We live under the flight path for Lake Charles Regional Airport. For the last few weeks we have noticed there are fewer flights coming over us off Ham Reid Road. What’s going on (or not)?

Lake Charles Regional’s primary runway — with a northwest-to-southeast approach over Ham Reid Road — has been undergoing rehabilitation work since March 4, said Heath Allen, the airport’s executive director.

Since that runway, designated 15-33, is unavailable, the airport has shifted traffic to another runway, 05-23, which has a more east-west alignment — meaning no flights approach over Ham Reid Road, he said.

“The project to rehabilitate the primary runway will remove and replace approximately 6 percent of the concrete pavement, all joint seal material, and all runway markings,” Allen wrote in an email.

“The project is budgeted at $2.4 million and is currently on schedule to be completed in late May.”

Online: www.flylakecharles.com

Gill extension slowed by weather, events

The Gill Street extension project south of the Civic Center seems to have gone on forever. When did the project begin, and when is it scheduled to be complete?

“The contractor was given the notice to proceed on April 2, 2012. There were 300 contract working days for this project with an estimated completion date of June 19, 2012,” John Cardone, city administrator, wrote in an email.

“There were lost working days due to weather and several days lost to accommodate Civic Center activities such as Mardi Gras. Weather permitting, the Gill Street project should be substantially complete by late July.”

Online: www.cityoflakecharles.com.

Six living presidents achieved three times

At what time in history did we have the most living presidents at one time, and was there ever a time when there was no living president during the current president’s time?

According to the “The Presidential Book of Lists: From Most to Least, Elected to Rejected, Worst to Cursed — Fascinating Facts About Our Chief Executives” by Ian Randal Strock, three times in the nation’s history there were six presidents — one current and five former — alive at the same time.

The periods and presidents:

March 4, 1861, to Jan. 18, 1862 — Abraham Lincoln, John Tyler, Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan.

Jan. 20, 1993, to April 22, 1994 — Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Jan. 20, 2001, to June 5, 2004 — George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

The presidents who served without living predecessors number four: George Washington, John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon.

Online: http://books.google.com.

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com

On the heels of recently completing maintenance to its runway in May