What’s the word? Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business will hold its annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference at 8 a.m. Friday at the Chateau Bourbon Hotel. Representatives from some of the leading publicly traded businesses across the South will be on hand, including IberiaBank, Crown Crafts and Pool Corp., providing information on their financial performance and outlook for growth. The free event is a barometer for the regional and national economy. For more information, click here.
Books yes, bullets no: The state’s top higher education board is opposing a proposal to allow concealed handguns on Louisiana’s college campuses. The Board of Regents agreed today to back the position of the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents, opposing the measure. The student leaders said guns on campuses would increase the risk of accidental shootings and jeopardize safety. The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Ernest Wooton, scrapped the proposal last year amid strong opposition. But the Belle Chasse Republican filed it again to be considered in the legislative session that begins Monday. Supporters of the proposal say students, professors and college staff should be able to defend themselves on campus.
Good news: A survey of more than 550 pastors of large Protestant churches shows that the national recession is having little impact. Eighty-nine percent of the churches in the Leadership Network survey say they expect to meet their budgets for this year and 53% say they expect church income to rise in 2009. Church foreclosures also continue to be rare; the Evangelical Christian Credit Union says it had seven foreclosures in its 1,100-loan portfolio last year, compared with two in 2007. Pastors are reaching out to help their congregations: 85% of the churches polled say they plan at least two initiatives this year to teach members how to better manage their finances according to Biblical principles.
