Who has Spider’s back?

Having seen and smelled the conservative smoke for months, incumbent Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden, a Democrat, knew the fire would eventually emerge. And it did Monday morning, in the form of an election challenge from Metro Councilman Wayne Carter. As for why Carter would mount another run after his unsuccessful showing in the recent agriculture commissioner’s race (when he was at least able to shake the long-held nickname “Spider”), he told The Advocate, “Basically, I got recruited by the Republican Party.” Officials with the state GOP were contacted by Daily Report, but no one knows from where the request might have come, although an outright denial wasn’t provided. The party rarely—if ever—gets involved at the local level, and it was suggested that the parish arm might have been the catalyst. A straight answer may have to wait, as messages left for Carter on Tuesday and this morning were not returned.

Julie Vezinot, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Democratic Party, says her team will “wait and see” what kind of resources might hit the street, but wasn’t optimistic about a political brawl between the parties over the city-parish helm. As for third-party interaction, the most likely source might be Lane Grigsby, the founder and chairman of Cajun Contractors, who always finds ways to insert himself in high-profile races like the last mayoral contest where he blasted away at former Mayor Bobby Simpson. But even he’s staying mum—at least for now. “I have no plans at this time,” Grigsby says.--Jeremy Alford

Pinnacle profits, revenues increase 76%

Casino operator Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. said this morning its first-quarter profit soared 76%, helped by Hurricane Katrina insurance proceeds. Net income for the period ended March 31 grew to $5.1 million, or 8 cents per share, compared with $2.9 million, or 5 cents per share, in the prior year. Revenue rose to $257.2 million, up 11% from $232.8 million a year earlier. Pinnacle credited its strong performance to the December opening of its Lumiere Place-St. Louis casino and a room expansion at the L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles. The company says it spent $2.6 million in the quarter developing Riviere, a $250 million resort it plans to build on River Road, and Sugarcane Bay, a second Lake Charles casino.

Lamar reports quarterly loss, expects sales below estimates

Lamar Advertising Co. said this morning that it had reported a loss in the first quarter, hurt by higher expenses and minimal sales growth. For the three months ended March 31, the Baton Rouge-based company reported a loss applicable to common shareholders of $1.6 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with profit of $8.7 million, or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, estimated a loss of 7 cents per share on sales of $280.7 million. Revenue rose 3% to $282.8 million from $275.2 million in the first quarter of 2007. The company expects second-quarter sales between $316 million and $319 million. The estimates exclude any revenue generated by the acquisition of billboard advertising business Vista Media, which is expected to close during the second quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, anticipate sales of $321.7 million.

Chamber backs more money for LED

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber has issued a report detailing the need for continued investment in Louisiana Economic Development, saying the state's business development efforts must have the proper resources. BRAC says money must be provided for the Mega-Project Development Fund, which allows the state to rapidly commit to investments needed to bring in large industrial projects, and for the Governor's Rapid Response Fund, which allows LED to access incentive dollars without calling the Legislature back into session. A new team should also be established to promote business retention and expansion, because the vast majority of new jobs come from businesses already in Louisiana. To read the report, click here.

LBTC graduate company wins national honor

Smith Research Corporation, which graduated from LSU's Louisiana Business & Technology Center in 2006, has been named the National Business Incubation Association Incubator Graduate of the Year. Smith Research beat out thousands of graduate companies to win the honor, which was presented at a luncheon Tuesday in San Antonio. The company provides a variety of architectural, engineering and construction services for clients such as NASA, Southern University and FEMA.

Want to know when your tax stimulus check is coming?

The IRS has released additional information on when you should receive your tax stimulus rebate checks—provided your tax returns were processed by April 15. The schedule for direct deposit payments is as follows: If the last two digits of your Social Security Number are between 00 and 20, the payment was to be transmitted no later than May 2. If the last two digits are between 21 and 75, the payment was to be transmitted by May 9. Numbers between 76 and 99 will get payment transmitted no later than May 16. For paper checks, if the last two digits are between 00 and 09, the payment will be mailed no later than May 16. Between 10 and 18, May 23; 19-25, May 30; 26-38, June 6; 39-51, June 13; 52-63; June 20; 64-75, June 27; 76-87, July 4 and 88-99 July 11. For more information, click here.

Pending home sales drop nationally

Pending sales of existing homes fell in March by 1%, according to the National Association of Realtors. Economists were expecting the decline in these contracts, which are a good barometer of future home sales. The association's chief economist, Lawrence Yun, said the availability of affordable mortgages is uneven, contributing to the slowdown. The Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors does not track pending sales.

Poll: Jindal shouldn't take VP slot if offered

Most Daily Report readers say Gov. Bobby Jindal shouldn't accept an offer to be U.S. Sen. John McCain's running mate. Sixty-five percent of the people who responded to an online survey say Jindal should not take the offer to be McCain's vice president if it is offered to him. Thirty-two percent say Jindal should let his name go on the Republican ticket in November and 3% don’t know. More than 2,150 people participated in the survey. Influential conservative commentators have been mentioning Jindal as a good running mate for McCain, but the governor has denied interest in the job.

Today’s question: If the mayor’s election was held today, for whom would you vote?

News roundup: Local Catholic Charities head stepping down; used car lots filling up with gas guzzlers; another Web site helps you find cheapest gas

Roe retiring after 34 years: Deborah Roe, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, announced she will retire at the end of June. Roe has been with Catholic Charities for 34 years and been executive director since 1989. She currently serves on the Catholic Charities USA Board of Trustees and received the John W. Barton Sr. Excellence in Nonprofit Management Award from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in 2006. A national search will be conducted to find her replacement. Dump my SUV: Not only are rising gas prices causing SUV sales to plunge, but more owners are dumping the vehicles for fuel-efficient cars, The Boston Globe reported. The average used SUV took more than 66 days to sell at a 20% discount from the Kelley Blue Book last month, compared to 48 days and a 7.8% discount a year earlier, reported CNW Marketing Research, an automotive marketing research company. SUV sales dropped by nearly one-third in April compared to the year before; at the same time, small car sales rose nearly 19%. Read the story here. Where the good prices are: With gas prices set to peak next month, here's something that could be useful: a Microsoft Web site that shows where the cheapest fuel is by ZIP code. The site collects pricing data from more than 90,000 gas stations across the U.S. Click here to check out the site.