A federal judge in Monroe has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop the removal of a Confederate monument outside of the Caddo Parish courthouse. It clears the way for the Caddo Parish Commission to move ahead with plans to put the monument somewhere else. The Shreveport chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy claims the statue sits on private property.

The state transportation department says 17 homes and four businesses will have to re-locate, if Louisiana moves forward with plans to expand Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge between the Mississippi River bridge and the I-10-12 split. Three days of public meetings on the proposal begin tonight. Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says they’ll also show motorists how construction will not exacerbate the city’s already tortuous traffic…
cut 6 (09) “….lot better’

Schools are back in session and for some students getting enough sleep is already a problem. Louisiana Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Martha Whyte says getting the proper amount of sleep helps students stay focused and improves academic performance.
Cut 7 (08) “…memory as well.”
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends kids between the ages of 6 and 12 should get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep, 13 to 18 year olds should get eight to 10 hours.

BestColleges-dot-com ranks Louisiana Tech as the best university in the state. The website compared colleges on academic quality and affordability. University spokesperson Tonya Oaks Smith says the site also named Tech as the Best Online University in Louisiana…
cut 12 (12) “…within their schedule”