Louisiana
LED honors top growth companies, Xavier recognized for educational avertising
Louisiana Economic Development recently honored 10 companies as Louisiana Growth Leaders at its 2024 Spotlight Louisiana event.
The 10 companies honored were:
brandRUSSO, of Lafayette; Jaci Russo, co-founder.
Core Boiler & Mechanical Services, of Prairieville; Paola Alvarado, president.
Envoc, of Baton Rouge; Calvin Fabre, president and founder.
Finding Solace, of West Monroe; Lyla Corkern, owner and CEO.
Foret Contracting Group, of Thibodaux; Benton Foret, co-founder.
Gulf Wind Technology, of Avondale; James Martin, CEO.
M S Benbow and Associates Professional Engineering Corp., of Metairie; Leo Holzenthal Jr., president and CEO.
Martin Specialty Coatings, of Shreveport; Tim Keeley, CEO.
Restech Information Services, of Metairie; Vince Gremillion, founder and president.
Urban South Brewery, of New Orleans; Jacob Landry, founder and CEO.
The Growth Leader Legend award was presented to Tides Medical, a Lafayette-based biotechnology company that uses donated human placentas to manufacture advanced regenerative skin substitutes.
Louisiana Growth Leaders are selected by a statewide panel of economic development professionals who evaluate businesses in the LED Growth Network for community involvement and business success. The criteria include growth, strategy, innovation, philanthropy and leadership.
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Lauren Lee and Allison Ryan, of First Guaranty Bank, have completed the American Bankers Association’s Bank Marketing School.
The two-week program prepares bank marketing professionals to become marketing leaders.
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Eric Lane, owner of Gerry Lane Enterprises in Baton Rouge, has been named the 2024 Louisiana Dealer of the Year by the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association.
The award recognizes one standout Louisiana automobile dealer for their business success and impact in the community.
Lane’s dealerships have received numerous awards over the years including the top Chevrolet dealer for retail sales in Louisiana in 2022 and 2023, the top retail dealer for General Motors in Baton Rouge for 37 years and the General Motors Mark of Excellence Award from 2020 to 2024.
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Fallon Gerald Tullier, of Visit Baton Rouge, and Ian Wallis, of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, have made Destinations International’s 2024 30 Under 30 list.
The program recognizes talented young people in the tourism organization industry.
Tullier is the research and technology manager for the Baton Rouge convention and visitor’s bureau. She started working for the agency as a marketing intern in 2018, then became a full-time research specialist in 2020. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from LSU.
Wallis is sales and marketing manager for the Lafourche Parish tourism organization. He has been with the organization since 2021. He earned a bachelor’s in tourism and travel management and a master’s in business administration, with a hospitality concentration, both from Johnson & Wales University.
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Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana Department of Education, LSU Health New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana all won honors at the 2023 Educational Advertising Awards.
BRCC and its partner agency, Feigley Communications, earned a gold award for television advertising-single for their fall 2023 TV commercial. The school won a silver award in the special video category for its 25th anniversary video.
The state department of education along with its partner, MESH, nabbed a silver in the integrated marketing campaign for “Work Worth Doing” campaign.
LSU Health and Crucial Content took home a gold award in the special event campaign for its 90th anniversary table book and digital publication.
Xavier and Ruffalo Noel Levitz earned a silver in the total recruitment package category for their student search and enrollment campaign.
More than 1,000 colleges, universities and educational agencies submitted entries in the annual awards program.
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Sarah Barlow, provost and vice chancellor for workforce and student development at Baton Rouge Community College, was selected for the 2024-25 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship.
Barlow was one of 40 people selected for a fellowship, which aims to prepare the next generation of presidents to lead community colleges.
The fellows, selected through a competitive process, will work closely with highly accomplished community college presidents and thought leaders over 10 months.
Barlow joined the faculty of BRCC in August 2010 as an assistant English professor. She became chair of the English and Humanities Department in 2013, then joined the student services team in 2018.
She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of Toledo and a doctorate in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Louisiana
Venture Global CP2 construction site in Cameron cleared after no threat found
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – The Venture Global CP2 construction site in Cameron has been cleared after a bomb threat was made Sunday, according to a spokesperson from Venture Global.
The bomb threat came in around noon on Sunday, according to officials. Louisiana State Police hazmat and bomb squads were called to investigate.
No shelter in place was deemed necessary and no roads were closed, according to the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office.
A Venture Global spokesperson released the following statement:
“Venture Global was made aware of a bomb threat at our CP2 site and immediately activated our established emergency response protocols. We are coordinating closely with state and local authorities as they investigate. The safety and security of our employees and the surrounding community remain our highest priority.”
Copyright 2026 KPLC. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
Louisiana Children’s Museum hosts fifth annual Mud Fest
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For the fifth consecutive year, the Louisiana Children’s Museum hosted its annual environmental festival, Mud Fest, on Saturday, March 28.
From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., parents and their little ones had the opportunity to have fun in the sun and enjoy the “highlight” of the museum’s spring season.
This event was inspired by the iconic New Orleans festival culture which includes good food, live music and a nice, high-energy atmosphere. Mud Fest is tailored for the “youngest environmental stewards” to have fun and make all the mess they want with mud.
Due to the Crescent City being surrounded by wetland habitats, we interact with water daily in both our rural and urban communities.
The festival generates positive associations with our region and also builds critical thinking skills for future educators, engineers, fishermen and farmers. According to LCM, engaging with nature, water and plants “builds a child’s confidence and fosters a lifelong connection to the Earth.”
“As the Louisiana Children’s Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary, events like Mud Fest reflect our long-standing commitment to hands-on learning that sparks curiosity and connects children to the world around them,” LCM CEO Tifferney White said.
This year, Mud Fest had performances from young musicians of the School of Rock, the Louisiana Sunspots and more. There were also a storytelling stage and various family-friendly activities for visitors to engage in.
Mud Fest partnered with Pontchartrain Conservancy, STEM NOL, Whimscapes and Sugar Roots to put on the event.
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Louisiana
Lana Del Rey gives rare look at modest Louisiana life
Lana Del Rey has enjoyed a low-key life with her gator tour guide husband Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana and the talented singer recently gave an intimate peek into their relationship.
The 40-year-old Young And Beautiful hitmaker (born Elizabeth Grant) took to her Instagram to post a gallery celebrating the swamp guide’s 51st birthday.
The couple looked just as in love as ever following their wedding in September 2024.
Del Rey shared several recent videos from their modest life together including a cute selfie of the couple by the ocean while she let her natural beauty show by going make-up free.
She also posted a cute video of Dufrene loading up the truck with plants they had just purchased from Home Depot and when he realizes he is being filmed, the Louisiana native flashed a big smile and proudly posed with a Jack-o’-lantern pot.
Del Rey also shared a snap of her hand gripping his wrist as her massive engagement ring could be seen in full view.
Lana Del Rey has enjoyed a low-key life with her gator tour guide husband Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana and the talented singer recently gave an intimate peek into their relationship as she shared a tribute to him on his 51st birthday
Another snap showed Del Rey wearing one of Dufrene’s tour guide shirts featuring his name embroidered above the pocket.
Weeks ago the musical artist gave what appeared to be a glimpse into her married life in her new video.
Del Rey’s Insta Stories video opened with footage from the 1933 Betty Boop cartoon Snow-White, though it focused on a section starring the character Koko the Clown as he’s turned into a ghost.
Then the video abruptly cut to shaky handheld footage of Del Rey dancing with an ecstatic smile plastered on her face.
The two have kept a relatively low profile since their wedding day but did make a notable appearance last month at the pre-New York Fashion Week Ralph Lauren show on February 10.
The happy couple even stopped for a romantic kiss as they walked the red carpet for the iconic designer.
The couple first met in 2019 during one of Dufrene’s swamp excursions and reconnected years later, before tying the knot in September 2024.
In August, Del Rey revealed how she fell for her husband, a Louisiana bayou tour guide who spends his days surrounded by alligators.
Join the debate
What do you think Lana Del Rey’s choice to marry a swamp guide says about fame and real love?
She posted a cute video of Dufrene loading up the truck with plants they had just purchased from Home Depot and when he realizes he is being filmed, the Louisiana native flashed a big smile and proudly posed with a Jack-o’-lantern pot
Del Rey also shared a snap of her hand gripping his wrist as her massive engagement ring could be seen in full view
Another snap showed Del Rey wearing one of Dufrene’s tour guide shirts featuring his name embroidered above the pocket
Del Rey also posted a video of the cover of their wedding album
‘Like many people who work with large, dangerous beasts, Jeremy has a calm, strong presence,’ Del Rey told W magazine.
‘When we met, I realized pretty immediately that I loved him, but that it might get difficult because of what I was bringing to the table,’ she continued.
Del Rey added that Dufrene reassured her from the start: ‘I work with alligators — I have tough skin.’
And true to his word, he listened through all the drama: ‘All the things that made me upset — and there were so many! — he would just listen and say, “You be you — and I’ll just love you more.”’
Weeks ago the musical artist gave what appeared to be a glimpse into her married life and her new video
The two have kept a relatively low profile since their wedding day but did make a notable appearance last month at the pre-New York Fashion Week Ralph Lauren show on February 10
The happy couple stopped for a romantic kiss as they walked the red carpet for the iconic designer
The couple first met in 2019 during one of Dufrene’s swamp excursions and reconnected years later, before tying the knot in September 2024
Tying the knot in 2024 didn’t make the spotlight any gentler.
Del Rey recalled the intense scrutiny they faced, with drones reportedly hovering over their home to snap photos of their wedding and early days as newlyweds.
‘If I was him, I would have been nervous — my emotions were more overwhelming than usual, and my usual emotions can be quite overwhelming!’ she said with a laugh. ‘But Jeremy was fine. He told me, “Don’t worry about me.”’
And when it comes to music inspired by love, fans have already heard a peek. ‘Stars Fell on Alabama. I open my show with that song — that’s it, so far,’ she revealed.
‘Jeremy is the most impactful person in my life. He’s quiet in public, but around me he talks all the time.’
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