Scholarships available: A limited number of scholarships are available for small businesses in flood-impacted regions to attend a new program that aims to help small and emerging construction companies learn the basics of the industry and prepare for the state licensing exam. The Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute is a six-week course scheduled to take place in October and November throughout the state. The course is open to Louisiana-based construction businesses and to those interested in starting one. Tuition is $200, but Louisiana Economic Development is offering 50 scholarships on a first-come, first-serve basis for businesses in federally designated flood disaster areas. To register for the institute with a scholarship, contact Catherine Barber at (985) 448-5916 or by email. More information can also be found here.
On the list: GOLF magazine has rated The Bluffs on Thompson Creek & Conference Resort the No. 1 golf course for its 2016-2017 list of Louisiana’s “Best Courses You Can Play.” The Bluffs on Thompson Creek is an 18-hole Arnold Palmer signature design golf course located in St. Francisville. GOLF compiles the ranking every two years. It also ranks the Top 100 courses to play in the United States. No Louisiana course made the magazine’s current Top 100 ranking. But following The Bluffs on the Louisiana ranking are: TPC Louisiana, Avondale (No. 2); Black Bear, Delhi (No. 3); Gray Plantation, Lake Charles (No. 4); and Carter Plantation, Springfield (No. 4). The Bluffs on Thompson Creek also has announced that it’s offering a play-all-day golf package this fall to benefit the Louisiana Flood Relief Fund. Guests can receive two rounds of same-day golf with a cart and range balls for $49.
Shuttered: The company that operates ITT Technical Institute, which has a school on Airline Highway, says it’s permanently closing all of its campuses nationwide after the U.S. Department of Education prohibited the for-profit college operator from enrolling new students who use federal financial aid. The Los Angeles Times reports the shutdown will impact about 35,000 students nationwide and cost 8,000 employees their jobs. Federal officials say the students and those who left the college within the past six months will be eligible to have their loans forgiven. ITT’s recruiting and accounting practices have been the subject of federal investigations. In addition to the ban, federal education officials last month also banned the for-profit school from extending pay raises to its executives. ITT operated vocational schools in 38 states. Last year, the school enrolled 45,000 students and reported having $850 million in revenue. Read the full story.
