Closing time: A pair of federal disaster recovery centers in Ascension and Tangipahoa parishes are about to shift from recovery mode to loan support, the U.S. Small Business Administration says in a news release. The centers—located at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center at 9039 S. St. Landry Ave. in Gonzales and at 42271 Nuccio Lane in Hammond—will shut down their disaster recovery operations and will become SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to help anybody who received SBA loans after the August flood. The changes will take place by 6 p.m. Wednesday, the SBA says.
Football frenzy: LSU football’s team didn’t finish anywhere near the top 10 this year, but its ardent fans have. USA Today’s College Football Fan Index named the LSU faithful the fifth-best fan base in all of college football. “For opponents, Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night is a spectacularly hostile environment,” the index says. “That, of course, is because of LSU’s amazingly rabid fans, who are ridiculously loud (and the country’s best tailgaters).” LSU is the second-highest SEC team on the list, behind a certain squad from Tuscaloosa that happened to take the No. 1 slot. Read the full story. Any Tiger fan wanting to show their support can vote for LSU in a poll at the bottom of the article.
On board: Mark Ventress, owner of Cosmetic Dentistry of Baton Rouge, is the newest member of the LSU University College’s Advisory Board. In a statement, LSU University College Executive Director R. Paul Ivey says the university looks forward to the benefits of Ventress’ knowledge and expertise to support the university’s students and programs. The LSU University College Advisory Board comprises 30 business executives and community leaders. Its members participate in a number of activities and events, select the University College’s more than 65 scholarship recipients, and host various LSU recruitment receptions. Ventress, a Lafayette native, moved to Baton Rouge in 1992. He graduated from LSU in 1994, and attended LSU School of Dentistry, receiving a doctorate of dental surgery.
