Local and state officials this week celebrated the relocation of two digital media companies to Louisiana. Founder Larry Kelly is moving his Seattle-based game testing company qalytics to the Louisiana Technology Park in Baton Rouge, and Chicago-based High Voltage Software Inc. plans to have a video game development studio up and running in New Orleans as early as next month.
Both are making use of Louisiana Economic Development incentives, including the state’s Digital Interactive Media and Software Development Incentive, which provides a 35% tax credit on payroll for in-state labor and a 25% tax credit for qualified production expenses made in Louisiana.
Also this week, a report released by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors shows home sales were 4.4% higher in November compared to the same month last year. The report also shows Capital Region home sales are on pace to surpass 2013 totals by the end of the year.
In other news, police searched the home of fired Parish Attorney Mary Roper looking for evidence that someone from Roper’s home hacked into the webmail accounts of employees from the parish attorney’s office. The computer tampering allegations are the latest chapter in the bizarre story of the former parish attorney’s clash with the Metro Council. Roper was fired by the council in September, after several council members accused her of not working regular full-time hours while employed by the city-parish. She and the council have since been embroiled in a legal battle. The allegations Thursday prompted Judge Tim Kelley to delay a hearing where Metro Council members were to testify as to whether they impeded the city in fulfilling public records requests submitted by Roper.
Read the complete Daily Report Week in Review.
