Barfield leaving Jindal's staff

Tim Barfield, the former president and COO of The Shaw Group, is returning to the private sector. Barfield is stepping down as Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief lawyer and legal advisor effective Dec. 31, to return to the private sector, the governor's staff announced today. Barfield was traveling for the holidays and unavailable for comment. He became executive counsel in July, after a stint as head of the Louisiana Workforce Commission under Jindal. Barfield's departure triggered a game of musical chairs among some of the high-profile figures in state government. Stephen Waguespack, currently Jindal's deputy chief of staff and policy director, will take over as executive counsel. Paul Rainwater, head of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, will become deputy chief of staff. Robin Keegan will move up from deputy director and chief of staff of the LRA to take over the agency. Camille Conway, a senior policy analyst to Jindal, will become policy director. Waguespack, a former Business Report Forty Under 40 winner, has been a policy director for Jindal since his 2007 gubernatorial campaign. Rainwater has been head of the LRA since Jindal took office.

Louisiana's population rises to pre-Katrina levels

Louisiana is back to its pre-Katrina population level—and grew at a faster pace than the nation as a whole in the past year, newly released Census estimates show. Louisiana's population rose 0.91% to nearly 4.49 million people in 2009, just a few thousand shy of what it was in 2005. By comparison, the nation's population grew by 0.86% over the same period. The state has gained an estimated 40,563 new residents since 2008, restoring population levels that existed before Hurricane Katrina drove out an estimated 257,364 people. Louisiana's population is now slightly higher than it was in 2000, when the actual Census count put the number of residents at 4.46 million. According to the latest estimates, Louisiana recorded 63,742 births and 41,778 deaths in 2009, for a natural gain of 21,964 people. The state gained another 14,647 people through domestic migration, and 3,476 through international migration. Despite the latest upswing, Louisiana still ranks ahead of only Rhode Island for cumulative population change during the decade, notes Louisiana demographer and political analyst Elliott Stonecipher. "To this point in the decade, Louisiana's real population story remains outmigration," Stonecipher says. Overall, 285,765 people have left Louisiana since 2000, though for the past three years, the Census estimates more people have moved into the state than have left. It's not known how many people moving to Louisiana are former residents who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina, or people who are attracted to the state's relatively healthy economy. The latest numbers are estimates based upon government records, and are not an official count. They reflect population estimates through July 1. To read the rest of 10/12 Corridor Weekly, click here.

Alligator Bayou swamp concerns float back into view with rain

Draining the Spanish Lake Basin has left Alligator Bayou Tours high and dry since the spring, but recent rainfall has returned the water level of Alligator Bayou to about 9 feet, says tour company co-owner Frank Bonifay. That's even though the bayou was emptied to protect lowlands in the area used in mitigation banks. Bonifay, who says his company is out of business and looking to sell its assets, says Iberville Parish officials left open a floodgate that controls the basin’s water level too long, resulting in excess water from East Baton Rouge Parish draining to Ascension Parish. Tommy Martinez, parish president for Ascension, says the lock in question in Iberville Parish is going to be monitored by someone from his staff who lives nearby once an agreement is signed early next month. Martinez says the lock in question was left open “maybe five or six hours” too long during the last heavy rain but described the overall three-parish watershed problem as a natural part of winter swamp ecology, where St. Gabriel-area water flows to the basin and the bayou, and East Baton Rouge water flows to Bayou Fountain and Ward Creek, to Bayou Manchac and the Amite River. When the river is high, water backs up. Martinez says he thinks the inch or so of rain predicted to fall through Thursday won’t require closing the now-open floodgate again. Bonifay’s long-term concern, however, is that “the bayou had been so altered by the draining over the summer that capacity to hold water has been diminished by siltation and vegetation growth.” For a Business Report cover story about the Alligator Bayou dispute, click here.

The weather outside will be frightful before it turns delightful

There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms that could produce damaging winds and isolated tornadoes across most of Louisiana on Christmas Eve. According to a special weather statement issued by the National Weather Service’s New Orleans-Baton Rouge forecast office, a very strong cold front will move through southeast Louisiana starting early Thursday, and wind speeds associated with the squall line will be capable of causing dangerous driving conditions, especially on open roadways. The time of the greatest threat for severe weather appears to be from early morning to mid-afternoon, the NWS says.

Travelers also could be impacted by heavy rain. A flash flood watch has been issued for parts of northeast Louisiana and west Mississippi for Thursday, and as much as three inches could fall on already-saturated ground. Lesser rainfall amounts are expected in south Louisiana, but even the inch or so possible in areas like New Orleans will only add to the impressive totals already racked up this month. Forecasters expect the system to move through quickly, leaving cold temperatures behind it for the holiday Friday, with the high in Baton Rouge in the low to mid-50s and the low in the low to mid-30s.

To monitor this developing weather situation, click here for the NWS’ New Orleans-Baton Rouge office Web site.

Ongoing events and exhibitions for the holiday weekend

If you've got friends and family coming in to the Red Stick from out of town, there's plenty to keep them entertained around the city. Accomplished comedian and actor Jamie Wax's one-man show, A Gift for Lyman Bourke, is still playing at the Manship Theatre, and tickets are available through Dec. 27. Visit manshiptheatre.org for times and tickets. The Louisiana Arts and Science Museum will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will reopen for browsing on Saturday and Sunday. When you're done opening presents, check out their new exhibition, Get Real: Still Life Paintings by Louisiana Artists. Check out lasm.org for more info. For more events to keep your long weekend full, read 225 Select by clicking here.

News roundup: Stuart, Turner named to CABL board ... BCS Championship Game puts Applewhite in the middle

Good government guys: Rob Stuart and Thomas Turner have been elected to the Council for A Better Louisiana's board of directors. Stuart is Louisiana State president for Capital One Bank, while Turner is vice chairman and COO of Turner Industries. Robert W. Levy, district attorney for Lincoln and Union parishes, will serve chairman of the CABL board for 2010.

B.R. native has ties to both teams: The BCS Championship matchup between Alabama and Texas has put Major Applewhite back in the spotlight. Applewhite, a Catholic High graduate, left his job as Alabama's offensive coordinator in January 2008, to become the Longhorns' running backs coach. "It was a difficult decision but when the opportunity came at Texas it was just impossible to tell home 'No.'," Applewhite, a former star quarterback for the Longhorns from 1998-2001, told the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register. Applewhite says he learned a lot during his one season on Nick Saban's staff. "I think Coach Saban puts a structure in place that covers all areas from ankle wrappers to play callers," Applewhite told the newspaper. "Everyone is held accountable." Read the full story here.

No Daily Report PM Thursday and Friday

Daily Report PM will not be published Thursday or Friday in observance of Christmas. The newsletter will return Monday. Happy holidays!