WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Jindal: Marine contractor plans $30M expansion

  May 21, 2013 3:27 PM

  THIBODAUX - An oilfield service company plans a new $10 million headquarters in Gray and a $20 million manufacturing and fabrication plant at a Louisiana port. President and CEO Hank Danos says Danos & Curole Marine Contractors LLC is considering at least two ports. The manufacturing site to be selected... more »

• Kleckley says Medicaid expansion a no-go this year

  April 25, 2013 1:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says he doesn't believe any proposal to tap into the federal Medicaid expansion money will win passage in the Louisiana Legislature this year. Kleckley, a Republican from Lake Charles, says lawmakers are interested in differing models that could access money from the Affordable... more »

• Lawmakers weigh in on Medicaid expansion

  April 24, 2013 8:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State lawmakers are taking their first votes on whether they want to cover more uninsured people in the state's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act. Both the House and Senate health care committees have hearings scheduled Wednesday on Medicaid expansion bills. ... more »

• Jindal disputes savings estimate for expansion

  April 23, 2013 4:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal is disagreeing with a nonpartisan financial analysis done for lawmakers that estimates the state could save more than $500 million over 10 years by expanding Louisiana's Medicaid program under the federal health law. The estimates by the Legislative Fiscal Office came in advance of... more »

• $650 million expansion planned at N.O. airport

  April 17, 2013 10:14 AM

  KENNER - New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says the city plans to build a new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in suburban Kenner. The terminal would be on the north side of the existing terminal structure. Landrieu says officials hope to have the $650 million building open... more »

• Gun background check deal close

  April 10, 2013 8:51 AM

  WASHINGTON - Two senators who've been working on gun control legislation are expected to announce today that they've reached a compromise. West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania have been looking at expanding federal background checks to include purchases at gun shows and online. Right now,... more »

• Jindal won't seek to follow Arkansas on Medicaid Play Video

  April 9, 2013 6:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's private hospitals are supporting the expansion of the state Medicaid program under the federal health care law. The Louisiana Hospital Association's announcement Tuesday puts the organization at odds with Gov. Bobby Jindal, who opposes the expansion. The announcement comes the same day the Jindal administration said... more »

• Committee to look at privatized Medicaid plans

  April 9, 2013 10:37 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state Senate committee scheduled to meet this afternoon will look at compromises other states have made with the Obama administration over expanding health coverage for the poor. Governor Bobby Jindal said he would not accept the Medicaid expansion under the president's health care reforms, saying... more »

• Council approves facility project in Gonzales

  April 8, 2013 9:45 PM

  GONZALES- City leaders approved plans for Emerson Process Management to build a new headquarters in Ascension Parish. It will be built on West Edenborne Parkway, off I-10 and adds about 60 jobs. It was briefly stalled because city leaders could not agree on zoning change until late last... more »

• Roadway changes proposed for Airline Hwy Play Video

  April 5, 2013 5:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - At the top of the The Capital Region Legislative Delegation's agenda is a study to improve Airline Highway. On their Facebook page , legislators outlined plans to study turning Airline into a corridor of a regional freeway system. "The new interstate-style roadway would link I-10... more »

• DHH report: La. could save on Medicaid expansion

  March 27, 2013 2:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Health and Hospitals has quietly released a new financial analysis that estimates the state could save as much as $368 million over 10 years by expanding Louisiana's Medicaid program under the federal health law. The analysis was posted on DHH's website this week with... more »

• Plans show a 6-laned Essen

  March 26, 2013 10:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State transportation leaders unveiled plans for an expanded Essen Lane Tuesday night. The project, still in its early stages, could possibly add a lane in each direction, creating six travel lanes. There is also discussion about a center turn-lane, or a median design. Plans aren't expected... more »

• Council backs zoning change for Emerson project

  March 25, 2013 7:56 PM

  GONZALES - City leaders were able to agree on a zoning change, paving the way for a planned Ascension Parish headquarters for Emerson Process Management. Monday night, the city council was able to settle a disagreement by making changes over the type of special use permit the facility would... more »

• Huntsman group expanding Geismar chemical plant

  March 21, 2013 3:02 PM

  GEISMAR - The Huntsman Corporation announced today plans to build a $78 million expansion at their Geismar chemical facility. State economic officials said the expansion will create 17 new direct jobs and 60 indirect jobs, as well as retain the 397 existing jobs at the plant. "We know... more »

• 2 former health chiefs push La. Medicaid expansion

  March 15, 2013 4:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two former Louisiana health care secretaries are urging Gov. Bobby Jindal to reconsider his opposition to the Medicaid expansion allowed under the federal health overhaul. David Hood was secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals under Republican former Gov. Mike Foster. Fred Cerise was DHH secretary... more »

• Legislators hold hearing on federal health care law

  March 13, 2013 7:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE - This morning, state lawmakers plan to weigh the pros and cons of expanding Louisiana's Medicaid program to cover more uninsured adults. During the hearing, The Senate and House insurance committees will get information about the federal health care law that allows for the expansion. Gov.... more »

• Jindal says he won't reconsider Medicaid expansion

  February 14, 2013 3:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal is holding firm to his decision not to expand Louisiana's Medicaid coverage under new health care reforms, despite the participation of several other Republican governors. Jindal said Thursday he won't be including the federal funding for a Medicaid expansion in his state budget proposal... more »

• Baton Rouge General Mid City adds ER beds

  February 7, 2013 6:49 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge General Medical Center Mid City is in the process of expanding its emergency room as LSU winds down operations at Earl K. Long Medical Center in north Baton Rouge. Maryann Rowland, a hospital spokeswoman, says the expansion comes as the Mid City hospital has been... more »

• Feds rule on health care law's Medicaid expansion

  December 10, 2012 3:30 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says Republican-led states must commit to fully expanding their Medicaid programs to take advantage of generous funding in the federal health care law. Monday's ruling affects the federal-state program that covers nearly 60 million low-income and severely disabled people. President Barack Obama's health care law... more »

• BR airport rotunda project: early 2013 completion

  December 3, 2012 10:08 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A project to enlarge the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport rotunda should be completed in the first quarter of 2013. The rotunda expansion is the first part of a four-phase, $9 million project that will include new enclosed curbside check-in, new flooring and new restrooms. Ralph... more »

• SEC feeling impact of No. 9 Texas A&M, Missouri

  November 14, 2012 4:53 PM

  LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Southeastern Conference's six-year streak of national championships could be in jeopardy. And the SEC has expansion to thank for making it happen. No. 9 Texas A&M and Missouri are making their presence felt since the SEC invited them into the fold. The Aggies (8-2, 5-2 SEC)... more »

• Gov. Jindal, BASF breaks ground on expansion in Geismar

  October 23, 2012 2:22 PM

  GEISMAR - Governor Bobby Jindal and BASF executives joined other officials today in breaking ground on a new formic acid production plant at the company's 2,600-acre chemical complex in Geismar. The project will be the only plant of its kind in North America, and will create 20 new direct... more »

• LSU, Jindal announce expansion of engineering facilities Play Video

  October 2, 2012 12:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State and university officials announced that $100 million in private and public funds will be used to build a new, state-of-the-art engineering facility on LSU's campus. The funds from a public-private partnership will also be used to renovate and expand Patrick F. Taylor Hall. Gov.... more »

• Local food pantry is expanding Play Video

  September 6, 2012 5:35 PM

  ZACHARY - Expansion at the food pantry in Zachary means more help for families in need. Work began today on the city's new community food bank. It will cost about $300,000 and serve hundreds of families a month. The pantry is being built right behind the old one.... more »

• West Baton Rouge Parish looks at expanding school

  August 16, 2012 7:47 AM

  PORT ALLEN - West Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent David Corona has received permission from the school board to seek architects' proposals for a possible expansion at Brusly Elementary School. Corona told the board Wednesday he also plans to ask architects to draw a "footprint" for a new high... more »

• Anti-Medicaid states: Earning $11,000 is too much

  August 14, 2012 10:18 AM

  MIAMI - Sandra Pico is poor, but not poor enough. She makes about $15,000 a year, supporting her Florida family. She thought she'd be getting health insurance after the Supreme Court upheld the health care law. Then she learned her own governor won't agree to expand Medicaid under the law... more »

• Advocate aims to become first statewide newspaper

  July 24, 2012 10:42 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The president and CEO of Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate says they are working towards becoming the first statewide newspaper in Louisiana. Richard Manship said they are continuing plans to expand publication into New Orleans. This comes after the Times-Picayune newspaper's publisher announced they were cutting... more »

• Expansion, rule changes OK with SEC hoop coaches

  June 25, 2012 5:15 PM

  LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky's outspoken men's basketball coach John Calipari has long championed the talent and depth in the Southeastern Conference - even when the NCAA tournament selection committee didn't share his optimism. And he's even more bullish about the league's future now that Missouri and Texas A&M have... more »

• Expansion planned at Garyville plant

  May 10, 2012 2:14 PM

  GARYVILLE - A company that makes environmental services products at a plant in Garyville plans an $18.7 million expansion that will create 22 new jobs. Louisiana's Economic Development Department said Thursday that Nalco Company's new production facility will produce dry polymers that are used to remove contaminants from waste water.... more »

• How to nab a seat in the Tiger Stadium Expansion

  May 1, 2012 10:15 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Applications for new seats in Death Valley are being accepted now. The LSU board of supervisors approved the expansion on the south end-zone of Tiger Stadium Friday. Now fans who want to nab a prime spot in the expansion may have to put up at most... more »

• MSU Stadium Expansion

  April 20, 2012 7:37 PM

  Mississippi State University got approval from the state College Board to borrow $82 million to finance an expansion of Davis Wade Stadium. The school wants an addition to the north end zone as well as improvements to the west concourse. The stadium is 98 years old. The addition would increase... more »

• Tiger Stadium expansion plans move forward

  April 18, 2012 11:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva says a proposal to expand Tiger Stadium will be heard by the LSU Board of Supervisors on April 27. About 60 suites and approximately 3,000 club seats have been proposed above the existing south end zone seats in Tiger Stadium. The... more »

• Union Pacific expanding in south Louisiana

  February 14, 2012 1:35 PM

  Union Pacific is expanding its presence in South Louisiana. The railroad company says it will build a new support yard in St. James Parish, and build more track between Livonia and Addis. The expansion is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2012. Company officials say... more »

• DOTD: I-10 construction update Play Video

  January 20, 2012 5:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Less than a month in and The Department of Transportation and Development says Boh Brothers construction in making significant progress on completing the Interstate 10 widening project. Boh Brothers took over the expansion between the 10/12 split and Siegen Lane after the state fired Austin Bridge... more »

• Expansion of pre-K programs curtailed in recession

  January 17, 2012 5:59 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, lots of preschoolers aren't going to school to learn their ABCs. Kids from low-income families who start kindergarten without attending a quality... more »

• DOTD moves to replace I-10 expansion contractor Play Video

  December 6, 2011 11:35 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Transportation officials said the contractor working on the expansion of I-10 between the I-10/12 split and Siegen Lane is more than a year behind schedule, so they will be replaced. The project was supposed to be completed by the end of the year. Jodi Conachen, a... more »

• Next phase of I-10 expansion in Baton Rouge

  November 15, 2011 6:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Once again, the state plans to expand Interstate 10 from the 10/12 split to the Mississippi River Bridge. The community defeated a similar project ten years ago, but the Department of Transportation and Development is in the process of studying the feasibility of widening. Starting... more »

• Startup company to create 43 jobs

  August 3, 2011 4:33 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - CAP Technologies, a metal coating company, said Wednesday that it will spend $8.1 million on a facility in Denham Springs, creating 43 jobs. The company developed its concept at the Louisiana Business and Technology Center in Baton Rouge. CAP has renovated and constructed a 50,000-square-foot headquarters... more »

• DOTD to bid out Highway 73 widening

  June 28, 2011 5:59 PM

  ASCENSION - After a two-year delay, the Department of Transportation and Development will pick a company to widen Highway 73 from two to three lanes between Interstate 10 and Airline Highway. The total cost of the project is $15-million to $20-million of state money. The project hit a snag... more »

• Highway 42 to be four lanes

  June 27, 2011 5:14 PM

  PRAIRIEVILLE - Relief for drivers in Prairieville is coming soon. The Department of Transportation and Development plans to widen Highway 42 from Airline highway to just before Highway 44. The construction will include sidewalks and bike paths along with a median running the entire stretch of the project. ... more »

• Carbo expanding in New Iberia

  May 31, 2011 3:26 PM

  NEW IBERIA - Carbo Ceramics Inc. said Tuesday that it will expand its plant at the Airport Industrial Park in New Iberia, creating 40 new jobs. The company currently employs 75 at the site. Houston-based Carbo manufactures proppant, which is used by petroleum companies to boost the output of... more »

• VA seeks property for another national cemetery

  May 30, 2011 1:27 PM

  ZACHARY - As the Port Hudson National Cemetery runs out of room for new burials, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is negotiating to acquire property for another final resting place for veterans and their eligible relatives, officials say. Port Hudson Director Rex A. Kern told The Advocate the... more »

• Prairieville firefighters want new tax for more stations

  November 9, 2010 11:01 AM

  GONZALES – Firefighters in Ascension Parish say they need another property tax increase to pay for more firefighters, trucks and stations in the Prairieville area. Chief Mark Stewart is asking for a 10-mill increase to be put on the April ballot to fund expansion for Fire District No. 3. ... more »

• Wholesale inventories and sales rise in September

  November 9, 2010 9:39 AM

  WASHINGTON D.C. - Inventories haled at the wholesale level rose for a ninth consecutive month in September while sales rose for a third month, encouraging signs that the economic expansion will continues. Wholesale inventories rose 1.5 percent in September, a much bigger gain than had been expected, after a... more »

• Texas declined PAC-10 invitation

  June 14, 2010 6:00 PM

  The PAC-10's stab at forming a "super conference" has come up short, hitting a roadblock in the Texas Longhorns. PAC-10 commissioner Larry Scott has said the University of Texas has declined an invitation to join the west coast conference, instead the Longhorns will stay in the Big 12. ... more »

• GP's Port Hudson mill could be expanded

  June 9, 2010 9:41 AM

  Georgia-Pacific Corp. is considering its Port Hudson mill for a $230 million expansion that would bring in about 40 new jobs. Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific completed a $200 million energy-saving project at the mill about three years ago and now employs nearly 1,000. The expansion involves the manufacturing of higher-quality tissue paper.... more »

• Westway finishes expansion at Port of Greater Baton Rouge

  June 3, 2010 9:15 AM

  Westway Terminal Co. said it has completed a $3.8 million expansion of its bulk liquid storage facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. The $5.9 million project increased the terminal's capacity by 25 percent to 22 million gallons. Westway Terminal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Orleans-based... more »

• Permit sought for gas facility

  June 3, 2010 6:28 AM

  AGL Resources has begun the permitting process for the controversial expansion of its natural gas storage facility in salt domes under Lake Peigneur in Iberia Parish. The company filed a notice last month of its plans to seek a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources to build two... more »

• Last step taken on water project

  April 15, 2010 6:11 AM

  The town of Albany will finally get a long-awaited water expansion project. The project involves a $3,706,000 bond ordinance, a USDA rural grant of $1,038,000 and a loan of $3,706,000. The money will be used to expand water lines, buy an existing elevated storage tank and property and connect to... more »

• Stimulus money expanding EBR schools

  April 12, 2010 10:17 PM

  The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is taking bids for three school expansion projects. The district received more than $21 million in federal stimulus money for school construction. $2 million of that will pay for six new classrooms at Woodlawn High School and Park Forest Middle School. The... more »

• Verizon Wireless upgrades Louisiana service

  March 30, 2010 7:17 AM

  Verizon Wireless said it spent $57 million in southern Louisiana last year to expand and enhance wireless services. Projects included new cell sites and network facilities and covered areas from Lake Charles to New Orleans and south of Alexandria. The company said it spent $88 million last year... more »

• Marathon brings expanded refinery up to speed

  March 25, 2010 2:20 PM

  Marathon Oil Corp. has brought its vastly expanded Louisiana refinery up to full production. Following a $3.19 billion expansion, Houston-based Marathon is now processing about 436,000 barrels of oil per day at its New Orleans-area refinery and turning out 19.5 million gallons of gasoline and other fuels daily. ... more »

• Folgers Coffee invests in Louisiana

  March 24, 2010 11:26 AM

  Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the expansion of The Folgers Coffee Company in Orleans and St. Tammany parishes. Folgers is expanding its manufacturing facilities in Orleans Parish as well as its distribution center in St. Tammany Parish. The expansion will keep 450 current employees and will add 120 new... more »

• River Center expansion in Baton Rouge

  February 10, 2010 4:11 PM

  There are plans to expand the Baton Rouge River Center, despite a bond proposal that failed in November. Voters turned down the proposal, which included millions of dollars worth of improvements to the River Center. Even before the vote, city leaders were working to secure money to do... more »

• Community pharmacy forced to expand

  November 11, 2009 2:18 PM

  The St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy serves about 10,000 families every year by filling almost $2 million in prescriptions. Lately, even more folks have been asking for help. Men and women who have recently lost their jobs in these tough economic times have been relying on St. Vincent... more »

• Overcrowding prompts expansion at Denham Springs school

  October 26, 2009 12:49 PM

  Seventh Ward Elementary School in Denham Springs is now home to a brand new multi-purpose center. The 6,300 square foot facility will be used for school functions, computer labs, even physical education classes. School officials say it was needed because of overcrowding at the school. About 500 students... more »

• $85 million Louisiana hospital expansion complete

  October 9, 2009 9:15 AM

  Administrators at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria are putting the finishing touches on an $85 million expansion, a project that began about 20 months ago. Workers mopped, cleaned windows and moved furniture into their new facilities. The hospital added 194,000 square feet, with the cornerstones being... more »

• Prairieville company expanding by 100 jobs

  October 9, 2009 8:50 AM

  Bronco Fabrication and Manufacturing of Prairieville announced it's expanding its plant and plans to add 100 jobs over the next several years. Bronco is part of the Excel Group and it provides pipe, vessel, and modular products for the petrochemical, refining, manufacturing and power generation sectors. Bronco said... more »

• Zatarain's buys land for expansion

  September 30, 2009 7:10 AM

  Louisiana food manufacturer Zatarain's bought a seven acre piece of property in Gretna for $660,000 to use to expand its operations and as a staging area for trucks. The land was abandoned 20 years ago and discovered to have cancer-causing chemicals leaking into the ground. After extensive testing, state... more »