On the road: A Baton Rouge contractor has been awarded the contract for the $25.5 million Interstate 20 Interchange and Frontage Road project in Ruston. JB James Construction was awarded the contract by the City of Ruston and Louisiana Department of Transportation. The firm will add new on and off ramps and replace the existing bridge on Tarbutton Road at I-20. The new exit will give access to Ruston Junior High School, Louisiana Tech and area churches, restaurants and retail shops that are near I-20. Approximately 30 JB James employees will work on the project and 30 Ruston locals also will be hired. Other components of the project will be subcontracted to other Louisiana companies. JB James Construction is a full-service heavy highway and bridge contractor with satellite offices in Shreveport, Lake Charles, Lafayette and Covington.
Environmental friendly: Cox Communication is accepting nominations for the 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes program, which honors local environmental volunteers. Nominations from Baton Rouge, Acadiana and New Orleans are being accepted through 4 p.m. June 30. The program is presented in partnership with The Trust for Public Land. Local judging panels, comprised of environmental and civic leaders, will select three nominees to compete for the Louisiana 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes Awards. The winner will be chosen through an online vote and will receive $10,000 to donate to his or her nonprofit of choice. The two finalists will each receive $5,000 for their nonprofits of choice. Voting will take place in August and September. A winner will be announced in early November. Get more information.
On the table: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy today joined Sens. Kristen Gillibrand, D-New York, and Shelley Moore, R-West Virginia, in introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program through 2027. The program is currently set to expire on Sept. 30. “This is a product of listening to those affected, finding from stakeholders those policies that would address affordability and sustainability within the NFIP,” Cassidy says in a prepared statement. “The goal of this bipartisan bill is to bring peace of mind for Louisiana families, and for all American families, seeking to buy flood insurance.” The 10-year extension, a news release from Cassidy’s office says, avoids short-term extensions and program lapses that create uncertainty in the insurance and housing markets.
