Action!: A portion of Florida Street downtown, between Seventh and Ninth streets, will be closed to traffic between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday due to filming of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which stars Tom Cruise. Mayor Kip Holden’s office says Baton Rouge police will be on location, restricting traffic before, during and after the closure. No parking signs will be posted on the affected streets. The production is working with local police, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and city-parish traffic engineers to minimize traffic delays and assist with detour routes, Holden’s office says. Trucks will be rerouted to North Street to avoid the closure.
Applicants wanted: The Futures Fund, a workforce development program designed to create digital, literary, visual and performing arts entrepreneurial opportunities for youths aged 14-18, announced today that applications for the spring 2016 session are now open. Interested students and their parents/guardians can complete the online application until Jan. 25. With special focus on north Baton Rouge and Mid City, the program provides high school students with training in the arts under the guidance of paid professionals and volunteers with industry-specific expertise. The program takes place over eight weeks. Selected students will be notified by Feb. 1. Get complete details and apply.
By the numbers: Initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Dec. 26 decreased to 2,398 from the previous week’s total of 2,675, the Louisiana Workforce Commission announced today. For the comparable week the year previous, 1,566 initial claims were filed. The four-week moving average of initial claims decreased to 2,483 from the previous week’s average of 2,522. Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week ending Dec. 26 increased to 22,682 from the previous week’s total of 21,789. Continued weeks claimed were also above the comparable week figure of 20,328 for the year prior. The four-week moving average of continued weeks claimed decreased to 21,876 from the previous week’s average of 21,991.
