Howell Park: Baton Rouge-based nonprofit Walls Project has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to expand its community farm initiative. With the NEA grant, Walls Project will partner with LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio to develop a comprehensive master plan and site design for the Howell Park golf course. Read the full announcement.
At the movies: After three months of near-total blackout of cinemas nationwide, movie theaters are preparing to reopen—even if it means only a few titles on the marquee and showings limited to as little as 25% capacity. AMC Theaters, the world’s largest theater operator, said this week it expects to have up to 98% of its theaters worldwide reopened by mid-July. The National Association of Theater Owners, the trade group that represents exhibitors, expects up to 95% of cinemas around the world to be open by mid-July. Read the full story.
Hot coffee: Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks said in a regulatory filing today that the virus outbreak will slash its operating income by between $2 billion and $2.2. billion for the current quarter, which ends June 28. The company also says it plans to close 400 of its stores over the next 18 months as it puts more emphasis on its “pickup” store concept, which are locations that don’t include customer seating. Starbucks has yet to announce if it will close any stores in the Baton Rouge area. Read the full story.
