Kadair's closing Florida Boulevard location

Kadair's, the longtime camera and electronics retailer, is closing its Florida Boulevard location and consolidating most of its operations on Essen Lane. "The city has moved away from the Florida Boulevard area, and we're just following the demographics," owner Howard Kadair says. The store will close Friday, although the company will keep some nonretail operations, such as bookkeeping, at the site. Kadair's was founded in 1946; from the 1960s until the early 1980s, the company had three locations on Florida before consolidating everything into one store. "We're very excited to put all of our energy in the Essen location," Kadair says. "That will be our total focus." The Florida store has nine employees; three are moving to Essen. Kadair says he hasn't decided what will happen to the building that housed the Florida store.—Timothy Boone

Metro Airport lands new marketing head

The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport has a new director of sales and marketing. Jim Caldwell, former regional sales manager for AirTran Airways, was hired two weeks before Christmas to replace the airport's previous marketing director, Ronnie Pickard, who took a job with the Houston Airport System in October. Caldwell spent eight years with discount AirTran and has also worked in sales and marketing for Piedmont Airlines, US Airways and Dollar Rental Car. Aviation Director Anthony Marino says Caldwell did his homework on Baton Rouge, putting together a marketing package for the interview that "hit it right on the head" in terms of identifying deficiencies in the city's air service. Marino says Caldwell's long relationship with AirTran and insider's knowledge of the industry can't hurt the airport's longstanding efforts to lure AirTran's discount air service. "Not that that means we're going to get AirTran tomorrow, but he's going to be able to help us when we're making those presentations," Marino says. "He's going to add a lot of credibility."—Steve Clark

Red Stick fest brings Disney exec to luncheon

Red Stick Animation Festival officials hope to generate more involvement—including sponsorships—from the Capital Region business community through an inaugural luncheon featuring Walt Disney feature animation executive Emily Hoppe, who will discuss the upcoming Disney feature film set in New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog, and talk about Disney's ongoing relationship with Red Stick. Festival public relations manager Kristen Sunde says Hoppe will reveal plans for a "major presence" at this year's Red Stick festival (April 22-25) with the new movie, which will be released on Christmas. The first Red Stick Ink & Paint Club Luncheon takes place Friday, Jan. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center. "Red Stick has grown and done a lot in just five years, and we want the local business community to understand its impact and become part of it, through sponsorship, participation, promotion or whatever avenue they choose," Sunde says. Call 389-7182 or e-mail amoody@cct.lsu.edu for information.—Steve Clark

Teen birth rate increases in Louisiana

The number of teenagers giving birth in Louisiana increased by 10% from 2005-06, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The uptick comes after the teen birth rate dropped statewide by 35% from 1991-05, a percentage decrease greater than the national average. According to the CDC, there were nearly 54 births for every 1,000 Louisiana girls ages 15-19 in 2006. The national birth rate was nearly 42 births per 1,000 girls. Nationwide, the number of teen births increased by 3% from 2005-06, the first time the rate has gone up in about 15 years. Mississippi ranked No. 1 with 68 births per 1,000, followed by New Mexico at 64 and Texas at 63. To read the report, click here.

Zagat lists best places to eat, drink and stay in New Orleans

Just in time for the start of Carnival season, Zagat has released the results of its 2009 New Orleans travel survey. Brigtsen's, Bayona, Commander's Palace, Galatoire's and Stella! were named as some of the top restaurants, based on a survey of nearly 3,900 locals, while Pat O'Brien's, Polo Lounge and Preservation Hall were named as some of the top nightspots. Windsor Court and Ritz-Carlton were named as the best hotels in the Crescent City, while the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and National World War II Museum were the top destinations. One attraction for travelers on a budget: New Orleans has some of the lowest average costs in the nation for a meal and a drink. To read the guide, click here.

Sports roundup: LSU officially hires Cooper as DB coach … Saints’ Bush has microfracture surgery on left knee

Cooper comes from South Carolina: Ron Cooper, who has nine years of head coaching experience at the college level, has been hired as LSU’s secondary coach, the school announced today. Cooper comes to LSU from South Carolina where he spent the past five years, including safeties coach in 2008, secondary coach and assistant head coach in 2006-07, outside linebackers and special teams coordinator in 2005 and defensive backs coach in 2004. The Gamecocks’ pass defense ranked No. 1 this season in the SEC and No. 2 in the nation, allowing just 160 yards per game. Cooper also served as a head coach at Eastern Michigan from 1993-94, Louisville from 1995-97 and Alabama A&M from 1998-2001.

Bush will be ready for minicamp: The New Orleans Saints confirmed today that running back Reggie Bush had surgery on his left knee, and will require months of rehabilitation. Bush is expected to be ready for minicamp in June. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said Bush had a microfracture procedure performed on his left knee after he was placed on injured reserve in mid-December, according to The Times-Picayune. Saints Coach Sean Payton had indicated last week that Bush underwent an arthroscopic procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Loomis said the surgery was not a "major" procedure, according to the report.

Recycling group now charging fees

A drop in the value of recycled electronics has caused the Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council to begin charging fees for some items. "We wanted to keep it lower than a Starbucks coffee," says Nancy Jo Craig, executive director of the CACRC, a 10-year-old nonprofit organization. The organization now charges $4 for every monitor it recycles ($5 if the device has a cracked casing) and $3 for each printer, fax machine or scanner. CACRC will still accept cell phones, servers, laptops and computers for free. The new fees have been in effect since Jan. 1, Craig says most customers "haven't blinked an eye about it." "It would cost twice as much to recycle electronics through a private company," she says. The economic downturn has caused the value of recycled material to drop sharply. "The value was the highest it had ever been last summer, then it quickly went to the lowest it's ever been," Craig says. "We're having to try and make ends meet."—Timothy Boone

Financial roundup: U.S. budget deficit to hit $1.2 trillion … Oil prices tumble on reserve report

Report says economy to shrink in 2009: The federal budget deficit will hit an unparalleled $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year, according to grim new Congressional Budget Office figures. The CBO estimate released today also sees the economy shrinking by 2.2% this year and recovering only slightly in 2010, and the unemployment rate eclipsing 9% early next year unless the Obama administration steps in. CBO's figures don't account for the huge economic stimulus bill that Obama is expected to propose soon to try to jolt the economy. At the same time, they do not reflect the full cost of the Wall Street bailout. Obama and Congress are promising quick enactment of the economic recovery plan, which will blend up to $300 billion in tax cuts with big new spending programs and could cost up to $775 billion over the next few years.

U.S. inventories continue to rise: Energy prices tumbled across the board today after a government report showed U.S. oil reserves were much greater than expected, suggesting demand continues to fall. Sweet crude for February delivery plummeted more than 8%, or $4.04, to $44.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the report was released. The Energy Information Administration said inventories rose of commercial crude oil inventories rose 6.7 million barrels, well beyond the 1.5 million-barrel build expected by analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., can influence market trading.

Poll: Readers split on OLOL property

Daily Report readers are split on what they would like to see Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center do with a tract of land it bought along Interstate 10. Thirty-five percent of the people who responded to an online survey say the new LSU teaching hospital should be built on the site between Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard, while 31% think OLOL should build a children's hospital there. Fifteen percent were undecided, while 10% say a mixed-use medical development should be built on the land and 9% would like to see Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center expand on the property. Nearly 1,000 people participated in the survey. OLOL paid $15.25 million for the 58-acre site in a deal that closed just before the end of the year; hospital officials say they have no plans for the property at the time.

Today's question: How much credit card debt are you carrying?

News roundup: Southern-based clothing chain going out of business … New York tops best, worst cities list … 19% of workers plan to change jobs in 2009

Five Louisiana locations affected: Discount chain Goody's Family Clothing will begin liquidating its stores on Friday as the retailer becomes one of the year's first victims of the worsening economy. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based chain, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection four months ago, has 287 stores in 20 Midwestern and Southern states. Goody's has five Louisiana locations: Hammond, Lake Charles, New Iberia, Opelousas and Ruston. It's uncertain what will happen to the company's 9,800 workers after the liquidation is completed by the end of March. But without a last-minute buyer or an investor to purchase high-performing stores, their job outlook is grim.

A town so nice, it made the list twice: New York topped a survey of the best cities to work and live and a list of the worst cities to work and live. The list, compiled by Yahoo Real Estate, was based on a poll of 2,500 people. Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago also made the best and worst lists. New Orleans was ranked as the fourth worst city to live.

Looking to move on: Although hiring is predicted to slow down, 19% of workers surveyed say they plan to leave their current job before the end of the year. The CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 8,800 workers also found that 19% have made finding a new job one of their resolutions for 2009. Sixty percent of workers say the tight job market and weak economy have caused them to hold off plans to switch employers.