Clearing out: BREC on Monday announced it will be conducting several large-scale tree removals throughout the Baton Rouge park system over the next several months, starting at Highland Road Community Park. BREC says the task is necessary because many trees across its parks were killed by this summer’s extreme heat and drought-like conditions.
Declining confidence: Builder confidence in the market for single-family homes dropped to the lowest level since January, as builders contend with a market dominated by high mortgage rates and costs for financing. The monthly National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped 4 points to 40 in October, marking the third straight monthly decline in builder confidence. Read the full story from CNBC.
Staggered rollout: The IRS plans to invite select taxpayers across 13 states—Louisiana is not among them—to try out the agency’s pilot electronic free file tax return system beginning in January. The agency estimates that hundreds of thousands of taxpayers will participate in the limited rollout of the program for the 2024 filing season. Read the full story.
