Credit crunch: The special session failure by Louisiana lawmakers to close a budget gap only four months away raised alarms Wednesday with a national credit rating agency. S&P Global Ratings issued an update about the 15-day session, noting that legislative gridlock has emerged as a credit weakness for Louisiana. No move was made to downgrade the state’s credit rating, but the update signals such a move could happen. Read more.
On the run: A new concierge errand service has launched in the Baton Rouge area to help residents accomplish necessary, but time-consuming, tasks like grocery shopping. On the Geaux Errands is a limited liability company servicing Baton Rouge, Baker, Zachary, Central and Denham Springs. The company’s goal is to help clients live a balance life, Latoria Williams says in a news release. Get more information.
Limited options: Federal prosecutors may file new charges against a Shreveport businessman accused of bilking more than $96 million dollars from investors and financial institutions, The Shreveport Times reports. Federal prosecutors made their intentions known during a telephone conference held Feb. 27, leaving 56-year-old David deBerardinis with two options: plead guilty or face new charges. A federal grand jury indicted deBerardinis on four counts of wire fraud and one count of attempted bank fraud in January. He has pleaded not guilty. Read more.
