Commercial Properties no longer involved in old Advocate site

Commercial Properties Development Corp. is no longer involved with plans to redevelop The Advocate’s old Lafayette Street site. Mukul Verma, a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, says Commercial Properties decided against being involved with the project in order to diversify in other markets, such as North Carolina. Commercial Properties, BRAF's for-profit arm, is already involved in two bi downtown projects: the Shaw Center expansion and The Brownstones at Laurel and Main streets. Charles Landry is now spearheading the development of The Advocate property, and plans are to turn the site into a mixed-use development that could serve as offices for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and other economic development agencies. Stephen Moret, chamber president and CEO, says significant planning for the site is under way, including working out the costs for all of the agencies that could be involved. "We’re hoping there will be an opportunity for this to work for BRAC," Moret says.--Timothy Boone

DeCuir, Gautreaux, Phares endorsed by former opponents

Jason DeCuir, who finished second in the primary for the Senate District 14 seat, has been endorsed by Willis Reed, the third-place finisher. Reed, a Republican, says he is endorsing DeCuir, a Democrat, because he "can be a new voice for Baton Rouge." Reed picked up 8% of the vote in Saturday's primary. DeCuir finished second with 42% of the vote. Rep. Yvonne Dorsey, who’s been endorsed by current officeholder Cleo Fields, received 48% of the vote to lead the field. The runoff election is Nov. 17.

Two candidates who did not make the runoff for East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff, Scott Thompson and Mark Milligan, have endorsed Sid Gautreaux. Dalton Honore has given his support to current sheriff Greg Phares. Phares finished first in the primary election with about 46% of the vote, while Gautreaux garnered 37%. Earlier this week, the International Union of Police Associations also endorsed Gautreaux, following the lead of their Baton Rouge affiliate.

Digital Media Education Forum coming to LSU

LSU will play host to a Digital Media Education Forum on Nov. 1-2 to help other universities develop academic programs for careers in digital industries such as animation and video game design. The forum will feature lectures as well as roundtables for industry reps, university faculty and administrators to brainstorm and collaborate. Speakers include Barbara Slade with Walt Disney Development, U.K.; Barry Weiss, senior vice president for Sony Imageworks; and Chris Williams, founder and director of the Animex International Festival of Animation and Computer Games in England. Slade, writer of award-winning screenplays for Nickelodeon, Disney, ABC and Fox, will also hold a workshop on Nov. 3-4 for aspiring writers on how to pitch TV series ideas to a network. For forum information and registration, go to cct.lsu.edu/dme. For workshop information and registration, call 389-7182 or email ssimmons@cct.lsu.edu. --Steve Clark

Foundation asking teachers to speak their minds

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is sponsoring a series of meetings next month with local teachers to discuss ideas about student motivation, parental involvement and school-wide incentives. "Teachers at the Table" will be held Nov. 12-16 at 4 p.m. Information gleaned from these discussions will be used to guide discussions on how philanthropy can encourage innovations in public education. All of the sessions will be held at BRAF's offices downtown. To register, e-mail rrubins@braf.org.

Editor: Try asking ‘what’ instead of ‘why’

Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball says we need to stop asking “why” things are the way they are in Baton Rouge and start asking “what” can be done to make the city great. "Instead of asking, ‘Why is Baton Rouge still being held back by racists and homophobes?’ let’s go with, ‘What can be done to make Baton Rouge a more open and tolerant city?” Ball says. Read his column here. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.

Ex-Advocate reporter says Jindal election gives former La. residents hope

Rod Dreher, a former Advocate reporter, has written a column for The Wall Street Journal saying that Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal has given new hope for Louisiana expatriates. Dreher, who is now a columnist for The Dallas Morning News, says that while Jindal "is the epitome of the kind of Louisianian who emigrates to Dallas, Atlanta and points beyond" he actually stayed around to make a difference. "The promise of Mr. Jindal's leadership makes me wonder, for the first time since I packed up the U-Haul and drove off, if maybe I—and now, my children—have a future in Louisiana," Dreher says. Read his column here.

La. Politics by John Maginnis: Senator claims near majority

Despite five known contenders for Senate president, the acknowledged front-runner believes there won't be a deadlock for the governor to break. "I'm right at that point now," said Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth. "He (Jindal) is giving us a wonderful opportunity to do it and plenty of people aren't taking a wait-and-see attitude. They want to be in leadership and on committees." Some question McPherson's arithmetic, saying the sheer number of contenders points to no one gaining a quick majority. Other Democrats who want the post are Robert Adley of Benton, Joel Chaisson of Destrehan and Willie Mount of Lake Charles. Sen. Mike Michot of Lafayette is the lone Republican contender.

—Not unlike the governor's race, House Republicans are coalescing behind Rep. Jim Tucker of Terrytown, while at least three Democrats say they want to be speaker: Don Cazayoux of New Roads, Karen Carter of New Orleans and Rick Gallot of Ruston. Rep. Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge, backs Tucker but might offer himself if the front-runner falters. Whatever the outcome, the prospective leaders see power sharing in committee chairmanships. "We're not going to partisan the House," Tucker said.

—Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal told members of his transition team this week he is "staking his governorship" on passing a package of tough ethics laws in an early special session, said one source. Jindal named former Rep. Sean Reilly and former Sen. Virginia Shehee to an ethics advisory panel to turn his 31-point ethics plan into legislation that will be ready to go when the session is called shortly after he takes office. The first item of his plan, prohibiting legislators or companies they own from holding contracts with state agencies, could cause a problem for a leading candidate for Senate president, as Sen. Joe McPherson and his wife own a nursing home that received $2.4 million in Medicaid payments last year.

John Maginnis publishes the Louisiana Political Fax Weekly and Lapolitics.com

Poll: Readers optimistic about Jindal

Daily Report readers are optimistic about Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal's chances of reforming the state. Sixty-eight percent of the people who responded to an online survey say they think Jindal will be effective in his efforts to clean up Louisiana because people are ready for a change. Eighteen percent say the entrenched forces are too strong for the new governor to be successful, while 14% say they don't know what will happen. Nearly 2,300 people participated in the survey.

Today's question: Are you going to buy wine or liquor this Sunday to mark East Baton Rouge's repeal of the blue law?

News roundup: Anne Rice's N.O. home for sale; LSU's Pelini headed back to Nebraska?

Just in time for Halloween: Horror author Anne Rice has put her historic home in New Orleans' Garden District on the market for $4.6 million. The home is listed in the November issue of duPont Registry a guide to fine homes. Rice, who wrote Interview with the Vampire moved to California in 2004 in order to live a simpler life and be closer to her son, Christopher, who is also an author. Bo knows Cornhuskers: Nebraska's disappointing football season could result in LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini returning to the school, says John Henderson, a sportswriter for The Denver Post. Pelini was the defensive coordinator for the Cornhuskers in 2003 and led the team to an Alamo Bowl victory as interim head coach after the dismissal of Frank Solich. Bill Callahan, Nebraska's current head coach, is on shaky ground with records of 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12 North. The Cornhuskers have lost three straight conference games by a combined score of 122-34.