The Louisiana Board of Regents will require more from future high school graduates who want to attend a public four-year university in the state. The panel on Thursday approved criteria stipulating that beginning with the 2012 high school graduating class, students will have to successfully complete four-units each of mathematics, science, English and social studies. The so-called Regents Core will also require an additional unit of approved social science, but removes the requirement of one-half unit in "computer literacy" since most students develop computer schools nowadays on their own or during high school instruction.

Lafayette City-Parish officials are considering the creation of a large taxing district to raise revenue for frontage roads and other improvement projects along I-10 and I-49. City-Parish Planning Manager Mike Hollier, speaking before a joint meeting of two groups planning for the future of the I-49 connector corridor, said a so-called "super TIF," or tax incremental funding district, would be able to levy an extra penny of sales tax in current and future commercial areas in the vicinity to fund the improvements. Plans call for frontage roads along I-10 and parks, paths, security, lighting and maintenance for the I-49 Connector.

Prosecutors say three former Lafayette Police officers have agreed to testify against their old boss, former Police Chief Randy Hundley, in an illegal eavesdropping case. The three ex-officers -- Michael Lavergne, Brian Butler, and Shannon Hundley --were indicted along with the former chief. Shannon Hundley is the ex-chief's nephew. Former Chief Hundley and the others are accused hiding a microphone near the desk of Hundley's secretary for fear she might compromise an internal department investigation. Prosecutor Butch Wilson, who's handling the case for the state Attorney General's Office, says the three former officers have offered to testify against Hundley with no guarantee of leniency or immunity. Trial has been set for June 2nd.

The U.S. Department of Education awards a 170-million-dollar grant to a consortium of 26 states, including Louisiana, to develop new common assessments for public school students.

An early morning fire Thursday in the 2200 block of Curtis Street kept Baton Rouge firefighters busy for a while. 

Baton Rouge police report that officers responded to a shooting about 3:30 Thursday morning in the 1500 block of North Marque Ann Drive where they found a black male lying in a parking lot who had been shot. 

A bench-clearing brawl in Miami made news as the Marlins outslugged the Nationals 16-10 Wednesday night. 

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Arizona's controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Israelis and Palestinians have now planned to meet for peace talks every two weeks.