B.R. home sales up in October

Home sales in metro Baton Rouge were up 4.3% in October compared with the year before. There were 555 houses sold in the area, according to figures obtained today from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. That compares with 532 sales in October 2008. The average sale price was down slightly, from $196,542 in October 2008 to $187,185 last month, showing the continued popularity of the starter home market. Livingston Parish saw the biggest jump, with the number of houses sold going up 21%, from 85 in October 2008 to 103 last month. The average sale price also rose in Livingston, to $167,292, compared with $159,680. East Baton Rouge Parish saw a 4.2% increase in sales, from 310 to 323. The average sale price dropped from $205,005 in 2008 to $190,377 last month. Ascension Parish saw a 7.7% drop in home sales, from 104 to 96, but the average sale price still remained the highest in the region, at more than $200,000. Sales in the "other" category, which includes MLS transactions in West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Iberville and the Feliciana parishes, held steady at 33.This is the second consecutive month that 2009 home sales were ahead of the previous year's pace. Overall, home sales are down 10.3% from 2008, when there were 6,462 houses sold through October with an average sale price of $203,725. Through the first 10 months of the year, there have been 5,798 homes sold through MLS, with an average sale price of $192,836.

LaPolitics by John Maginnis: Streamlining cuts adding up

State cabinet agencies have been ordered by the Division of Administration to incorporate in their budget making all their cost-cutting suggestions made to the Streamlining Commission. They make up the bulk of recommendations that have specified savings, totaling almost $300 million in cuts or about one-third of next year's projected $900 million shortfall. Only about $70 million of the reductions would require changes in laws outside of the budget. The full commission is plowing through recommendations offered by advisory groups in weekly meetings that will grow more frequent as it approaches its Dec. 15 deadline for its final report.

—New Orleans has more famous part-time residents but none are richer than one of its newest: Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, who recently bought a place in the French Quarter. Orleans Parish property records show that 1139 Chartres St. was sold for $2 million on July 31 to NOLA Residence LLC, which is registered in Seattle. A New Orleans source with direct knowledge of the transaction confirmed that Allen bought the property. The 56-year-old Allen is listed by Forbes magazine as the 32nd richest person in the world, worth $10.5 billion.

(John Maginnis publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com.)

Raccoon leads to downtown power outage

A raccoon got into a substation early this morning and caused a widespread power outage downtown, according to Entergy officials. The raccoon entered the Entergy downtown substation off River Road and energized equipment, which led to the outage that started around 3:30 a.m., says Jeff Holeman, an Entergy spokesman. Fewer than 1,200 households around downtown were without power for about 90 minutes, Holeman says. While the power company has devices to keep animals from entering the substation, the raccoon got around them. "These animals get in places where they ought not to be," he says.—Timothy Boone

American Gateway to overhaul Mid City branch

American Gateway Bank will begin a renovation of its Florida Boulevard branch Monday. The project will modernize the lobby, remodel the exterior and add drive-through lanes and parking. American Gateway says the work should be completed by spring; until then, bank operations will shift to a temporary building on the Florida site. American Gateway, based in Port Allen, has 10 branches in the Capital Region and is set to open a branch in Zachary next month.

Trade deficit widens more than expected in September

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in September as foreign oil prices rose to the highest level in nearly a year, swamping a fifth consecutive gain in exports. Still, economists expect a rebounding global economy will keep pushing demand for exports higher, helping to bolster the U.S. recovery. The slide in the value of the dollar, which is down about 12% against a basket of major currencies since last spring, is expected to help boost exports of manufactured goods because it will make American goods cheaper in overseas markets. The Commerce Department says the trade deficit jumped 18.2% in September to $36.5 billion. That was the largest deficit since January and more than the $31.7 billion imbalance economists had expected. Exports, which have been rising since May, increased 2.9% to $132 billion, reflecting stronger sales of American autos, aircraft and industrial machinery. Imports rose 5.8% to $168.4 billion, led by a 20.1% jump in oil shipments.

'Top Chef' visits Baton Rouge

Top Chef Season Five winner Hosea Rosenberg held a demonstration and lecture for lucky students at the Louisiana Culinary Institute on Monday afternoon. In addition to showing off delectable dishes like wild king salmon with sweet potato hash, Rosenberg spoke about the importance of sustainable seafood in today's restaurant market. For instance, a free iPhone and iPod Touch app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium called "Seafood Watch" can help consumers make more informed choices right at the table. Seafood Watch stays updated with the latest news and info about fishing practices, and splits seafood into categories from super-green (seafood that's farmed in extremely sustainable ways) to avoid (seafood that's fished in a way that's environmentally unsafe). The app even lets you choose your region, so you can tell which seafood is best for the Gulf. For more on Rosenberg’s visit, sustainable seafood and other dining news you can use, read 225 Dine by clicking here.

Fittest Exec registration ends Monday

Think you are more fit than your peers? There are only a few left days to find out. The deadline to enter Business Report’s second Fittest Execs competition, in which Capital Region business executives compete in four categories (men 44 and under, men 45 and over, women 44 and under and women 45 and over), is 5 p.m. Monday. The competition is open to executives (C-level, president, vice president, owner, partner, executive director or retired executives) and mid-level managers. Fitness appraisals will take place at Bally Total Fitness Baton Rouge through Nov. 20, with the results to be announced in the Dec. 29 issue of Business Report. Click here to register or for more information.

Poll: Split on bond issue

People who participated in a Daily Report poll about the capital-improvements package are evenly split on the issue. Just over half of the people who took the online survey say they back the $901 million measure put up by Mayor Kip Holden, while 49% were opposed to the measure. Because of ballot stuffing, only votes cast before 4:30 p.m. Thursday were counted; at that time, nearly 900 votes had been cast. East Baton Rouge Parish voters will decide the fate of the bond issue Saturday.

Today's question: Do you agree with LSU System President John Lombardi, who supports capping TOPS for upper-income families, or with LSU Chancellor Michael Martin, who is against caps but for raising the standards of the program?

News roundup: Big online retailers plan 'Free Shipping Day’ ... Thanksgiving air travel expected to be down 4%

Hope to provide late sales boost: More than 200 retailers, including such household brands as Toys R Us, Macy's, Sears and Eddie Bauer, are joining forces for "Free Shipping Day," which will be held Dec. 17. Shoppers who order products online on that day will not have to pay shipping charges, and their items will be delivered by Christmas Eve. This is the third year in a row for "Free Shipping Day," online retailers hope to make it as big of a shopping holiday as Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) or Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving). For more information and a list of participating retailers, go to freeshippingday.com.

Lower prices, but fewer passengers: The number of Americans flying over the Thanksgiving holiday is expected to be down 4%, according to an airline industry trade group. The Air Transport Association of America says the decline in passengers comes after deep discounts. During the second quarter domestic airfares were down 13% from the same time period in 2008, at their lowest point since 1998, says the ATA. Planes should be packed during the 12-day Thanksgiving period, as airlines have drastically cut back on available seats to meet customer demand.