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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The former general manager of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad has been sentenced to two years of probation after admitting misusing the agency's money. Fifty-six-year-old James Bridger pleaded guilty last August to a federal charge that he used his agency credit card to spend more than $5,600 on meals, entertainment, alcoholic beverages and other personal expenses. 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court is retiring. Catherine Kimball says that she will leave the court in January after serving for 20 years. Kimball's term runs until 2018. 

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Jindal administration, facing strong opposition to the sale of a central Louisiana state prison, is giving up the idea but still pushing to hire a private company to run the facility. The state would lay off employees and pay a flat fee to the company for operating the prison. 

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Catholic elementary school in Baton Rouge is the setting for Gov. Bobby Jindal as he signs legislation reshaping numerous aspects of public education in Louisiana, including a bill allowing the state to fund private school tuition for some students.

Wednesday's bill signing ceremony takes place at Redemptorist Elementary School.

The wide-ranging measures to be signed at the school also make major changes to teacher tenure rules, while giving more hiring and firing power to school principals and superintendents.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's mishmash system of publicly-funded prekindergarten and early childhood education programs will be coordinated and graded on a statewide scale.

The state Senate gave final passage to the measure sought by Gov. Bobby Jindal in a 39-0 vote Tuesday.