in 3rd District race
BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal isn’t getting involved in the Republican battle in Louisiana’s 3rd District congressional race.
Jindal spokeswoman Shannon Bates said Monday the governor won’t endorse a candidate in the Dec. 8 runoff between U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany and Jeff Landry. Bates says the governor has “great respect” for both congressmen and will leave it to voters to choose between them.
The two congressmen were forced into the same district when Louisiana lost a U.S. House seat after the most recent federal census.
BESE member can continue work with state
BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Board of Ethics has decided that the company of a member of the state’s top school board can continue its work with the labor department.
Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education aren’t supposed to enter into any contracts with state government under a law Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration passed in 2008.
BESE member Jay Guillot, of Ruston, sought guidance from the ethics board about his company participating in the Incumbent Worker Training Program, run through the labor department.
Fire destroys plant
SLAUGHTER — An early Monday morning fire has destroyed the Monolyte Laboratories, Inc. facility in Slaughter.
The facility is a biochemical research center that deals with mostly environmentally friendly chemicals.
15 new West Nile cases,
1 death this past week
NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen new West Nile virus cases and one death from the virus have been reported in the past week, according to the state Department of Health and Hospitals.
In addition, one patient’s illness changed from flu-like West Nile fever to a dangerous “neuroinvasive” infection affecting the brain or spinal cord.
“Not only do we continue to find more cases — this week, we have three parishes reporting their first human cases of West Nile for the year,” DHH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said in a news release. “Clearly, this virus remains a threat, and it’s important to protect your health and avoid mosquito bites even as the weather gets colder and drier.”
The parishes with their first human cases of West Nile this year were Assumption, St. Landry and Winn.
This year there has been 371 cases, including 152 of neuroinvasive disease, and 16 deaths, all within two weeks of disease onset.
West Nile virus has been present in Louisiana since 2002, when 328 people got sick and 24 died. A total of 204 cases were infections affecting the brain or spinal cord.
LHC board member named
LAFAYETTE — Christopher Shackleton has been elected to the board of directors of Lafayette-based LHCF Group Inc.
The company said Shackleton will serve on the audit and corporate development committees.
He is co-founder and managing partner of Coliseum Capital Management LLC in Stamford, Conn. Coliseum is a long-term capital investment firm and is privately held.
LHC Group provides health services in post-acute care.
FEMA sets Isaac deadline
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana residents who sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Isaac have 10 days left to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for possible state and federal recovery assistance.
Officials said Monday that the registration deadline is Nov. 29.
Louisianians can register for individual assistance online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). FEMA phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Storm-affected homeowners, renters and business owners with uninsured or underinsured damage in the following disaster-designated parishes should register: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.
Snow planned at Loyola
NEW ORLEANS — Snow is rare in New Orleans, but a little patch of the city’s uptown area will be covered with it on Dec. 5.
Loyola University is scheduled to blanket its broad green space fronting historic St. Charles Avenue with 20 tons of manufactured snow.
The university says the annual event will again include hot chocolate and carolers for students and the university’s neighbors to enjoy. The event is sponsored by the University Programing Board.
LSU president names
10-member advisory group
BATON ROUGE — LSU System President William Jenkins has created a 10-person advisory panel to review ways to reorganize the university system and its campuses.
Jenkins announced the panel Monday.
Members include Jenkins, current and former LSU leaders, the lead counsel for the LSU System, business leaders with ties to LSU campuses and retired Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore.
2 miles of U.S. 90
slated for widening
BROUSSARD — State officials have announced plans to widen about 2 miles of U.S. Highway 90 between Albertsons Parkway and Ambassador Caffery Parkway in Lafayette Parish.
The work will extend a project completed last month that widened 7 miles of U.S. 90 from four to six lanes, beginning at Pinhook Road in Lafayette and stretching south to Broussard.
Department of Transportation and Development spokeswoman Jodi Conachen said the estimated $90 to $110 million price tag for the new project includes frontage roads and widening the La. Highway 182 overpass.
The project is not expected to be complete until 2017.
From The Associated Press.
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