Clearing homeless camps; parish orders 13-hour workdays for employees

The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Good morning! Here are some of our best reads from the weekend.

Clearing out homeless camps

In the past few months, Baton Rouge has cleared out six different homeless encampments all over the parish. But what happens to the people who were living there?

This story looks at where the encampments were, why they were cleared out, and why some homelessness advocates think they're becoming more common.

Working 13-hour days, seven days a week

St. Helena Parish leaders made 12 public workers pull 13-hour shifts, seven days a week for a roads project. It has led to federal workforce complaints from one of those employees, who said he had a health condition and refused to work those hours; he lost his job.

This story looks at why the overtime order was implemented and why it might very well be legal.

The scariest bridge in Louisiana?

With its steep angle, lack of shoulders, and cast-iron railings with pistols on them, the I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River near Lake Charles is widely loathed. But an estimated 90,000 vehicles travel over it every day.

But the bridge's days might be numbered. This story explains what plans are in the works, and what the new route might look like.

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!