Early education: The Louisiana Department of Education won a three-year grant totaling more than $33 million to make preschool more available to low-income children from birth to age 3. The federal Preschool Development Grant will create at least 600 new openings to let such children attend preschool without any payment from their parents. The grant also will double the number of pilot program networks to increase access to high-quality early childhood education and will pay for community-based helpers to recruit and support families to apply for child care help. Read the full story.
Pickup: According to the mayor’s office, there will be no curbside garbage and recycling services on Christmas Day; all services will resume on residents’ next regularly scheduled collection day. Though the North Landfill will be closed Christmas Day, landfill hours will be extended until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, to accommodate the Christmas Day closure. Due to the large amount of trash expected after the holidays, Thursday collection may extend into Friday. WBRZ-TV has more information.
Preparation: General Motors, Ford and other automakers in the past year cut thousands of jobs and shuttered factories as industry vehicle sales slow and fears of an economic slowdown pick up. No one is forecasting an industry downturn comparable to when vehicle sales dropped below 11 million in the U.S. in 2009, CNBC reports. However, automakers took lessons learned from the Great Recession, which led to the government-backed bankruptcies of GM and then-Chrysler in 2009, to proactively restructure operations this year amid robust profits and healthy, yet slowing, vehicle sales. Read the full feature about how the restructuring can keep brands going.
Editor’s note: The offices of Business Report will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday and Daily Report will not be published. Daily Report will return on Thursday, Dec. 26. Have a safe and happy holiday.
