In memoriam: Lamar Advertising is honoring the memory of the late former First Lady Barbara Bush by displaying a farewell message bearing a string of pearls on more than 600 digital billboards across the country. Bush, the wife of former President George H.W. Bush and mother of former President George W. Bush, died Tuesday at 92. Pearls were the former First Lady’s signature trademark and have become a way for citizens and businesses to honor her. Lamar spokeswoman Allie McAlpin says many of the billboards will run the tribute through the weekend, including one at the Baton Rouge intersection of Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Boulevard. “Barbara Bush was a strong and inspiring woman, and we wanted to honor her legacy in a special way,” McAlpin says.
Engineering success: LSU’s College of Engineering marked the opening of the $116 million renovated Patrick F. Taylor Hall today with a ribbon-cutting, tours of the facility and engineering demonstrations. The facility, made possible by an initial $15 million gift from Phyllis M. Taylor, spans some 400,000 square feet, making it the largest academic building in Louisiana and one of the largest freestanding academic engineering building in the U.S. It includes a 110,000-square-foot chemical engineering building addition, state-of-the-art labs, common areas and gathering spaces. Taylor made the gift to honor the legacy of her late husband, Patrick F. Taylor. See a Business Report feature on the renovated building.
Money matters: Louisiana Senate leadership is signaling a chilly reception for the budget passed out of the House Thursday, with Senate President John Alario telling the USA Today Network of Louisiana the “budget is useless.” The $27 million budget threatens the future of hospitals and medical schools and trims the popular TOPS scholarship program. Alario and Finance Committee Chair Eric LaFleur didn’t rule out passing a budget with $648 million in cuts, but they’re leaning toward holding the budget until a Special Session for the opportunity to raise taxes to mitigate the cuts. Read the full story.
