Extension request: Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials are seeking to have CenturyLink extend an agreement to keep its headquarters in Monroe beyond 2020. Richard Carbo, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, says Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson met with CenturyLink executives Wednesday in Monroe as part of ongoing negotiations, The Daily Advertiser reports. Carbo adds Edwards and CenturyLink CEO Jeff Storey are expected to meet this month. The telecommunications company has a contract with the state to keep its headquarters in Monroe through 2020 as part of a previous incentives package. Read the full story.
Carolina bound: Baton Rouge-based MasteryPrep announced today it has entered into an agreement with Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, to provide digital access to ACT Mastery Online for 10,900 North Carolina high school students. Appalachian’s GEAR UP—Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs—is a federally-funded college access program designed to increase the number of college-ready students. Founded in 2013, MasteryPrep has grown from just a few schools to more than 1,000 schools and is now in 21 states. Read the full announcement.
All that jazz: Music lovers will get an extra day this year at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, with festival management announcing they will add another day in honor of the event’s 50th anniversary. The bonus day will be Thursday, April 25, and take the festival from seven days to eight days spread out over two weekends. The festival will run April 25-28 and May 2-5. Locals will also be able to get in for $50 on the first Thursday by showing a Louisiana ID. The festival lineup will be announced in December. Read the full story.
