Business News - Baton Rouge Business Report

Baton Rouge casino revenue slides while national gaming industry thrives

Baton Rouge casino revenues in July dipped by about 9.9% from June, according to the state gaming board’s latest report. This continues local trends of decreased revenue from previous months.

EBR seeks more participation from disadvantaged businesses after most fail to qualify

East Baton Rouge Parish’s recent attempt to provide more contracting opportunities to smaller firms and those owned by women, minorities and/or veterans was in one way fruitful.

Alford: Nearly half of Louisiana’s Senate is already seated weeks out from October elections

As of this week, eight Democrats and 11 Republicans have been elected to Louisiana’s 39-member Senate because they faced no opposition or candidate challenges.

Brittney Pino & Associates expanding local office

After three years in business, Brittney Pino is expanding her real estate brokerage firm’s footprint to accommodate growth.

Did Louisiana Medicaid pay $112.6M to out-of-state recipients?

The Louisiana Department of Health issued about $112.6 million in Medicaid payments on behalf...

Louisiana higher ed officials keeping wary eye on West Virginia University budget crisis

Both sprawling, public land-grant flagship universities in two of the poorest states in the nation, LSU and West Virginia University are more similar than you might think.

State cattle industry expects to lose up to $290M from heat and drought

The state’s cattle sector is expected to lose anywhere from $135 million to $290 million as a result of the record-breaking heat wave and drought, the LSU AgCenter reports.

Citizens Bank expanding branch with a loan production office

Citizens Bank & Trust is expanding its Jefferson Highway branch near Bocage just two years after finishing a $1 million renovation to the property.

Where’s Les Miles? Former LSU coach accused of dodging federal court subpoena

Former LSU head football coach Les Miles continues to dodge attempts to make him testify in a former associate athletic director’s lawsuit, court documents show.

Cash-strapped FEMA is in need of relief itself

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is in desperate need of cash, with the agency projecting at least a $4 billion deficit in the weeks ahead—even as the government responds to devastating fires in Hawaii and the hurricane season continues toward its peak.