UPDATE: The South Slidell Branch Library reopened at noon on April 15, according to Jacquelyn Riecke, public relations and community coordinator for St. Tammany libraries.
"We received electricity and internet (Monday morning) and after inspection, the decision was made to reopen the branch," Riecke said.
Riecke said plywood currently is covering a hole on the building's east-facing wall, which was damaged in the tornado that whipped through Slidell on April 10.
"We will need some cosmetic repairs for the window and stucco, but the library is patron worthy at this point. We had several nearby residents already plugging in to our outside sockets to charge their devices this morning."
The South Slidell Branch Library, located at 3901 Pontchartrain Drive, will remain closed until further notice due to damage from tornadoes in that area on April 10.
The building's front wall was damaged, a library spokesperson said, and rainwater soaked the floor in that area. The ceiling in that part of the building also appeared compromised and needed to be fully inspected before the branch reopened to the public.
No books, computers or furniture were damaged during the storm, according to library officials.
With that location closed, residents are encouraged to visit any of the parish's other library branches, which all have power and internet services available. System officials said any fees associated with library use will be waived through April 27, including printing charges, fax charges, late return fees, replacement card fees, and lost item fees (if the item was damaged or lost because of the storm).
The copy machines are not owned by the library, however, bu patrons can ask a staff member to scan the item(s) and subsequently print copies at no cost.
All branch locations and hours can be found at sttammanylibrary.org/branches.
Early voting for area propositions ends Saturday
Early voting for eight different propositions on St. Tammany ballots will continue through Saturday, April 20.
Registered voters can cast a ballot from 8:30 a.m. through 6 p.m. on April 17-20 at either 601 N. Jefferson Ave. in Covington on the bottom floor of the Parish Courthouse parking garage building; at 520 Old Spanish Trail, Suite 2F of the Towers Building in Slidell; and at 21490 Koop Drive at the Parish government complex just north of Interstate 12 near Mandeville.
Identification is required to vote.
The only item facing voters parishwide is a millage extension to finance the Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice District, which serves five area parishes.
Voters in Slidell will decide if they want to scrap two existing property taxes and replace them with a 0.38-cent sales tax to fund law enforcement operations in the city.
Three different recreation district proposals are on the ballot, one each in the Mandeville, Madisonville and Bush areas. Three fire district proposals will be decided as well — two in Lee Road and one in Folsom.
For full information on each proposition, go online to https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/PropositionText and scroll down to St. Tammany Parish.
For general information about early voting or on the April 27 election date, call (985) 809-5500 or (985) 646-4125.
Juvenile detention center director to speak
The Military Road Alliance, an umbrella organization of homeowner associations in eastern St. Tammany Parish, will host its next meeting on Weds., April 17, at 7 p.m. Joseph Dominick, Executive Director of the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, will be the guest speaker.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting at the Boyet Junior High cafeteria, 59295 Rebel Drive, near Slidell.
Dominick will discuss activities and ongoing projects at the center, which serves Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. The facility has a millage renewal on the April 27 ballot and Dominick will discuss how the center is financed and benefits its brings to the five parishes it serves. He will answer questions after his presentation.
Military Road Alliance meetings are open to the public. For more information on this or future meetings, contact Robert Broome at (985) 774-1662, send email to robertbroome@fastmail.com or check the group's Facebook page at https://facebook.com/mraslidell.