BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring,"... and south Louisiana remains plagued by water problems, not even including Monday's severe thunderstorms and high winds. Today's headlines highlight some of the ongoing efforts to mitigate flooding, repair aging water infrastructure and boost trade on the Mississippi River: Drinking water: Problems with the well in Killian are a case study in the long-recognized problem with water infrastructure in Louisiana's rural heartland, where customer bases can be small, systems can be old and finances tight. Read more about what's being done. The mighty Mississippi: With the Mississippi River steadily rising in the New Orleans area because of late-spring rainfall upstream, the Army Corps of Engineers expects to begin a first phase of flood preparations on Tuesday that includes increased inspections of levees and a ban on below-ground construction work within 1,500 feet of levees and floodwalls. See more. Port investment: As the Mississippi River and its levees undergo close monitoring to prevent flooding, lawmakers in Baton Rouge are looking to create powerful state board known as the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission that would be responsible for guiding tens of millions of dollars in state funding for port investments. Louisiana's ports support one in five jobs in the state, so this bill could have far-reaching impacts. Read more. On a separate note, who can annex into or out of St. George, East Baton Rouge Parish's newest city? City hall reporter Lara Nicholson has the latest. | 