More in store: Downtown’s first grocery store in more than 50 years is officially open, though its shelves won’t be fully stocked until Jan. 22, the Downtown Development District announced today. The 16,000-square-foot Matherne’s Market is located on the ground floor of the 440 on Third development, 440 Third St. It’s opening originally had been set for October or November, but has been delayed due to a variety of logistical issues.
Here’s the plan: The Louisiana Department of Revenue will begin accepting 2014 state individual income tax returns Jan. 20. The agency says they will begin processing returns Feb. 3 and will start issuing refunds Feb. 24. If filing an electronic return, refunds will take up to 21 days. For paper returns, taxpayers should expect to wait eight to 10 weeks.
While the iron’s hot: As U.S. gasoline prices plunge to the lowest level in more than five years, Reuters reports some U.S. lawmakers are seeing the big drop as a golden opportunity to bump up taxes at the pump to help pay for the repair of crumbling roads and bridges. Fuel taxes have been flat for more than 20 years, starving the Highway Trust Fund of revenue used for rising infrastructure repair costs. Lawmakers have fueled the fund with last-minute short-term injections of cash, but want to find a more permanent fix. Read the full story.
