On the agenda: The Metro Council will consider this evening an agreement to hire the South Central Planning and Development Commission of Houma to provide supplemental review services for the city-parish’s permits office. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome issued a statement today reiterating her support for third party review for permits and the agreement, saying the process is necessary to encourage smart development in Baton Rouge. SCPDC could begin servicing applicants as soon as November if the council approves the agreement.
Legendary: Gov. John Bel Edwards this afternoon offered his condolences to the family of rock ‘n’ roll legend Fats Domino, who died early this morning of natural causes. Domino was 89. “There’s no denying that when he played a song he transformed it into something spectacular,” Edward says in a statement. “Our hearts are heavy today, but we will always remember his love for life and New Orleans through his iconic music.”
Artificial intelligence: MESH, a Baton Rouge-based strategic marketing firm, is partnering with Not Rocket Science, a software development company based in Covington, to create “branded bots” or software that performs automated tasks. The companies will focus on delivering a brand personality through channels and platforms like Alexa, Cortana, Siri, IBM Watson, mobile apps, websites and social media. Read more.
