The Village of Dixie Inn convened for its regular council meeting on March 12 at the Village Hall located at 60 Shell Street in Dixie Inn. The meeting addressed key developments, including the installation of fiber optic lines by AT&T in the area.
Alderman Lance Milligan expressed gratitude for the long-awaited internet service upgrade, stating, “I’m grateful that we’re finally getting the internet that we have very much deserved for a long time. Thank goodness for the GUMBO grant, the legislation, and everybody that made it happen.” Milligan, one of the first residents to sign up for the new fiber optic service, praised it as “the best thing on the market, hands down.”
While fiber optic lines are not yet accessible to all residents in Dixie Inn, Mike Griffith from the Webster Parish Police Jury assured, “We’re going to have a map from the jury that will let everybody know who’s got it and who doesn’t. We’ll make contact with those people who don’t. We just want to make sure that nobody gets overlooked. We want to make sure everybody has the same opportunity.” Current AT&T customers are expected to qualify for lower rates than non-AT&T customers.
In a related development, AT&T installed a new cellular tower on Homer Road in Minden last spring, paving the way for future fiber optic services in Minden.
The council also passed Ordinance No. 132, enabling the enforcement of certain traffic violations by automated means. Dixie Inn police officers using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), either handheld or trailer mounted, can now use photographic evidence to impose civil penalties on drivers who disregard speed limits and stop signs. Speeding fines will range from $100 to $150, with the vehicle owner responsible for the civil-violation penalties (fines). However, if the owner was not the driver, the owner must provide a signed affidavit identifying the person who was in possession of the vehicle at the time of the violation.
A current bill (SB21) in the legislature that would prohibit automated speed-enforcement devices is not expected to pass. Notably, a police officer stopping a vehicle and issuing a citation falls under a criminal penalty, while the discussed automated system that mails evidence to the owner pertains to a civil penalty.
In light of Webster Parish Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Aaron Barnes’s serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle on January 30, the Dixie Inn Police Department emphasized the enforcement of LRS 32.125. This law mandates that all drivers yield right-of-way to emergency vehicles by pulling over to the right side of the road and stopping until the emergency vehicle has passed. If the emergency vehicle is parked on the side of the road, other drivers must make a lane change into a non-adjacent lane if possible. If a lane change is not possible, the driver must slow to a reasonably safe speed.
The Village of Dixie Inn holds its council meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, with the next meeting scheduled for April 9 at 5 PM. The public is welcome to attend.