Baton Rouge City Profile

[cajun]

http://theadvocate.com/home/6900603-125/report-baton-rouge-needs-more

Baton Rouge is facing a skilled labor shortage moving forward.

On one hand it means the economy is robust locally, which we can be thankful for because that's not the case with much of the country (especially with manufacturing jobs). On the other hand major manufacturing employers considering Louisiana because of low natural gas prices will see this statistic and shy away from the metro area and move closer to New Orleans or Lake Charles where there is more available skilled labor at the moment.

If you are reading this and have experience in manufacuring or oil and gas, Baton Rouge might be a good market to consider for relocation.

Long term, our education system may need to better prepare students for what has become lucrative fields (welders, valve mechanics, etc.), which public schools have avoided in the past several decades in favor of technology.

Definately an interesting time in south Louisiana. Low natural gas prices and tax incentives might be drawing employers to the region, but we may need some people from other parts of the country to fill the demand.

Maybe a real estate expert can comment on how the market is doing in LaPlace, Gonzales, and other areas in the industrial corridor.

Edited August 28, 2013 by cajun

[cajun]

Amusing story: Livingston Parish Sheriff's personal vehicle stolen at popular Baton Rouge restaurant.

http://m.wafb.com/ms/p/a3/57/view.m?id=124279&storyId=23306164&news=Top%20Stories&news2=Main

Anyone else wondering how the thief knew the debit card code? I've never heard of any crime at that location. Story is a little strange for many reasons.

Edited August 31, 2013 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

It never said he was able to use it, also he could run it as credit.

[cajun]

It never said he was able to use it, also he could run it as credit.

Just sayin....kinda strange.

I'm sure it was completely random. They probably guessed the 9 digit keypad on his Ford pickup and got lucky.

Edited August 31, 2013 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

He could have had a personal vendetta against the deputy. It could have been random, maybe he saw someone coming near and decided to split.

[itsjustme3]

Just sayin....kinda strange.

I'm sure it was completely random. They probably guessed the 9 digit keypad on his Ford pickup and got lucky.

Dummy probably had his code as 1,2,3,4

[cajun]

 

Murder rate down sharply in East Baton Rouge Parish

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/6895761-125/murder-rate-down-sharply-in

 

This time a year ago, as the oppressive summer heat began to give way to the promise of fall, the body count was mounting and East Baton Rouge Parish seemed fated for a record-setting year in the murder column.

At the end of a particularly violent summer, the Capital City’s crime rate was alarming the public, raising concerns among prospective businesses and attracting the wrong kind of national media attention. A billboard appeared along Interstate 12 saying the city’s murder rate was higher than Chicago’s.

A year later, people are still being murdered in East Baton Rouge Parish, but in much smaller numbers.

Last year, the parish had seen 70 homicides through the end of August. After the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old last week, the unofficial tally for 2013 stood at 43 slayings, according to figures compiled by The Advocate. That’s a drop of about 39 percent compared to the number of killings at the same point in 2012.

 

“It’s absolutely huge,” Ed Shihadeh, a criminologist at LSU, said of the decline in homicides.

Shihadeh attributed the drop to the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination project, a data-driven crime fighting initiative that has focused on the city’s gangs and most violent neighborhoods. “It was the collective decision to work together,” he said. “It’s a lot of smart policing.”

While a small fraction of the population is affected by it, a city’s murder rate is widely considered a good indicator of violent crime, as almost all homicides are known to police. If the current pace continues, the parish could be headed for its lowest homicide total since 2005. The parish had 83 homicides in 2012 and has averaged about 85 homicides a year since 2006.

 

Great news: EBR murder rate down sharply.  My favorite part is bolded.

Edited September 3, 2013 by cajun

[cajun]

Baton Rouge Food Truck Guide: An inside look at the Capital City's mobile restaurants

http://www.nola.com/dining/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2013/07/baton_rouge_food_truck_guide_a.html#incart_special-report

 

It hasn't been long since the sight of a food truck in Baton Rouge was a rarity. Locals looking to fulfill their lunchtime burger cravings or beat the heat with a sugary-sweet snowball had to get in their cars and head to the nearest brick-and-mortar location. That is, until about three years ago.

Taco de Paco, Goyaya's, Ninja Snowballs and Curbside were Baton Rouge regulars, by the summer of 2010, popping up sporadically and serving to a loyal following. Now, however, the food-on-wheels landscape has shifted a bit to open up opportunities for new trucks while others roll on or take up immobile locations.

Despite a renewed spot in the realm of culinary chic, food trucks in the United States aren't a new phenomenon.

The first trucks came about thanks to Charles Goodnight, a Texan who invented a kitchen on wheels that allowed him to feed the cattle ranchers who would spend long days out in the plains. The "chuck wagons" would warm up hot meals to feed the ranchers. Today's wagons, however, are a little more modernized.

"I remember going to the health department when I bought (my first) trailer," said Nick Hufft, the owner and founder of Curbside Gourmet Burgers, one of Baton Rouge's first food trucks. "I remember them walking into it and just kind of being confused or in awe that I had such a pretty kitchen that was on wheels."

 

Full article at link

 

Edited September 3, 2013 by cajun

[richyb83]

Capital Region wins a part of emerging statewide economic resurgence

 

The Capital Region has been a significant part of this success story. Since 2008, significant projects have been announced throughout the Capital Region, including Electronic Arts (450 new jobs), SNF Flopam Inc. (512), Methanex Corporation (165), Coca Cola (113), CB&I (400) and IBM's game-changing 800-job technology center in downtown Baton Rouge. Most recently, Shell selected Ascension Parish for a potential gas-to-liquids project representing a capital investment of more than $12.5 billion, creating 740 new direct jobs.

 

In the Capital Region alone since 2008, we have announced 82 major economic development wins that are resulting in more than 23,000 new jobs and 14.7 billion in capital investment. The Capital Region has also moved up in the rankings, including Business Facilities magazine naming Baton Rouge the top-ranked metro in the U.S. for Economic Growth Potential.

 

The success in the Capital Region is part of an emerging statewide economic resurgence. Overall, since 2008, we have secured economic development projects adding 83,000 new jobs and $54 billion in new capital investment in Louisiana.

Louisiana's economy is continuing to thrive as we continue to outperform both the national and Southern economies. In May, we set an all-time record for private-sector employment in Louisiana.

 

Since January 2008, job growth in Louisiana ranks second best in the South and sixth best nationally. In just the last 12 months we've added 38,900 new jobs, and we are one of only a handful of states with more jobs today than before the recession started.

 

Louisiana's GDP has grown by $36 billion since 2008, representing growth that is nearly 50 percent faster than the national GDP.

 

*Rest of Article*

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20131007/BUSINESSREPORT02/131009836

      
 

Edited October 8, 2013 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

Great article. I wish this investment would trickle down into our school systems across the state, including higher education. It's hard to see some of the progress.

[steve3n8]

Scott: Next two years poised to be among brightest in B.R. history

 

The Baton Rouge metro area's economic outlook for the next two years is one of the brightest economist Loren Scott can remember over his four decades of assessing the state's economy. But Scott told a crowd of more than 1,000 at Business Report's annual Top 100 Luncheon this afternoon that the optimism that runs throughout the 2014-15 Louisiana Economic Outlook must be tempered by concerns about the nation's political and economic climate. "I have never seen anything like this, especially in Baton Rouge," Scott says. "I would be extremely optimistic—except for what is going on nationally." Scott says the current administration in Washington is hindering the nation's recovery from the recession of 2008 by raising taxes and increasing regulation on industry. "This has been the worst recovery of all the recoveries we have been through since World War II," says Scott. "The problem is not the economy, though. It's the policies." That said, Scott maintains Louisiana is in a better position than most states and Baton Rouge is in one of the best positions of the eight metro areas in the state. The economic outlook released today forecasts the nine-parish metro area to add 21,700 new jobs over the next two years, growth that will be fueled not only by a whopping $23.7 billion in industrial expansion projects planned for the Capital Region but also by investments made by companies like IBM and CB&I. "Last year at this time we were worried about CB&I buying Shaw and losing 800 jobs," Scott says. "Instead, the exact opposite happened—they are adding jobs here." Overall, Louisiana is expected to surpass the 2 million employment mark sometime in 2015 for the first time in the state's history, Scott says, noting the state is currently one of just 12 with more people employed today than at the outset of 2008. "There are some good things happening elsewhere in the state," Scott says. "But nothing compared to what's happening here." Daily Report has more specifics from the economic outlook and access to the executive summary here. —Stephanie Riegel

 

Businessreport.com

[cajun]

http://theadvocate.com/home/7403544-125/mckinley-statistician-victim-of-fatal

Sad news. A major LSU fan was murdered just down the street from his home.

[richyb83]

Yeah...SAD! TOTAL crap! If they ever do catch this chump they need to stick him in a crawfish boiler!

 

Here is a new website....The City Key lets you visually display Baton Rouge resources and statistical data of all kinds on a map. You can add multiple statistical layers to the map in the following categories: Social Environment, Education, Economy, Transportation, and Sites and Services.

http://www.brcitykey.com/

 

Baton Rouge launches new high tech website called City Key

http://theadvocate.com/home/8108957-125/baton-rouge-launches-new-high

[timelordnerd]

"And now we've come so far..." 

[cajun]

http://m.nbc33tv.com/w/main/story/107759136/

Some students in Baton Rouge have been targeted for violent, unprovoked attacks that some believe are racially motivated. NBC is calling them "knockout" examples, which is basically a very hard sucker attack from behind with a blunt object. The attacks are often recorded. This is apparently a source of amusement to some people.

The one in the link occurred at a bus transfer station, which may lack competent supervision. The victim has some pretty serious injuries.

This is something to keep in mind if any lurkers are thinking about enrolling in EBR public schools. Be mindful of your surroundings and consider driving them instead of putting them on a bus.

I was honestly surprised and disappointed that EBR still has bus transfer stations.

Edited January 22, 2014 by cajun

[richyb83]

Yep...this sorry cowardly act started getting play on the east coast months back in New Jersey... this has already BACK-FIRED on some of the Candy asses...that is what they ALL are!!! Wouldn't step to a REAL man if their life depended on it!!!

 

& They want to know why student achievement is lagging... but straight from the cultural Marxist playbook they get kids/students up as early as possibl catching buses at 5:30am in the DARK....then want to know why they are having trouble staying awake during the school day!!

Edited January 22, 2014 by richyb83

[cajun]

Yep...this sorry cowardly act started getting play on the east coast months back in New Jersey... this has already BACK-FIRED on some of the Candy asses...that is what they ALL are!!! Wouldn't step to a REAL man if their life depended on it!!!

& They want to know why student achievement is lagging... but straight from the cultural Marxist playbook they get kids/students up as early as possibl catching buses at 5:30am in the DARK....then want to know why they are having trouble staying awake during the school day!!

It's a shame really. When I was a kid, a sucker punch was met with the same widespread disdain and disapproval as bringing a weapon to a fight. This seems to be a sociopathic fetish for inflicting serious injury (and in some cases death) on someone and enjoying the reaction. Unfortunately this seems to be increasing in popularity now (or at least more reported), and possibly race based. There have been many cases of this in Atlanta, and I'm truly disappointed that it's being seen in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

It's funny you mention early morning bus rides.....when I lived in Baton Rouge (until 2010), I'd routinely see some of the neighborhood kids up and waiting for their bus at 5:40. It was pitch dark and most of the neighborhood was still sleeping, but they were out waiting for a bus. High schoolers in my neighborhood were about an hour and 45 minutes from school by bus (which included one transfer). It's as if the system is setup to force parents' hands in moving to the suburban parishes. I don't have many good things to say about EBR public schools. There's not much good there to discuss outside of some of the magnets. EBR parish schools are the number one cause for suburban sprawl in Baton Rouge.

Edited January 22, 2014 by cajun

[dan326]

Racially motivated?

I agree, I'm starting to really believe the conspiracy theories that say the ominous "they" are using media to mind control the public.

[itsjustme3]

Imagine the medias reaction if this were white kids assaulting black children and the elderly.

[cajun]

Racially motivated?

I agree, I'm starting to really believe the conspiracy theories that say the ominous "they" are using media to mind control the public.

Regardless of the accuracy of your conspiracy theory....it's not unreasonable for average Joe or Jane to conclude that these attacks are often driven by racial prejudice since that's often how it's presented in the media.

If there's a racial element to this, and I think there is in some cases.....these attacks aren't completely random.

My oldest isn't even in middle school yet and she gets harassment from some of her classmates and it's very obvious to me why even if she's too innocent to know yet. Children are not above racially motivated bullying and attacks. These sucker hits we hear about in the media seem to be orchestrated often by teenage boys who lack supervision- which isn't hard to find at a school is transfer station. I'm disappointed that EBR still has those. They should not be busing children long distances anymore unless it's to an optional school IMO.

Edited January 23, 2014 by cajun

[dan326]

Oh ok, I was just wondering who to who but I guess I could figure it out.

[cajun]

Oh ok, I was just wondering who to who but I guess I could figure it out.

Check out this WWL opinion post about a recent attack in New Orleans on a local musician.

http://www.wwl.com/pages/13078712.php?contentType=31&contentId=8584&pid=378047

There are similar concerns and chatter about attacks in the NYC metro and in Atlanta.

It's especially bad in New Orleans because some of these high profile attacks occur in areas geared to tourism, which is critical to the city's economy.

It appears that arrests have been made in the issue at the bus transfer station.

http://www.wbrz.com/news/two-students-arrested-for-knockout-game/

Edited January 23, 2014 by cajun

[richyb83]

With all of the things wrong with BR...Water is NOT one of them...ranked #2 Best Drinking Water in U.S. behind only Denver! Well with salt-water intrusions + Exxon & others consuming colossal amounts of fresh drinking water...this issue has to be addressed! Should plants use ALL Miss. River water??

 

Water rights: Industry, environmentalists, regulators clash on how to slice the pie

http://businessreport.com/article/20140220/BUSINESSREPORT0112/140229961

 

Map...saltwater intrusion

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/FS-018-96/images/fig3.gif

 

 

Because of large withdrawals from the aquifer system in the Baton Rouge area, ground-water flow patterns have been altered over the years. Saltwater now encroaches into formerly freshwater areas, which could destroy their usefulness for public and most industrial supplies. The aquifers in the Baton Rouge area supply water for about 360,000 people and large, economically critical industries.

 

A recent study by the USGS, in cooperation with the DOTD and the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation Commission, showed that the quality of ground water at two public supply pumping centers will soon be affected by saltwater encroachment (fig. 3). Local officials are concerned about the impending encroachment and are planning strategies that are based on results of USGS studies to protect these water supplies. Currently, plans are underway at the USGS for expansion of ground-water data-collection activities to monitor the effects of remedial saltwater-diversion strategies

 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/FS-018-96/

[timelordnerd]

Louisiana leads nation in feature films, according to a national report

 

According to an article in the advocate,  

 

"Kelso credited East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Holden for successfully pushing for creation of the Baton Rouge Film Commission seven years ago.

At Celtic Studios, Mulhearn said California remains a formidable film competitor.

“No one is entitled to the film industry,” Mulhearn said. “You have to compete for it.”

Mulhearn said the Academy Awards and the emergence of Louisiana as a top setting for films “is a credit to the state, through the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, for building such a good incentives program that works.”

Chris Stelly, executive director of Louisiana’s Office of Entertainment Industry Development, said the California survey is “further validation that Louisiana is succeeding in building a self-sustaining motion picture industry that, in just a little over a decade, has become a national and global leader.”

Stelly said a third-party analysis of the state’s film tax incentive program last year revealed it “leveraged more than $1.03 billion in new business sales in the 2012 calendar year alone, along with more than $717 million in additional household earnings, and certified expenditures that supported more than 14,000 jobs.” " 

Very exciting times here in Louisiana 

full article: http://theadvocate.com/news/business/8562007-123/la-leads-nation-in-number

[richyb83]

Something needs to be done...it would not be cool to see one of BR's crown jewels; the LSU Lakes revert back to the old Perkins Swamp!

 

Group looks to stop LSU and City Park lakes from reverting to swampland

 

Efforts to save the deteriorating LSU and City Park lakes got a boost this week with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s decision to launch a master plan to keep the lakes from reverting to swampland.

 

The condition of the lakes at the heart of Baton Rouge — a key focal point for motorists traveling Interstate 10 through the city and a popular recreation spot for many residents — has been a long-standing problem, with several studies highlighting the need to dredge the lakes to preserve them.

 

The six lakes owned by the city-parish and LSU — City Park, University, Campus, College, Crest and Erie — were created from swampland as a public works project in the 1930s.

 

Since that time, the lakes have grown shallower, and water quality has been a growing concern, due partly to residential and commercial development that has increased pollution in the area.

 

The two main lakes in the system — City Park Lake and University Lake — average about 2 feet deep, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study, and fish kills from depleted oxygen in the water have become increasingly common.

 

The corps study, released in 2008, recommended dredging the lakes to an average depth of 5 feet to remove the sediment that is slowly reverting them to swamps.

*rest of article*

http://theadvocate.com/home/8778377-125/group-looks-to-stop-lsu