Connecting the diaspora: The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program selected two Southern University professors to travel to Kenya and Tanzania this summer to conduct academic projects in urban forestry and economics. The program pairs 59 African-born scholars in the United States and Canada with host universities in several African countries. Fulbert L. Namwamba is a professor of urban forestry. Aloyce Kaliba is an economics professor. The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program Advisory Council selected 41 universities to host fellows. Namwamba will be hosted by the University of Kabianga in Kenya. He will help identify emerging spatial technologies and initiate a master of science curricula development in urban forestry and in hydrology and watershed management. St. Augustine University in Tanzania will host Kaliba, who will be paired with the dean of the university’s economics department.
More chocolate: Elmer Chocolate will host a ribbon-cutting on June 23 to mark the completion of a $40 million expansion of its Ponchatoula manufacturing facility. The company first announced the 70,000-square-foot expansion that brings the facility to nearly 400,000 square feet in December 2014. The expansion includes the addition of new technology that is expected to increase efficiency, the company says. At the time of the announcement about 18 months ago, Louisiana Economic Development officials estimated the expansion would create 10 new jobs at an average salary of $42,500 plus benefits. LED also said in 2014 that the state was providing the company an incentive package that includes a performance-based $550,000 Economic Development Award Program forgivable loan to fund equipment purchases, among other incentives.
Louisiana bound: Hoping to capitalize on the state’s budget woes, Florida’s Republican Gov. Rick Scott is planning to embark on his trade mission to Louisiana next week to try to convince businesses move to the Sunshine State. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Scott’s office says he will visit New Orleans and Baton Rouge. His office did not say which businesses in both cities will be targeted. This isn’t the first time Scott has embarked on such a trade mission nor is it the first time he’s prodded other governors—particularly those who identify as Democrats. He made a similar trip to California in May and traded jabs with California Gov. Jerry Brown. In recent years, Scott has made other trips to New York Connecticut, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Read the full story.
