Non-custodial parents are now able to make child support payments through MoneyGram. Emelie Gunn has more…
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The Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association launches the “Fight for Film” campaign. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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In response to the financial changes facing the state, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System is consolidating eight of their rural campuses. President of the system, Dr. Monty Sullivan, says they want to maintain and sustain the mission of two year colleges.
Cut 3 (10) “financial stability”
For example, the Northwest Louisiana Technical College in Natchitoches will become part of the Central Louisiana Technical Community College on July 1st. Sullivan says the mergers will allow them to focus on these rural campuses and ensure their two-year colleges can stay open.
Sullivan says consolidating these campuses will save money and continue their mission of helping students move on to a four-year university or prepare Louisianans for technical careers. He says it’s their hope that students in the system will see very little changes.
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Non-custodial parents in Louisiana can now make child support payments through MoneyGram at retail stores like WalMart, CVS and Albertsons. Director of Child Support Enforcement with the Department of Children and Family Services Lydia Scales says this is a more convenient way to pay rather than purchasing stamps and mailing in money.
Scales says they often hear excuses from parents who don’t have custody, that it’s too difficult to make a payment. She says making cash payments through MoneyGram will allow these people to contribute more to their children.
Other states are already using MoneyGram for cash child support payments. Scales says there is a four-dollars fee, but the convenience pays for itself. She says parents do need a few things in order to send support to their children through MoneyGram…
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The Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association has launched a campaign aimed at urging the legislature to make changes to the state’s film tax credit program. Jim Hornbeak sits on the LFEA’s Executive Board. He says right now there’s no guarantee a movie-maker will receive tax credits, and it negatively impacts many locals…:
Cut 9 (05) “restaurant industry”
The state’s film-tax incentive program was capped in 2015 at $180 million dollars a year, and a lot of the industry left for better deals in other states. Hornbeak says the “Fight For Film” effort is all about putting faces to those Louisianians who thrive when a movie is filmed here…:
To see the videos associated with the campaign, visit FilmLouisiana.com. Hornbeak, who is also the Chief Marketing Officer of Ranch Film Studios in Chalmette, says the film industry has supported 13,000 jobs with average salary of $60,000 per year. He’s hoping to see some tweaks in the existing cap…:
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Louisiana is set to benefit from ExxonMobil’s $20 billion investment in the Gulf Coast. Baton Rouge Refinery Manager Mark Northcutt says the Grow the Gulf initiative will strengthen and grow Exxon facilities in the Capitol City. He says Baton Rouge is home to one of the world’s largest refineries, as well as world scale chemical operations.
cut 12 (13) “position of strength”
Northcutt says another facility in Baton Rouge produces aviation lubricants. He says they’ve already invested $200 million into this facility, which created 400 construction jobs during development and 45 new permanent jobs at the facility.
Cut 13 (10) “Baton Rouge facility”
Northcutt says they want to grow these Baton Rouge facilities even more. He the increased supply of natural gas in Louisiana is a big advantage for the chemical industry in the Gulf Coast. He says Exxon is looking for site for a new steam cracker facility, and the Bayou State could be a contender, if the state can provide a stable and predictable tax environment.
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