ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia – A Romanian immigrant has given birth to her 18th child in British Columbia, making her the province’s most prolific mother in 20 years.

Proud dad Alexandru Ionce said Saturday that his 44-year-old wife, Livia, gave birth on July 22. Their daughter Abigail weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.

The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now live in Abbotsford. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years.

Ionce said he did not know if the couple would have more children. The family now has 10 girls and eight boys.

“We would have liked a boy to be even,” he said. “We thank God all of them are healthy and happy.”

Alligator disrupts traffic on Louisiana interstate

LAPLACE, La. – Commuters heading into New Orleans are used to dealing with traffic snarls, flooded roadways, wrecks and fog.

Now they can add an alligator shutdown to the mix.

State police say an alligator somehow got into the elevated eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 Tuesday morning – miles from an exit – and was hit by a car.

The mystery of the tagged, 5-foot gator’s ascent to the elevated highway was still unsolved. St. Charles Parish wildlife nuisance control officer Kenny Schmill said the state Wildlife and Fisheries Department is attempting to track its origins.

“I think someone put him up there for a joke,” said Schmill, who had to euthanize the alligator because of its injuries.