Louisiana is close to reaching settlement of a four-decade-old lawsuit, filed by Tangipahoa Parish residents for flooding in the early 1980’s caused by construction of the then-new Interstate 12. The settlement with the roughly 1200 plaintiffs will be around $100-million. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says a good number of plaintiffs have passed away since the lawsuit was originally filed in 1983, but their shares will go to their heirs…:

CUT 05  (11)        “…be involved.”

A state lawmaker’s bill to grant judges the option of a death sentence for person’s convicted of murdering their own child passes out of a House committee. Baton Rouge Democrat Rep. Barbara Carpenter is the bill sponsor…:

CUT 06  (11)        “…these babies.”

Despite some objections, the bill passed and goes on the House floor.

Louisiana is going back to work, according to data from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. LWC spokesman Chris Fiore says unemployment is currently at only 4.3-percent which is the third-best it’s been since the 70’s. He says job seekers should visit “LAWorks.net” and browse the 30-thousand job postings there…:

CUT 11  (10)        “…but a career.”

Sheriff’s investigators say they don’t believe driver distraction played a role in a fatal crash Thursday involving a big rig and a tour bus. West Baton Rouge Parish deputies say it was suspected the trucker Ricky Hagar may have been texting, but they’re satisfied that was not the case; he simply didn’t have enough time to stop. Hagar’s truck hot the bus, forcing it into the median where it caught fire. It happened on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish. One person was killed and three were hurt.