$279M offered: Oil companies offered $279 million for drilling rights in the Gulf on Wednesday in the first of 30 sales planned for the region in coming years under Republican efforts to ramp up U.S. fossil fuel production. Thirty companies submitted bids, including industry giants Chevron, Shell and BP, federal officials said. The total amount of high bids was down by more than $100 million from the previous lease sale in the Gulf two years ago under former President Joe Biden. Read more from the Associated Press.
New project: LSU broke ground on Wednesday on its $200 million South Quad project, which looks to add 1,266 first-year beds and new residential colleges for engineering and business. The project is being delivered through LSU’s established public-private partnership model.
Workforce development: Baton Rouge Community College is launching the Capital Region’s first plumbing apprenticeship program with enrollment open for spring 2026. The $1,500 program includes 222 classroom hours, 3,500 on-the-job hours, and access to BRCC’s new construction lab. Graduates can expect high-demand job opportunities paying $20–25 an hour.
