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Louisiana is receiving a $17 million federal grant for improvements to public drinking water systems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the funding Thursday.

The dollars, from the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, are going to the state Department of Health and Hospitals for loan assistance for water system infrastructure upgrades and repairs.

The program is designed to promote safe drinking water for communities.

Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened slightly as it spun toward the Dominican Republic and vulnerable Haiti on Friday, threatening to bring punishing rains but unlikely to gain enough steam to strike as a hurricane.

Forecasters now expect the storm to stay below hurricane force until it's in the Gulf of Mexico. It's expected to stay to the west of Tampa, Fla., where the Republican National Convention starts on Monday, though there is still an outside chance it could hit there.

The company believed responsible for the massive sinkhole near Bayou Corne may have to pay a fine of up to $5,000 a day if it doesn't retroactively compensate evacuated residents.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh said Thursday Texas Brine Co. is required by the permit issued for a brine cavern they own in the Napoleonville salt dome to provide assistance to residents if a sinkhole develops.

The Houston-based company began providing a weekly housing check of $875 to evacuated locals last week.

Nearly $8.4 million in federal funds has been set aside for the establishment of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu says the money will cover the construction of a main entrance, an administration building, a maintenance facility, roads and other infrastructure for the cemetery which will cover 21 acres.

Small businesses in 11 Louisiana parishes are now eligible for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Alfred E. Judd, director of the SBA's Disaster Field Operations Center-West, said in a news release Tuesday that the loans can offset economic losses caused by the drought that began June 19.

The eligible parishes are Morehouse, Richland, Union, West Carroll, Caldwell, Claiborne, East Carroll, Franklin, Lincoln, Madison and Ouachita. Three neighboring counties in Arkansas — Ashley, Chicot and Union — also are eligible.

A 24-year-old man accused of shooting a St. John the Baptist Parish deputy is being held without bond.

That information about Brian Lyn Smith was posted Tuesday on the sheriff's office website. Brian Smith was booked Friday with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer.

He's accused of shooting 33-year-old Deputy Michael Scott Boyington, who remains hospitalized.

Sheriff Mike Tregre has said three deputies were ambushed while investigating that shooting, and two were killed.

Locals are reporting more gas bubbles in Grand Bayou.

Officials at the Assumption Parish Police Jury said Tuesday a small bubble site was discovered near a massive sinkhole in Assumption Parish. Residents have been reporting other gas bubbles and tremors in the area for months.

The sinkhole swallowed up an acre of bald cypress trees Aug 3. It has since grown to the size of a football field.

Twenty-two appeals court judgeships are on the Nov. 6 ballot, but voters will only make choices in five of those races.

That's because more than three-quarters of the jobs were handed to candidates when they attracted no opposition as the qualifying period closed last week.

Most of those were incumbents, but five candidates are getting the 10-year terms for the first time without even a challenge, all district court judges moving up the judicial system ladder.

In Louisiana, races for the judiciary often attract little attention.

Open auditions will be held Saturday for individual singers or groups who want to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at many LSU sporting events Saturday.

Anthem singing for LSU football games is excluded.

The Advocate reports auditions are set for 10 a.m. to noon in the Recital Hall of the LSU School of Music building.

More information is available by calling the LSU athletics marketing and promotions office at 225-578-6884 or by email at promotions@lsu.edu.