Downtown charter schools moving into Regions building

Two charter high schools set to open downtown will be housed in the former Regions Bank building. The Mentorship Academy of Science and Technology and the Mentorship Academy of Digital Media and Art will open in July in the bank building at the corner of Florida and North Fourth streets. Under the agreement, Cyntreniks will acquire the building from Bob Dean, and lease the space to Helix Network of Educational Choices, which will operate the schools. The acquisition and lease of the Regions building was one of the projects that Cyntreniks founder Brace Godfrey was working on before his death Saturday. John Schneider, one of the developers of Cyntreniks, says it’s fitting that one of Godfrey’s last achievements was being instrumental in the start-up of schools. “Brace was a man of multiple passions, not the least of which was his love of education,” Schneider says. Bryan Jones, chairman of the Helix Network of Educational Choices board, which will operate the schools, says both the science and technology and the digital media schools will start with 125 students in the 9th grade. “This will bring a new energy to downtown,” Jones says. Helix is still negotiating with LSU about using some classroom space in the Shaw Center for the Arts, but the Regions building will serve as the primary location for the school. “We want to mirror the workforce, where you’ll go to an office, then walk down to another location for meetings,” says Jones. For a rendering of how the mentorship academies will look, click here. —Timothy Boone

Call center set to hire 200

Convergys is set to hire 200 employees at its Florida Boulevard call center to handle customer service and support for a telecommunications company. Convergys intends to start training workers this month for the jobs, and the process will continue through May. The work covers an expanded contract with an existing client. The jobs will have an average salary of $9.75 an hour, plus incentives, says Amy Williams, a spokeswoman for Convergys. Williams says the hiring will boost staffing at Convergys to 650 employees. The creation of new jobs reverses the trend toward customer service jobs leaving Baton Rouge. Chase Bank and Capital One recently shifted more than 425 customer service jobs out of the city and into other markets.

Mid City official concerned about BR General environs

If Baton Rouge General Medical Center Mid City were to shut down, thanks to higher costs from treating greater numbers of poor patients after the closure of Earl K. Long, the effect on area neighborhoods would be devastating, Mid City Redevelopment Alliance director Samuel Sanders says. General Health System founded the alliance in the late 1980s. If the General closed, it would go from a catalyst for the area’s revitalization to a giant vacant property in the heart of Mid City, Sanders says. General CEO Bill Holman says the General’s Mid City facility lost over $7 million last fiscal year, largely because of increasing numbers of uninsured patients. Both the General and Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary fear they will see even more uninsured patients if a plan to close EKL in three years and move much of the charity hospital’s services to Our Lady of the Lake is approved. A legislative committee could approve the deal tomorrow. The fate of EKL’s 1,100 or so employees has not been determined. One nurse, who did not want to be named, fears if the agreement is approved, the uncertainty will cause many EKL employees to quit and look for work elsewhere, leaving the public hospital with a staffing shortage. The nurse says employees have been told in meetings that the deal won’t save the state money but that “this is what the governor wants.” —David Jacobs

Chatelain named new director of Manship Theatre

Renee M. Chatelain, the co-founder of the Mid City Dance Project, has been named executive director of the Manship Theatre. Chatelain, currently the chair of fine arts at the Dunham School, will take over as head of the theater June 1. She says her first goal is to make people aware the theater is a real community space. “We want to welcome lots of events besides theater,” she says. “The town square is adjacent to the theater, so we are ripe for being a hub.” The theater has been without a permanent director since December 2008, when former executive director Janie Oldfield left to lead a theater near her family in Illinois. Chatelain was a professional dancer before becoming a teacher, dancing with companies in New York, New Orleans and Tampa, Fla.

EBR sales tax collections down 12%

East Baton Rouge Parish sales tax collections were down 12% in January when compared with the year before. According to figures released today by the city-parish Department of Revenue, $11 million in sales taxes were collected January, compared with nearly $12.6 million in January 2009. This continues a streak of annual declines in sales tax revenue that started in April 2009. Sales tax collections were down 20% in unincorporated areas of the parish, from $6.1 million in January 2009 to $4.9 million. That’s unusual, because sales tax revenues outside the incorporated areas of East Baton Rouge actually increased in 2009. Sales in the incorporated areas were down 4.6%, from $6.4 million to $6.1 million.

Entergy set to build Pecue Lane office

Entergy has started the permitting process for an office on Pecue Lane, which will provide better customer service to south Baton Rouge neighborhoods. The 32,000-square-foot office, set to open at the end of 2011, will be built in front of the utility company’s Pecue Substation, says Jeff Holeman, an Entergy spokesman. Holeman says about 150 linemen will work out of the office; the workers will come from exiting offices on Choctaw Drive and Government Street. “This will help us respond quicker to our customers in the south part of the parish,” Holeman says. Plans are to close the Government Street office and let the remaining workers at Choctaw cover the territory. Entergy hasn’t decided yet what it will do with the Government Street building. —Timothy Boone

Landrieu announces $21.7 million in bonds for EBR schools

The U.S. Department of Treasury has awarded $21.7 million in qualified construction bonds for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu announced the funding, part of more than $244 million in construction bonds set aside for Louisiana schools. The bonds help governments get low-cost financing for building, repairing or expanding a public school. Investors who buy the bonds get federal tax credit instead of interest. East Baton Rouge school officials say they don’t have any specific construction or repair projects earmarked for the bonds.

Eventful weekend offered at Manship

The Manship Theatre is bringing some serious chops to the Red Stick this weekend, with talented pianist Olga Kern gracing its stage on Friday. Kern won her first international piano competition at the age of 11 and has been wowing audiences across the world as a solo artist ever since. With family ties to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, it's no wonder she's won gold medals in Moscow, Cape Town and beyond. Also at the Shaw Center, tickets are still available—just—for esteemed contemporary bluegrass group Blue Highway's show in the Manship’s black box theater Friday night. These Grammy-nominated song-makers create unforgettable, bluesy country music. Then, Baton Rouge dance troupe Of Moving Colors presents its exciting new spring stage show Saturday and Sunday. Aqua will be "a celebration of all things liquid," with choreography by New York dance instructor Netta Yerushajmy and an aerial silk performance. For these and more events around the Capital City, read 225 Select by clicking here.

Sports roundup: Old Dominion edges Notre Dame 51-50 ... Alex Box auction to benefit foundation

Villanova, BYU both win in OT: Carleton Scott's 3-pointer rattled out in the closing seconds, and 11th-seeded Old Dominion delivered the first upset of the NCAA tournament when it stunned sixth-seeded Notre Dame 51-50 on Thursday in the South Regional. The Fighting Irish rushed the ball up the court as the clock wound down, but Scott's attempt to tie the game didn't fall and Luke Harangody's putback at the buzzer wasn't enough. Frank Hassell scored 15 to lead Old Dominion (27-8), which had not won an NCAA tournament game since 1995. In other early action, Villanova squeaked by Robert Morris in overtime, 73-70; and BYU beat Florida in double overtime, 99-92.

Chance to own part of history: The Alex Box Auction Web site is continuing to sell off LSU baseball memorabilia. The latest item to go up for sale is a replica of the Wally Pontiff sign from the outfield wall. The full amount of the winning bid will go to the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation, set up in memory of the late LSU baseball captain. Pontiff’s family will receive the actual sign, but the winning bidder will be present on April 7, when the sign is bestowed during the Wally Pontiff Classic at Zephyr Field. For more information about the auctions, click here.