News

Hiring surge added 313K jobs in February

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers went on a hiring binge in February, adding 313,000 jobs, the most in any month since July 2016, and drawing hundreds of thousands of people into the job market.

At the same time, average wages rose 2.6 percent over the past 12 months, a slowdown from January’s accelerated pace, which had spooked investors because it raised fears of high inflation. Friday’s jobs report from the government revised down January’s year-over-year wage gain by one-tenth of a point to 2.8 percent.

Ferrari fastest, Mercedes churns out miles as F1 tests end

MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Ferrari ended Formula One preseason testing with the fastest times, while Mercedes ran the most laps over the eight days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Kimi Raikkonen’s lap of 1 minute, 17.221 seconds on Friday came within 0.039 seconds of the unofficial track record set by Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel the previous day.

Both times were set on the fast “hypersoft” tires introduced this season. The track was also resurfaced in January, hindering comparisons to previous times. Times set in testing are not considered official.

Easing pressure on levees, raising environmental worries

NORCO, La. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began opening part of a 1930s flood control structure northwest of New Orleans on Thursday to divert water from a rising Mississippi River into nearby Lake Pontchartrain, a move that eases pressure on the city’s levees but raises environmental concerns about the lake and the Gulf of Mexico.

Fla. Gov. Scott mum on if he’ll sign gun-control bill

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Three weeks after the fatal Parkland high school shooting, Florida Gov. Rick Scott faces a gun-control bill that falls short of what he and survivors of the massacre demanded, and he hasn’t said whether he’ll sign into law the legislation that challenges National Rifle Association orthodoxy.

“I’m going to take the time and I’m going to read the bill and I’m going to talk to families,” Scott said.

Uncertainty persists as Trump readies tariff plan rollout

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a week of hints and uncertainty, President Donald Trump is preparing to announce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum that would offer temporary exemptions to Canada and Mexico, a shift that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Opponents of the tariffs spent Thursday engaged in last-minute lobbying to blunt the impact.

Ag officials seek help solving cattle deaths

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help in finding whoever’s responsible for the recent deaths of cow and three calves.

On March 3, agriculture inspectors received a complaint from a rancher in reference to cattle killed on the levee near Port Barre. The animals were found dead in the pasture portion of the levee. Inspectors say it appears the cattle were run over by a truck.

Teen pleads guilty in shooting at undercover state troopers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana prosecutor says a 17-year-old has pleaded guilty as an adult to attempted murder of three undercover state troopers in December 2015. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro says Quincy Shaw pleaded guilty to three counts in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. Conviction would have carried 10 to 50 years on each count, according to a news release from Cannizzaro.

The troopers had been in an unmarked car when they spotted a stolen pickup truck, according to the release.

Women strike, protest as the world marks International Women’s Day

MADRID (AP) — Women across Europe and Asia shouted their demands for equality, respect and empowerment Thursday to mark International Women’s Day, with protesters in Spain launching a 24-hour strike and crowds of demonstrators filling the streets of Manila, Seoul and New Delhi.

Spanish women were staging dozens of protests across the country against the wage gap and gender violence. In Barcelona, protesters disrupting traffic into the city center were pushed back by riot police.

Lobbyists get ethics waivers to work for Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his appointees have stocked federal agencies with ex-lobbyists and corporate lawyers who now help regulate the very industries from which they previously collected paychecks, despite promising as a candidate to drain the swamp in Washington.

A week after his January 2017 inauguration, Trump signed an executive order that bars former lobbyists, lawyers and others from participating in any matter they lobbied or otherwise worked on for private clients within two years before going to work for the government.

Mail mix-up delays utility bills

WELSH – Residents wondering why their utility bills haven’t appeared in their mailboxes are not alone. Welsh town officials say that though originally shipped to residents on time, the post office is responsible for losing some 2,000 utility bills.

“It’s been a hassle,” said Mayor Carolyn Louviere.

The town of Welsh contracts with utility providers of electric, water and garbage to service the needs of its residents. All utility bills are paid directly to the town.