For auction: The Louisiana Property Assistance Agency will hold its monthly state surplus auction at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday in Baton Rouge at 1059 Brickyard Lane, under the Mississippi River Bridge. The auction features vehicles, construction equipment, household appliances, home furniture, office supplies, medical and exercise equipment and other miscellaneous items. The auction is open to the public. Get complete details and see a listing of items up for bid.
Rallying around: The Louisiana Association of Educators and the Vermillion Association of Educators are planning to rally on Thursday in support of an Abbeville teacher arrested at a Vermillion School Parish Board meeting. Deyshia Hargrave was handcuffed after being escorted out of the meeting after voicing opposition to pay raise that boosted superintendent Jerome Puyau’s salary from $110,000 to upwards of $140,000. A video of the arrest went viral. Hargrave was not charged.
Mega project: Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda announced today plans to build a huge $1.6 billion joint-venture auto plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. Several states had competed for the coveted project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and will produce the Toyota Corolla for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Auto analyst Alan Baum told Bloomberg Louisiana would be a good candidate for the plant because the state would broaden the companies political support and influence. It’s unclear if Louisiana pursued the project. Read more.
