People get ready: LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Counterterrorism Training has been awarded $20.4 million to train first responders for weapons of mass destruction attacks. The funding is coming from the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Learn more about LSU’s NCBRC here.
Driving a hard bargain: Lake Charles officials are taking a new look at alternative fuels for public vehicles. While concerned about the cost of converting vehicles to use compressed natural gas, along with the purchase of new vehicles, many officials are impressed with the potential savings. In Lafayette, officials say they’ve turned a $25,000-a-month fuel bill for five city buses to $1,800 a month by converting to compressed natural gas. The (Lake Charles) American Press has the full story here.
Hammers ringing: The Commerce Department reports this morning that housing starts rose 6.9% in June from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 760,000. That’s the highest since October 2008. Single-family housing starts, which account for more than 70% of new residential construction, rose for the fourth straight month to a two-year high. Get all the details on the report here.
