By Robert Rhoden, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on May 14, 2013 at 2:20 PM, updated May 14, 2013 at 2:38 PM
St. Tammany Parish‘s 12th Fire Protection District recently received an award and an $81,000 insurance refund for its exemplary safety record. The department, which covers a 63-square mile area surrounding the city of Covington, received a “Safest 70″ award from Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Corporation, an honor bestowed on only 70 of the company’s nearly 17,000 clients, according to a news release from the fire district.
The award included a refund …

A week after winning approval in the Louisiana House, two anti-drug bills cleared the  Senate Judiciary C Committee without opposition Tuesday and are now headed to the Senate floor for further debate.
House Bill 10 by Rep. Kevin Pearson, R-Slidell, would classify more than two-dozen hallucinogens as Schedule I substances, banning their possession, manufacture and distribution.
One of the targeted drugs is 25-I, a quick-acting synthetic drug chemically similar to LSD and ecstasy, but much more potent. The death of Little Rock-native Clayton Otwell, 21, at Voodoo Fest last November was the …

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta will hold a Town Hall meeting in Tangipahoa  Parish on Thursday, April 18, from 5-6 p.m. at the Tangipahoa Parish Public Library, 314 East Thomas St., in Hammond.
This meeting is being held as a courtesy to the citizens of Tangipahoa Parish to voice their concerns about any issues related to utility companies operating in the area.  Consumers who are experiencing difficulties with a utility company are encouraged to attend.   Skrmetta and his staff will be on-hand to answer questions.
Skrmetta holds monthly Town Hall meetings, …

With the addition of 15 new projects in the first quarter of 2013, the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation (STEDF) is now involved in 42 active projects with a potential for more than $500 million in new capital investment on the Northshore.
STEDF staff work daily to retain and recruit businesses to the Northshore, providing a combination of outreach, research services, site selection assistance, and government relations.  The project count includes only new business or expansions.
If all 42 were to reach completion, the capital investment would exceed $592 million and bring …

Mandeville City Councilman David Ellis (R-Dist. 1) is asking his constituents to sound off on preferred projects to be included in the budget for the coming fiscal year.
At its last meeting, the City Council worked with Mayor Donald Villere to begin the budgeting process slightly earlier than in previous years. The somewhat accelerated timeline, designed to give more time for Council review and citizen input, has the Administration meeting with Council members soon to discuss budget priorities and requests.
“Although I have my own ideas about priorities for City …