On file: Commissioner of Higher Education Jim Purcell announced today that all four of Louisiana’s higher education systems have jointly applied to become a course provider under the Department of Education’s new Louisiana Course Choice program. The systems have applied under the name Louisiana’s College Course Choice Collaborative. The Louisiana Course Choice program allows businesses and other nontraditional course providers to apply to partner with the state to create workforce training courses for K-12 students. Read the full news release about the collaborative application here.
Help wanted: First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Aug. 18 increased from the previous week’s total. The state labor department figures released today show the initial claims increased to 2,835 from the previous week’s total of 2,814. Initial claims were below the comparable week a year earlier at 3,733. The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, decreased to 2,963 from the previous week’s total of 3,025. The largest over-the-week decrease in continued claims was in the health care and social assistance industry.
Get your kicks: Garrett Hartley’s name is etched into New Orleans Saints lore as the player whose kick sent the club to its only Super Bowl. John Kasay, one of the most successful kickers in NFL history, proved last season that he was not yet over-the-hill at age 42. While both have been back with New Orleans this preseason, the Saints will only have room for one of them. Houston also has two kickers vying for one spot. The Texans are trying to decide between rookie Randy Bullock and veteran Shayne Graham—with both competitions set to continue Saturday night when the Saints (No. 9 in the AP Pro 32) host the Texans (No. 4). Kickoff is 7 p.m.
