<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Why is the I-210 eastbound on-ramp at Nelson Road closed?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The state Department of Transportation and Development closed the ramp in February 2010 to ease congestion in the area during work on an $18.7 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded Interstate 210 rehabilitation project.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">During the closure — which didn’t affect northbound drivers’ access to I-210 East — DOTD officials lengthened the timing on the left-turn signal for northbound drivers looking to get on I-210 West.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">That allowed more cars to move through the intersection at a time, reducing congestion and making the intersection more efficient, said Deidra Druilhet, a DOTD spokeswoman.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The flow of traffic has improved even more since the opening of the Cove Lane interchange, Druilhet said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Highway department officials recently conducted traffic counts on Nelson Road, she said, and determined that if they reopen the I-210 East ramp for southbound, left-turning drivers on Nelson Road, “congestion would again increase beyond acceptable limits.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.dotd.la.gov.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">School Board exempt from law on costs</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">If it’s illegal for employers to require people to pay for background checks, why do School Board applicants have to pay for their fingerprints to be taken?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">As The Informer noted on Feb. 14, state R.S. 23:897 bars employers, both public and private, from making workers or prospective hires pay the cost of background checks, including fingerprinting.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But a provision in another statute — R.S. 15:587.1 — exempts school districts from that prohibition, said Holly Holland, spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish school system.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“R.S. 15:587.1 deals with those who are applying for employment with school boards and some other entities,” Holland wrote in an email.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“School boards are prohibited (R.S. 17:15) from hiring anyone convicted of offenses listed in this statute. This requires school boards to develop background check procedures for submission of an applicant’s fingerprints in an acceptable form prior to any employment.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ww.legis.la.gov.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">AT&amp;T offers TV over the Internet</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">In the paper they said there was another cable company AT&amp;T was coming out with. Can you get some light on that?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">AT&amp;T offers television programming via the Internet as part of its U-verse service. For more information, call 844-827-7057 or visit www.att.com.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Additionally, the company announced on Tuesday that it would offer DirecTV programming through three Internet TV service packages later this year. It offered no details on cost or programming.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>