Local

The north Caddo Parish town of Blanchard will draw water from Caddo Lake, as part of a $17 million water treatment facility under construction. The town used low-interest loans through federal and state agencies to make it a reality. The plant will be able to produce 5 million gallons a day when it's completed in a year.

City of Longview Sanitation Division employee Cris Hudson has advanced to the international competition hosted by the Solid Waste Association of North America, called Road-E-O. Hudson will test her skills in operating a garbage truck in Lexington, Ky., this weekend. This is the first time the city of Longview has had an employee qualify for this level of competition.

The LSU Health System is exploring new funding models that could stop a bloodletting of budget cuts in recent years. The tipping point came this year with a reduction of the federal Medicaid reimbursement to Louisiana. Dr. Hugh Mighty, vice chancellor for clinical affairs at LSU Health Shreveport, met with reporters to clear the air about what options are on the table. He said the LSU Health System does not intend to "sell off the hospital" as it seeks potential investors to engage in public-private partnership talks.