IEM wins $9 million evacuation contract

Baton Rouge-based IEM, a national homeland security and emergency management services provider to government, has received a $9 million multiyear contract to help FEMA develop a transportation strategy and operational transportation plan for mass evacuations. According to Wayne C. Thomas, IEM vice president for Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the contract continues IEM’s role as a primary FEMA disaster planning contractor. “This effort is consistent with the type of large-scale planning support that IEM has been providing FEMA and state and local government beginning in 2004 with the Southeast Louisiana Catastrophic Hurricane Planning project,” Thomas says.

Two incumbents not endorsed by FuturePAC

FuturePAC, the political action committee of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, announced today it has endorsed 13 candidates who are running for the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council. FuturePAC endorsed two of the four incumbents—Martha Jane Tassin in District 6 and Mike Walker in District 8. But it did not endorse Ulysses “Bones” Addison in District 2 and Byron Sharper in District 7. FuturePAC did not endorse any candidate in District 2. Other endorsements by FuturePAC are J.E. “Trae” Welch in District 1, Chandler Loupe in District 3, Scott Wilson in District 4, Ronnie Edwards in District 5, Isaiah Marshall in District 7, Joel Boé in District 9, Larry Selders and Tara Wicker in District 10, Alison Cascio and Donald Hodge in District 11 and Kimberly Watts in District 12. The election will be held Saturday, Oct. 4.

10/12 corridor embraces New Orleans, kicks off campaign

The 10/12 corridor ain’t what it used to be. Less than two years after emerging as a thriving, marketable alternative to image-tarnished New Orleans, the corridor is now embracing the Crescent City. 10/12 is also contemplating changing its name to the more marketable “Creative Corridor.” A coalition of community leaders led by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation is rolling out those changes next month⎯along with a proposed marketing campaign⎯in hopes of gathering needed political and financial support to take the corridor to the next level. The campaign, called Louisiana to the Rescue, is a creative twist on the imagery of Louisianans on rooftops after the hurricanes, instead portraying the state swooping in to save Americans from their mundane lives in other places. It’s aimed at attracting a coveted demographic known as creative catalysts, who are prone to entrepreneurial careers, love to experience other cultures and are technology savvy. The campaign will be unveiled at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, in Lake Charles, with subsequent stops in Lafayette, Baton Rouge and the Northshore. The last session is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2020 St. Charles Ave. To read the full story on New Orleans joining the 10/12 corridor, click here. To read about the new branding campaign, click here.—Penny Brown

Trahan designs receive American Architecture Awards

Two designs by Trahan Architects are among the 2008 American Architecture Awards honored as the best building design in the USA. Trahan’s designs for a new Church of the Highlands in Baton Rouge and a residential design for Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation in New Orleans were among 65 designs honored for architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning, according to a spokeswoman for the firm. The selected projects will become part of an exhibit by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design that will open in Florence, Italy in November, at the Contemporary Art + Architecture Centre in Athens, Greece in January 2009 and travel the United States until June 2009. To see a rendering of the Church of the Highlands, click here. To see a rendering of the Make it Right Foundation residence, click here. To see all of the award-winning renderings, click here.

Starmount to start expansion

Starmount Life Insurance will go before the Planning Commission on Monday to get approval for a new office building on Goodwood Boulevard. If all goes well, construction of the 25,486-square-foot building will begin in early 2009 and the property should open in a year or so. The new office has been in the works for a while. Starmount bought the property nearly two years ago, and the project is set to receive $4.5 million in GO Zone funding. Erich Sternberg, president of Starmount, says the new office will have room for the current staff of 130 employees and up to 70 more workers. "Gradually, as the business grows, we will add the people," he says. Starmount is also seeking approval for a second phase, a 64,516-square-foot building that would go up next door. That project is at least 5 years away, Sternberg says. "Our intent is to keep growing," he says.—Timothy Boone

School board to vote on rolling millages forward

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will vote today on a millage increase. The measure would roll forward the current 43.45 mils, instead of going to the 40.97 mils that resulted from recent property reappraisals. If approved, the move would generate an additional $6 million for the school system, which is mostly dedicated to maintenance and teacher salaries. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the school board office, 1050 S. Foster Dr.

Meanwhile, Yes We Can! Baton Rouge—a grassroots movement dedicated to raising the level of opportunity, resources and support for public-school students—has planned a public march from Westdale Middle School, at Jefferson Highway and Claycut Road, to the school board office for the meeting. Marchers are encouraged to meet at 4 p.m., wear a green T-shirt and carry homemade signs.

Olympics: U.S. strikes gold in women’s soccer

Women’s soccer: Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of overtime today as the United States beat Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal for a third time in four Olympics. As the final whistle sounded, the Americans charged across the field, hugging anyone in sight. Someone handed out flags, and several players took off, running. Softball: Losing for the first time since 2000, the U.S. was denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal today, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years—and maybe for good. The U.S. had won 22 straight since then, most of them with outrageously lopsided scores. Women’s basketball: Diana Taurasi had 21 points, Tina Thompson added 15 and the U.S. advanced to its fourth straight Olympics gold-medal game with a 67-52 victory over Russia. Men’s track and field: LaShawn Merritt upset defending champion Jeremy Wariner to lead a U.S. sweep of the medals in the 400 meters. Merritt pulled away down the stretch to win in 43.75 seconds—nearly a full second ahead of silver-medalist Wariner, who finished in 44.74.

Poll: Most favor lowering legal drinking age

Fifty-one percent of people who responded to a Daily Report survey say it’s a good idea to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to reduce binging. The presidents of more than 100 universities are requesting that the drinking age be lowered to 18 to reduce binging. Forty-one percent say lowering the drinking age is a bad idea. Eight percent did not know. Almost 2,300 people participated in the survey.

Today’s question: Do you believe Gov. Bobby Jindal's decision not to renew an executive order that specifically bans discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace will hurt the state's economic development efforts?

News roundup: Fay stalled, but poised for third Florida landfall … Oil jumps $6 a barrel … jobless claims fall for second straight week

Tropical storm stationary off Florida’s east coast: Torrential rains from slow-moving Tropical Storm Fay triggered a new round of flooding today. With Fay hugging Florida's east coast, police and National Guard troops were evacuating people from flood areas in the barrier island town of Merritt Island, where lakes were overflowing into houses. At 10 a.m., Fay was stalled about 15 miles east-southeast of Daytona Beach. It was expected to begin slowly moving toward the west-northwest later in the day, making landfall for the third time in Florida and bringing heavy rains to the northern part of the state as well as to southern Georgia. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph. … U.S.-Russia tensions, sliding dollar, worries of OPEC output among concerns: Oil prices shot up $6 a barrel today, rising to the highest level in over two weeks as escalating tensions with Russia stoked fears of a disruption of energy shipments to Western countries. The price jump came as retail gas prices continued to fall, shedding more than a penny overnight to a new national average of $3.702, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. … Dropoff from six-year high: The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, the second straight drop from a six-year high, according to government data released today. The Labor Department reported that applications for jobless benefits dropped to 432,000, down by 13,000 from the previous week. It was a bigger improvement than analysts expected. The four-week average climbed to 445,750, the highest level in almost seven years.