Launch: The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education recently approved six additional communities to pilot local strategies to increase access to and improve the quality of publicly-funded early childhood care and education. The pilot programs, called Ready Start Networks, will spend two years developing new local governance structures; assessing local demand for early care and education. The work will be guided in part by the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Read the full announcement.
Snap, crackle, pop! Cereal makers, under increasing competitive pressure, are struggling to improve sales of puffed rice, wheat flakes and oat clusters that were once a standard part of Americans’ morning routines, The Wall Street Journal reports. General Mills and its peers say they are stepping up spending by retooling marketing campaigns, ramping up product investments and developing new flavors to try to keep shoppers engaged, but cereal’s trials reflect broader challenges food makers face. Read the full story.
Historic: Baton Rouge Native, Ryan D. “Jume” Jumonville, a philanthropist and chairman of United Networks of America, has made a historic, multimillion-dollar donation to Warrick Dunn Charities. Dunn, recognized nationally for his Home for the Holidays program that helps families become first-time homeowners, says Jumonville’s donation will help 100 families, though the total amount was not disclosed.
