Vote early: Early voting is underway in parishes across Louisiana for the April 9 municipal general and special elections. The early voting period began Saturday and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Saturday. Five candidates will vie in a special election to win the House District 29 seat left vacant by the death of state Rep. Ronnie Edwards. They are: Tyra Banks Sterling, Edmond Jordan, Vereta Lee, Albert White and Victor Woods Jr. All of the candidates are Democrats. Also on the April 29 ballot in East Baton Rouge Parish is a runoff for the mayoral office in Baker and a number of city council seats.
Outstanding: Nominations are being sought for Louisiana Economic Development 2016 Lantern Awards. Each year the awards are presented to outstanding manufacturers in Louisiana’s regional planning and development districts. Nomination packets can be obtained online. The deadline to submit the nominations is Friday, April 22. The awards, which are handcrafted lanterns donated by Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights of New Orleans, will be presented June 7 at a reception at the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion. Pod Pack International of Baton Rouge was one of the many recipients last year. Get more information.
Alternatives: According to a recent Gallup poll, 73% of Americans say they prefer emphasizing alternative energy, rather than gas and oil production, as the solution to the nation’s energy problems. Gallup says the finding marks the highest percentage of Americans prioritizing alternative energy since it first asked the question in 2011. The survey also found that support for alternative energy solutions increased substantially in 2013 and 2014. Gallup also found that this year also marks the first time Republicans and Republican-leaning independents preferred an alternative energy solution to the nation’s energy problems. The results are from Gallup’s annual Environment poll conducted earlier this month. Read the full story.
