Looking for work: Initial claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana were up 30% last week from the previous week because of the closing of a Farmerville chicken processing plant, says the Louisiana Workforce Commission. For the week ending May 9, there were 5,531 initial claims for jobless benefits. That’s up from 4,240 the previous week. Those numbers should change since the Legislature approved a bill this week spending state megafund money to help a California company buy the former Pilgrim’s Pride plant. Continued unemployment benefits increased from 48,603 to 48,651 for the latest week. That compares with 20,277 claims for the comparable week of 2008.
Project runway: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport officials have hired Stanley Consultants to design a taxiway rehabilitation and expansion project. The firm will draw up specifications for taxiway F, which will run the full length of an existing runway.
Caution: Eastbound lanes of Interstate 12 from O’Neal Lane to Pete’s Highway in Denham Springs will start alternately closing at night, beginning Sunday, to make room for an interstate widening project. The work will go on from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to minimize the impact on traffic. The closures will go on through May 28, pending bad weather. The I-12 widening project should be completed by Thanksgiving 2011.
