Gautreaux rides in style as EBR sheriff

Newly elected East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux travels in style.

Two weeks after the former Baker police chief settled into his $135,384 job (his salary is set by law) back in December, the agency spent $43,206 on a 2008 Chevy Tahoe from Gerry Lane Chevrolet for him, according receipts obtained through a Daily Report public records request. The basic four-door black Tahoe set the Sheriff’s Office back $28,295, but extras increased the price by $15,000. Col. Ricky Adams, who now earns $125,100, also got a new Tahoe from Gerry Lane, albeit for $1,573 less—the price of a chrome package. Records show upgrades and unspecified options added $13,338.25 to the basic vehicle’s price tag.

Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says Gautreaux’s vehicle was purchased under state contract and “is an appropriate accommodation for the Sheriff.” She notes that the rest of the agency’s fleet is “in deplorable condition. More than 40% of the fleet has over 100,000 miles.” The sheriff, Hicks says, is in the process of purchasing “new, acceptable, safe vehicles for our deputies.”

Gautreaux also has been doing the deputy shuffle. Since the election, three have been fired, 19 demoted and 20 resigned or retired. It isn’t clear how many of that last category did so willingly. Former Sheriff’s Office spokesman Fred Raiford wrote in his Jan. 11 resignation letter that at a meeting the day before, Gautreaux and Adams “indicated that you did not have a place for me in your administration. I do wish that I would have had a chance to prove myself to you but I understand.” Read the complete report here. --Penny Brown

La. Politics by John Maginnis: State ranks No. 1 in disclosure rankings

Surpassing even the governor's own expectations, Louisiana shot up to No. 1 in the country in financial disclosure for public officials, as ranked by the Center for Public Integrity. With its new laws, Louisiana scores 99 out of 100 on the CPI index, placing it ahead of previous No. 1 Washington state at 93. Two years ago, Louisiana's score was 43, placing it in the bottom five.

—Confusion has developed over whether former Congressman Richard Baker is supporting his former aide Paul Sawyer in the special 6th District election. The candidate's new radio commercial and direct mail piece use a letter from Baker, which states, "I'm supporting Paul Sawyer for Congress." When first contacted, Baker said he had not heard the spot but that "I know I haven't written a letter of that sort." Sawyer insists Baker did so and approved the language last week. "That's troubling," Baker said when the Fax Weekly contacted him again. He believes a mixup occurred when he received a photo of Sawyer and himself and sent it back saying it would be fine to use it. "Apparently attached was a document which I did not review," Baker said. "I would not have objected to 90% of it but would merely have stopped short of and would have removed a statement of support because … I am trying to be neutral."

—Discontent within the Legislative Black Caucus has led to its chairman Rep. Juan Lafonta agreeing to step down halfway through his two-year term. Lafonta denied any problems over his actions but said that newly elected members wanted to have a say in who would lead the caucus. But some veteran members said they had problems with Lafonta getting involved in political races that could have been interpreted as the caucus taking positions. Some were upset that the New Orleans Democrat appeared at a U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton rally in Lafayette and introduced former President Clinton. Most caucus members are backing U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and do not want the presidential candidate to get the wrong impression about whom the caucus is supporting. In that instance, Lafonta said he was speaking for himself and not the caucus.

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

Design firm for town square will be picked in two weeks

Eleven design firms have submitted proposals for the North Boulevard Town Square, which will link Downtown Baton Rouge with the riverfront and serve as a gateway to the proposed arts and entertainment district. The Department of Public Works design and selection board will meet Wednesday to go over the proposals and a consultant will be selected Thursday, March 13, says Davis Rhorer, Downtown Development District executive director. So far, $4.5 million has been allocated for the town square.

Bacteria making it rain, LSU researcher says

An LSU biologist has found evidence that rainmaking bacteria are widely distributed in the atmosphere and could be major factors in affecting climate, agricultural productivity and global warming. Brent Christner published his findings in the current issue of Science. Christner says the concept of "bioprecipitation" was proposed 25 years ago by a colleague at Montana State University and evidence is beginning to support the idea. It represents a completely new avenue of research and clearly demonstrates that we are just beginning to understand the intricate interplay between the planet’s climate and biosphere,” he says.

Southern small business center schedules procurement conference

Southern University's center for Rural and Small Business Development will host the “Connecting Businesses with Contracts” conference, which starts at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union Cotillion Ballroom. The purpose of this conference is to provide training and assistance to Louisiana’s small business. The school hopes to link various small businesses with federal and state procurement agents and prime contractors. More than 30 exhibitors will be at the conference, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Capital One Bank and Louisiana Department of Economic Development. For more information, e-mail Gloria_london@suagcenter.com.

Former Lady Tiger Augustus sets up scholarship program in memory of Veal

A scholarship in memory of Shannon Veal, the Glen Oaks High School basketball player who collapsed and died during a playoff game earlier this month, has been established by former LSU All-American Seimone Augustus. The college scholarships will go annually to a Baton Rouge high school girl who overcame significant challenges in pursuit of an education or athletic activities. Augustus, who now plays for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, played for the same AAU team as Veal. "Shannon always worked hard and you could tell that she was going to be something special," Augustus wrote on her blog. "My family and I are deeply saddened by her loss, but hope that through Shannon’s memory, we as a community can help other women pursue their dreams." To make a donation to the Shannon Veal Scholarship fund, go to Augustus' blog seimone33.com or the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Web site braf.org. Nomination forms for the scholarship will be available on both sites and in local high school guidance offices Monday.

Albemarle to expand China facility

Albemarle Corp. plans to more than double the antioxidant production capacity of its joint venture in China. The expansion at the Shanghai Jinhai Albemarle Fine Chemicals Co. will ensure that it remains the leading manufacturer and supplyer of polymer antioxidants in China. Polymer antioxidants are used in plastics and adhesives.

Vanity opens in Mall at Cortana

Vanity, a store that sells casual clothes to young women, has opened a store in the Mall at Cortana. The 2,758-square-foot store is in the old Bombay Company location, which became empty after the chain went bankrupt. Vanity, based in Fargo, N.D., has more than 200 stores in 24 states.

Poll: Most say ethics session was a success

Daily Report readers say the recently concluded special session on ethics reform was a success. Forty-nine percent of the people who responded to an online survey say the Legislature enacted some much needed reforms that were pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Thirty-eight percent say the session wasn't a success because the ethics measures didn't go far enough, while 13% say they didn’t know. More than 1,325 people participated in the survey. Louisiana has already shot up to the top of Center for Public Integrity's list of the states with the best financial disclosures for officials.

Today's survey: A report by the National Golf Foundation and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association shows that the number of people who play golf has declined or remained flat since 2000. What activity do you enjoy the most in your leisure time?

News roundup: Survey shows Americans not getting enough sleep; La. spends the least on inmates; marketers jumping on Feb. 29

Get your zzzzzz's: A survey of nearly 20,000 people by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 38% didn't get enough sleep for seven or more days in the past month, Reuters reports. The CDC, which recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, says sleep loss is an under-recognized public health problem. Tough on crime: Louisiana ranks last on spending per prisoner, with the state paying an average of $13,000 to keep someone in jail, according to a report by the Pew Center on the States. That's nearly $11,000 below the national average of $23,876 that states spent on inmates, The New York Times reports. The Pew study found that more than 1% of the U.S. adult population was behind bars, with more than 2.3 million adults in state or local jails. It only comes around once every four years: More businesses and nonprofit organizations are coming up with special proposals and pitches for leap day, The New York Times reports. The tie-ins range from free meals for people born on Feb. 29 to travel specials. One branding expert says activity makes sense, because leap day is "one of the few remaining days in the calendar that hasn’t been overbranded and overmarketed.” Read the story here.