Word up: After writing more than 150 mobile apps, Baton Rouge-based The Smyth Group says it has published its biggest hit yet. So You Think You Know Words, a word game that reinvents the traditional crossword puzzle, has moved into Amazon’s “Top 3 Movers and Shakers” list for the Kindle Fire and Apple’s “Top 50 iPad Word Games” list. It’s also enjoying a 4-of-5 rating on the iTunes App Store and has had more than 2.3 million plays overall. You can learn more about the game and download it for your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire or Nook Color here.
Building a better district: The state agency overseeing most New Orleans public schools should tighten controls over contract changes that drive up costs at some school construction sites, Louisiana’s Legislative Auditor’s Office says in a report released today. Contract change orders were one focus of the report, which says contracts that changed after they were signed often added to costs, sometimes excessively. Policies for testing of construction materials also needs improvement, the report says. In response, the Recovery School District says it agrees with most of the report’s findings and is taking steps to address problems outlined in it. Read the full story here for more details.
Communication breakdown: A group of Filipino guest workers allege in a lawsuit that their Louisiana-based employers subjected them to inhumane working and living conditions, and further claim company officials have threatened some of them with deportation unless they drop the case. A federal judge today issued an order barring Grand Isle Shipyard Inc. and DNR-Offshore and Crewing Inc., a job-placement firm, from contacting any of the 20 workers collectively suing the companies. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt says there is no legitimate reason for the companies to communicate with the plaintiffs, since the latter no longer work for them. Read the full story here.
