No deal between BREC, Central

No agreement was reached today in a meeting between BREC officials and Central stakeholders about the possibility of Central breaking away from BREC and forming its own recreation district. House Bill 792, by Central Republican Bodi White, which would allow Central to do just that, will be considered by the House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs committee Wednesday afternoon. Palmer expects to meet with White and other local representatives Wednesday at the Capitol. Critics in Central believe the community has been neglected by BREC for years, while BREC argues delays in making capital improvements have been caused by circumstances outside BREC's control. Today’s meeting involved a presentation by BREC about the timing and budget for major improvements in Central. “I’m working as hard as I can to get them to a comfort level and to have them understand all of the issues that are involved,” Palmer said. White has said he believes he has the votes to pass the bill, but has left open the possibility of withdrawing it if Central’s concerns can be addressed. For more information about the Central-BREC rift, read the Business Report story here.

Portobello's to replace Kiva's in Bocage Village

Kiva's, a longtime Baton Rouge Italian restaurant, will close Saturday in the Bocage Village Shopping Center. Co-owner Ken Guidroz is retiring after 40 years in the local restaurant business, says his son, Kiva. "He's 63 years old, and he pretty much wanted to step down," Kiva Guidroz says. Ken Guidroz served as general manager of The Village Restaurant for 20 years before opening Kiva's on Airline Highway in 1990. Kiva Guidroz says he will take over his father's lease and move one of the two locations of his more casual Italian restaurant, Portobello's Grill. Plans are to open the new location by July 1. "We feel like we'll fit in well right there," he says. Portobello's on West Lee Drive will close, and Guidroz says the building is under contract. Portobello's also has a location on O'Neal Lane. -- Timothy Boone

Shaw awarded $275 million contract for power plant

The Shaw Group's North Carolina division has been awarded a $275 million contract to build a gas-fired power plant unit. Duke Energy has hired Shaw to build the 620 megawatt station in Rowan County, N.C. The project, which will hire up to 500 construction workers, still needs the approval from the state utility commission.

New downtown bar in the works

Plans are in the works to put in a new bar at the old Tabby's Blues Box location on Lafayette Street. A notice stating that a request had been filed with the city-parish Alcohol Beverage Control Board to open an establishment called Dalton's. Not much more is known beyond that: Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District, says a confidentiality agreement exists between the owner of the bar and Bob Dean, who owns the old Tabby's building. The building near Florida Street has been empty since November 2004, when Tabby's closed.

Louisiana Civil Code's 200th anniversary celebration set

Legal wonks have something to cheer about this week: the bicentennial of the Louisiana Civil Code, to be celebrated Friday and Sunday. In 1808, the Digest of the Civil Laws Now in Force in the Territory of Orleans -- containing Roman and Spanish civil law in force during the Louisiana Purchase and modeled after the Code civil des Français of 1804 and the Projet de l’An VIII of 1800 -- was enacted. It was later amended to become the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825, which was superseded by the Louisiana Civil Code of 1870 that is presently in effect. The celebration kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Sunday events, at the Old State Capitol, will be conducted entirely in French and will include public presentation of the digest online, marking the culmination of a project to make the text of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825 available online in the original French with English translation. To RSVP for either day’s events, ccls@law.lsu.edu or call 578-1126.

Executive spotlight: Teri Fontenot

Teri Fontenot, president/CEO of Woman's Hospital, has a lot on her plate now that the medical center is preparing to break ground on a $299 million facility to be located on the present site of Briarwood Country Club. "It is very gratifying to know that our work helps create and strengthen families, and that we provide uniquely exceptional care to women in all phases of their lives, " says Fontenot, a native of Clinton, Miss. To read the full Q&A, click here.

Here are two of our favorites:

Question: If you could have any job other than your own, what would it be?

Finding homes for homeless dogs.

Q: What is the greatest personal or professional obstacle you've overcome?

Seeking a college degree as a single parent with no financial support.

Poll: Most spent the same on Mother's Day

Most Daily Report readers say they spent about the same this Mother's Day as in past years. Fifty-four percent of the people who responded to an online survey reported no change in how much they spent on presents, while 32% say the were spending less. Fourteen percent say they spent more than in past years. Nearly 900 people participated in the survey. National retail experts forecast a slight drop in Mother's Day spending as the sluggish economy caused people to buy one large gift instead of several small items.

Today's question: What do you think of the Legislature's plans to cut $120 million in social spending and higher education programs from the state budget?

News roundup: Emily, Jacob top baby name list; television company files for Chapter 11; women voters discuss ethics

Here's the names kindergarten teachers will be calling out in five years: Emily and Jacob were once again was the most popular name for babies, according to the Social Security Administration. Emily has been the most popular girl's name since 1996, while Jacob has been the favorite boy's name since 1999. Other popular names include Michael, Ethan, Joshua and Daniel, along with Isabella, Emma, Ava and Madison. See the full list here. A sign of trouble? Pappas Telecasting, a California-based company that bills itself as the largest privately held commercial television broadcaster in the U.S., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for 13 of its stations. Pappas owns 30 stations across the country. The company blamed the filing on the economic downturn, specifically the tough housing market, which has cut back on the amount of advertising. Open and honest government: The League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge will hold a discussion on ethics and transparency in government at its monthly meeting, set for noon Thursday at Drusilla Seafood. Richard Sherburne, general counsel with the state Board of Ethics, is set to attend, along with Jim Brandt, head of the Public Affairs Research Council. Tickets to the event are $20 for league members, $25 for nonmembers. Registration is required; e-mail lwvbr@lwvbr.org or call 334-9999 to sign up.