On the list: Personal finance website NerdWallet.com has placed Baton Rouge on its list of the 20 best U.S. cities for engineers, ranking the city No. 17. According to the site, which compiled the rankings based on the number of engineers per 1,000 employees in each metro area according to 2013 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Baton Rouge has 16.6 engineers per 1,000 employees, and they earn an average of $96,510 annually. Huntsville, Alabama, is ranked as the nation’s best city for engineers. See the complete rankings.
Now open: U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., on Friday opened a district office on the second floor of the Livingston Parish Government Building, 29261 Frost Road, in the town of Livingston. Graves, who represents the 6th Congressional District, says he hopes to open an office in Thibodaux in March. He also has an office in Baton Rouge at 2351 Energy Drive, Suite 1200. Graves, who defeated former Gov. Edwin Edwards to win his seat in December, says the Livingston Parish office is important because of economic and population growth happening there.
End of the line: The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from guides in New Orleans who object to having to be licensed to lead tours. The Associated Press reports the justices didn’t comment today in leaving in place lower-court rulings that said the requirements don’t violate First Amendment protections of the Constitution. Licensing opponents had hoped the case might attract the Supreme Court’s interest because a District of Columbia court struck down similar rules in the nation’s capital. Candance Kagan is one of the guides who filed the lawsuit in New Orleans. She says she’s disappointed the justices won’t hear the case. But other guides say the licensing process—which includes a test on New Orleans history and culture—helps ensure that tourists get accurate information.
