By KELLY P. KISSEL | Metro editor A network of synchronized traffic lights has been a dream in Baton Rouge for years, or rather decades. It could soon become a reality because of upcoming construction on Interstate 10, which doesn't even have traffic lights. It's expected that when highway crews trim each side of I-10 by one lane in 2024 (NOT down to one lane as you may have heard in some circles), more traffic will spill over to Baton Rouge's surface streets. A highly wired traffic center should help engineers smooth out the ride, at least to some degree. Time's running out to prepare for the cold weather headed our way. A major league cold front should push through the state this evening. When it's all the way through, there will be wind chill warnings or advisories from our neck of the woods (and swamp and prairie) all the way into Canada. While temperatures will be far lower than normal, the roads should remain passable. We asked you to share stories about your favorite ornaments, and wrote a story about them. Mine, not listed in the story, is a ceramic holly cluster one of my grandmothers made in her kiln. She was 76. I was 17. It wasn't until my kids were in their teens that I realized its value. She hadn't gone to the mall to buy anything. She hadn't picked it out of a Sears catalogue. In today's language, she skipped whatever was that year's version of Cyber Monday. I hope that, for your holiday, you find the joy in the simple things. | 