Place your bets: The Louisiana Gaming Control Board will vote in July on whether Ameristar Casinos Inc. can acquire a riverboat casino resort project under development in Lake Charles. Ameristar has agreed to buy the uncompleted project from Creative Casinos of Louisiana LLC for $32.5 million. On Thursday, the board approved Ameristar’s proposal to raise the project’s minimum investment from $400 million to $500 million. Since Las Vegas-based Ameristar does not currently have a Louisiana casino license, the company will undergo a standard background and financial check. Ameristar has eight casino-hotels and operates in Mississippi, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Nevada and Missouri. The Lake Charles plan calls for a floating casino, a 700-room hotel and an 18-hole golf course on property leased from the Port of Lake Charles.
Churning it out: U.S. factories stepped up production in February for the third straight month, helping the economy recover and driving the best job growth since the recession ended. The Federal Reserve reports this morning that output of the nation’s factories rose 0.3% last month. That followed even stronger increases in January and December, which combined for the best two-month stretch since 1998. Manufacturers made more electronics, energy products and electrical equipment in February. Auto production declined after two big months of growth. Overall industrial production, which includes output by mines and utilities, was unchanged because mining activity declined sharply and utilities were flat. Get all the specific figures and analysis of the Fed report from The Associated Press here.
Last chance: You’ve got until the end of the day to register to be a part of the delegation of Baton Rouge business and community leaders who are visiting Louisville on March 25-27 for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Canvas Workshop. Cost of the trip is $2,200, which includes hotel accommodations and a charter flight. Full details, an itinerary and registration are all available on the BRAC website here.
Today’s poll question: Of the three finalists named Thursday evening to serve as the next superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, who do you think is best suited for the job?
