Wheels in motion: Monster Moto, which makes go-carts, minibikes and other youth-oriented vehicles, announced today that it will move its headquarters from Dallas to Ruston, where it will also spend a minimum of $4 million to build a 100,000-square-foot facility as part of a public-private partnership. With the move, the company is expected to create 287 new direct jobs in the Ruston area over the next decade. Monster Moto will begin construction in June and is expected to begin operating in Ruston by the end of the year. Hiring will begin in the second half of this year. The City of Ruston is providing 17 acres of land at its former municipal airport site to assist the project. Louisiana Economic Development is also providing incentives for the project. LED has more details.
Too many myths: In the heated debate over Common Core, The Associated Press reports that supporters of the education standards have resorted to the mythical, distributing pink and white unicorn stuffed animals to state lawmakers. The pitch? Unicorns aren’t real, and the organization calling itself Alliance for Better Classrooms says many of the criticisms lawmakers have heard about Common Core aren’t real either. The fluffy-tailed creature was an attention-grabbing salvo in the fight over whether to keep the English and math standards adopted by more than 40 states in Louisiana’s public school classrooms. Gov. Bobby Jindal has made scrapping Common Core one of his top priorities in the legislative session, calling the standards an effort by the Obama administration to nationalize education. The Alliance for Better Classrooms says the standards better prepare students for college and the workforce.
Power in numbers: Angry and worried college students rallied on the Louisiana Capitol steps today and launched a “No Funds No Future” Twitter campaign, trying to stop deep budget cuts to their schools. The Associated Press reports they also packed a House Appropriations Committee hearing to ask lawmakers personally to keep higher education from facing a reduction up to $600 million next year. That would strip 80% of college systems’ state financing. Gov. Bobby Jindal’s higher education budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 would cut more than $220 million from campuses. It also relies on $372 million from tax break changes that need legislative approval and face resistance from lawmakers.
