donation link corrected

Bennett makes reelection bid

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Lincoln Parish Police Juror Bobby Bennett has announced his candidacy for reelection to the District 3 seat.

Bennett has served on the jury for 17 years.

“If reelected, I would like to start a program to cut overhanging limbs growing over the parish roads,” Bennett said. “I also, in this program, want to fix road shoulders where big trucks have traveled off the blacktop with their back wheels, causing a washout between the road and the shoulders.

Estate plans crucial for good future

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The word “estate” conjures images of great wealth, which may be one of the reasons so many people don’t develop estate plans – after all, they’re not rich, so why make the effort?

In reality, though, if you have a family, you can probably benefit from estate planning, whatever your asset level.

And you may well find that a comprehensive estate plan can help you answer some questions you may find unsettling — or even worrisome.

Here are a few of these questions:

Biggest 401(k) mistakes people often make

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Question: I’m just about to start in my company’s 401(k). I’m super excited, but I am also concerned.

I don’t want to mess this up. So, what are the biggest mistakes you’ve seen people make with their 401(k) and how can I not do that?

Answer: James Joyce called mistakes “the portals of discovery.”

So, don’t fear making mistakes. Fear not learning from them and repeating the same few endlessly.

Saving for retirement and a child’s college education

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You want to retire comfortably when the time comes. But you also want to help your child pay for college.

With the cost of college tuition increasing and no guarantee that Social Security will be around at the time you retire, the amount of money you need to save may seem overwhelming.

How do you balance both of those goals?

By starting to plan now, you can strike a strategic balance between saving for retirement and saving for college, says Will Larson, Retirement Planning Strategist for Wells Fargo Advisors.

World Series almost here

IN OUR OPINION

The clock is ticking.

In 13 days, the first pitch leaves the mound and the 2019 Dixie Youth Baseball World Series begins. Over the course of the two-week event, more than 70 teams from 11 states, including Louisiana, will play in the tournaments at Ruston’s new sports complex, located on U.S. 167 south.

All totaled, the series is expected to draw thousands of people to Ruston and pump several million dollars into the summertime economy.

Barry, a multiple whammy scenario for state

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I have to admit I get a strange thrill whenever this happens. The thrill comes from not knowing what to expect. I love a good surprise.

So the question becomes, as I write this on Friday — what comes next?

What we do know is that tropical system Barry continues churning in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to bring a ridiculous amount of rain not only to the southern part of the state, but to Louisiana as a whole.

New abortion limits go beyond ban

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While Louisiana’s ban on abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy drew the nation’s attention, Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers enacted other new abortion clinic regulations that are more likely to land the state in court.

Louisiana was the fifth state to enact a prohibition on abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, with a bipartisan group of lawmakers supporting its passage. Edwards, a Democrat, drew scorn from within his own party as he quickly signed the bill into law.