Diversity in Energy event set at Capitol
A Diversity in Energy event is being held at 11:30 a.m. April 15 in the State Capitol Rotunda at 900 North Third St. in Baton Rouge.
The purpose of this inclusive event is to educate Louisiana students on the vast career opportunities available for minorities and women in the oil and natural gas industry and to highlight industry partnerships with the education institutions that provide the training needed for these well-paying careers. Local colleges and universities will also be on hand to discuss education opportunities and training programs.
The event is being hosted by the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association and the Louisiana Chemical Association.
Wheat, cover crop field day scheduled
The LSU AgCenter will hold a wheat and cover crop field day April 12 at the Tom H. Scott Research and Educational Center south of Winnsboro.
Registration is at 8:30 a.m., with opening remarks at 9 a.m. Wheat production field tours will include crop updates, insect and disease issues, a breeding nursery tour and official variety trial management.
The program also will include a presentation on cover crops and their adaptability for Louisiana production systems. Research in soil health, nitrogen rates in conservation tillage corn and cover crop termination also are included as field tours.
A sponsored lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m.
In-depth afternoon tours are available for interested producers, consultants and students.
The program qualifies for Louisiana Master Farmer Phase II and continuing education credits.
For program details, contact Trey Price at pprice@agcenter.lsu.edu or (318) 435-2157.
"Powerful Voices" seminars set this month
"Powerful Voices" seminars are being held April 11 in Baton Rouge and April 18 in New Orleans with panelists focused on leadership topics that are relevant for women in the workplace.
The free event is being hosted by McGlinchey Stafford PLLC’s Women’s Initiative Network. The Baton Rouge seminar is at The Emerge Center, 7784 Innovation Park Drive, and in New Orleans at McGlinchey Stafford’s office at 601 Poydras St., Suite 1200. Both events are from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Panelists in Baton Rouge are Barbara Beckmann, senior associate at ExxonMobil; Rose J. Hudson, president and CEO of The Louisiana Lottery; MaKesha Judson, director of special projects and legislative liaison for the state's Department of Children and Family Services; and Melissa Juneau, CEO of The Emerge Center for Communication, Behavior and Development.
Panelists in New Orleans are Christy C. Harowski, chief of staff for the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans; Cynthia Pazos, CEO and president of Diabetes Management and Supplies LLC; Nathalie Simon, special counsel to the CEO and president of Laitram; and Christine Titus, port operations for the Louisiana Maritime Association.
Topics include leading with authority; finding your genuine voice; importance of having trust and credibility; identifying opportunities; and steps to success.
Registration is requested at https://bit.ly/2V0ivWi.
Parishes get ag disaster designation
Agriculture producers in several parishes who suffered losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Sept. 1 through Dec. 12 may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency emergency loans.
Lafayette and St. Martin parishes were designated as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in the contiguous parishes of Acadia, Assumption, Iberia, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Mary and Vermilion are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs, including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.
The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is Nov. 22. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster through programs that do not require a disaster declaration.
Information is available at www.farmers.gov/recover.
Livingston Chamber highlights education
Livingston Parish School Board President Buddy Mincey will provide an update on a superintendent search at the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce’s Education in Livingston Parish Lunch from 11:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10 at Forrest Grove Plantation, 8743 Stephenson Drive, in Denham Springs.
In addition, Daniel Roberts, Northshore Technical Community College’s acting chancellor for the Livingston Parish Campus, will highlight the new campus and the programs being offered this fall.
Students from nine Livingston Parish high schools — Albany, Denham Springs, French Settlement, Holden, Maurepas, Springfield and Walker — will be honored as recipients of Chamber of Commerce Scholarships.
A previous Livingston Parish Chamber scholarship recipient and entrepreneur, Daniel Wendt, will discuss his personal journey to success.
Registration is at www.livingstonparishchamber.org. Deadline for prepaying $25 is April 8 by 11 a.m. The cost is $35 after that if seats are available.
Tru by Hilton hotel opens in Citiplace
A 119-room Tru by Hilton hotel is now open in the Citiplace development.
The property, at 2562 Citiplace Court, is the first Tru by Hilton in Baton Rouge. Tru is focused on young, midpriced travelers, who are looking to spend between $90 and $110 a night on a room.
The hotel features such amenities as a build-your-own-breakfast bar, a pool table and a market with snacks and drinks. Jay Patel, of Lafayette, is the owner.
Tru by Hilton also has hotels in Lafayette’s River Ranch and in Lake Charles.
Sprouts sets opening in Rouzan development
Sprouts Farmers Market said its first Louisiana store will open June 26 in the Rouzan mixed-use development off Perkins Road.
The Rouzan store will be nearly 30,000 square feet and 150 people will work there. The company will hold a job fair in May for department managers, cashiers, courtesy clerks and coordinators.
Arizona-based Sprouts has more than 300 locations across the U.S., selling fresh, natural and organic products.
Workshop to help musicians earn money
The New Orleans Business Alliance and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation announced the second Sync Up workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 11 to help local musicians earn more money for their art.
The free "Make Your Music, Make Your Money" event is being held at the New Orleans Jazz Market, 1436 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Presenters will teach local artists how to clear samples for use, register copyrighted music and how to get their works into film, commercials and TV productions.
“Nearly all New Orleans musicians and composers want to license their music for digital sales and for use in films, TV productions, commercials and video games, but it requires the artists’ music be properly copyrighted, something many local artists neglect to do,” said Don Marshall, executive director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.
Leading the discussion will be DJ Raj Smoove, The Ella Project co-founder attorney Ashlye Keaton, and hip-hop artists 5th Ward Weebie, Mia X and Chase N. Cashe.
Attendees can sign up for free assistance sessions with The Ella Project, a nonprofit that uses volunteer lawyers to help artists protect their copyrights. The attorneys will help musicians and songwriters organize their catalogs, and take the necessary steps to register copyrights.
In addition, the first 50 artists who register, attend the Sync Up, sign up and complete an Ella Project assistance session will earn a grant from the New Orleans Business Alliance to substantially offset the fees for copyright registration. Register at www.jazzandheritage.org.
Tulane Urology Clinic targets men's health
The Tulane Urology Clinic has launched a men’s health program to educate those in the New Orleans region about the health risks, issues and solutions unique to men.
“We’ve had dedicated centers for women’s health for decades, especially around topics like fertility services,” said Dr. Omer Raheem, a urologist with Tulane Health System. “To some extent, we’re playing catch-up as it relates to a comprehensive approach to men’s health issues.”
Common men’s health conditions treated by the clinic include male infertility, sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction, enlarged prostate, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, low testosterone and hypogonadism, hormone imbalances and kidney stones.
Information and appointments are available at tulanehealthcare.com or (504) 988-5271. Men’s health services are also now provided at Tulane Multispecialty Clinic Metairie at (504) 988-8050.
Ochsner opens clinic in CBD on Poydras
Ochsner Urgent Care & Occupational Health — CBD has opened at 701 Poydras Street, Suite 107.
The 3,050-square-foot facility is located on the first floor of the Whitney Hancock building, formerly One Shell Square, and features four exam rooms and one larger treatment room. The clinic offers a variety of walk-in services for adult and pediatric (six months and up) patients and is equipped to treat lacerations; abscesses; coughs, colds and sore throats; urinary pain; earaches; minor burns, rashes, sunburns and heat ailments; nonlife-threatening allergic reactions; fevers or flu-like symptoms; mild to moderate stomach aches; rashes or other skin irritations; select immunizations and workers’ comp injuries.
The CBD clinic also offers occupational health services, including pre-employment physicals; drug and alcohol screening; pulmonary function testing; immunizations for international travel; Occupational Safety and Health Administration-approved audio screening; initial post-injury care; treatment for chemical exposure; treatment for early return to work; and occupational therapy referral.
The clinic is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Information available at ochsner.org/urgent or (504) 703-1350.
Bollinger delivers Coast Guard cutter
Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport has delivered its 33rd fast response cutter to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The USCGC Joseph Doyle was delivered to the Coast Guard on March 21 in Key West, Florida. The 154-foot patrol vessel will be commissioned in June in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This will be the seventh cutter stationed in Puerto Rico.