Home run: Souvenir bats from Baton Rouge-based Marucci Sports were prominently on display at the White House on Monday as President Donald Trump kicked off “Made in America” week. Marucci Sports Communications Manager Chad Vignes says the company, which began in a backyard shed in Baton Rouge in 2004, shipped souvenir bats to Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and to each member of Louisiana’s Washington delegation. Vignes says it was an honor to participate in the showcase, which featured products created in each of the 50 states. The invite to participate came from Congressman Garret Graves, who late last week approached Marucci Sports CEO Kurt Ainsworth and purchased the bats as gifts for the state’s delegation. “We are very committed to Louisiana as we continue to grow,” Vignes says.
Sign of times: The biennial 2017 Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exhibition is expected to be a more intimate event this year, with less exhibition space, scheduling changes and three keynote speakers. The Advertiser reports the changes are partly the byproducts of an industry still struggling for recovery from three years of down prices for crude oil and natural gas. Louisiana’s premier oil and gas show still expects to draw good crowds and enthusiastic exhibitors, but not at the volume of past years. Attendance for the event exceeded 17,000 and 16,000 in 2013 and 2015. LAGCOE is scheduled to take place Oct. 24-26 at the Cajundome in Lafayette. Read more.
Throwing in a line: Two environmental groups are suing the Trump administration for stretching the red snapper season for recreational anglers in the Gulf of Mexico. The Associated Press reports Robert Jones of the Environmental Defense Fund and Chris Dorsett of the Ocean Conservancy say both groups want their lawsuit to prompt discussions about improving how the program is managed. Jones says changes are needed as states set widely different anglers seasons in their waters and federal seasons are getting shorters. The U.S. Commerce Department is reviewing the suit. Read more.
