The Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention started in 2008 at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center to bring to LA a world-class dementia research program, focused on understanding the basis for Alzheimer’s disease. There are over 600 individuals throughout La participating in this program, which is open to any individuals in the Alexandria area who are 60 yrs of age or older and who are interested in receiving annual cognitive exams as part of this study. Full Article. 

The 2010 Hurricane season is fast approaching. Do you have a plan in place? The State of LA offers a web site, Get A Game Plan, that offers tips for emergency preparedness. Link to website.

In its monthly short-term energy outlook report, the Energy Information Administration said that for the full year the national average should be about $2.84 per gallon, up from $2.35 per gallon in 2009. Pump prices are already above $3 in California and are almost there elsewhere on the West Coast. Full article 

Drivers who discover their vehicles have been towed away will be paying more to get them back. The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved a 20 percent increase in rates for tows. Link to full article: http://bit.ly/9vMDTQ

Christus Grace Home of Alexandria grand opening is at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, March 11, with the Chamber of Commerce performing a ribbon-cutting. The community is invited to tour the new facility that offers a homelike environment for patients that are coping with a terminal illness.   Full Article    

Area residents interested in attending college are invited to 'Come See the LCRP' from 4-6 p.m. today, March 11, at the Learning Center for Rapides Parish, 1410 Neel Kearby Blvd. on England Airpark. Representatives from eight colleges and universities will be available to talk with prospective students about their programs offered in central Louisiana. Full Article.  

Alexandria got a favorable bankruptcy ruling regarding the Alexander Fulton Hotel. If the ruling survives potential appeals, it allows the city to proceed with its downtown hotels agreement with Hospitality Initiatives Partnership. Full Article.  

As a manager, you cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes, however, people who would be great employees somewhere else just don’t fit your company. There’s no joy in the act of firing someone, but when you have the right people, business is much easier.   Full Article.  

Now more than ever, employees are starving for a sense of feeling connected to a higher purpose than just meeting this month's sales and profit figures. An inspirational leader can really make the difference in improving the confidence of people, who will in turn enhance the organization's performance. Inspirational leadership is an effort to activate the inner passion of your people. Full Article.

An unknown number of Americans who lost jobs in the Great Recession created their own. The rate of so-called "necessity entrepreneurship"—people starting businesses because other income opportunities are gone—increased sharply in the U.S. during the recession, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a research project that tracks entrepreneurship. Necessity was a factor for 24.7% of new U.S. ventures in 2009, according to GEM surveys, up from 16.3% in 2007.   Full Article.

As part of its National Broadband Plan, the gov’t wants broadcasters to relinquish excess airwaves, which wireless carriers could use to deliver mobile-Web access. Opposition from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is just one of the hurdles that must be overcome in order to bring broadband access to U.S. residents. Full Article.

A 64,000-square-foot former Albertson’s grocery store in Gonzales could become a corporate data center if efforts by the Ascension Economic Development Corp. succeed. What makes this site desirable is its location across the street from Eatel’s main switching center. Full Article.

According to the Small Business Administration, more than five million Americans age 55 or older run their own businesses or are otherwise self-employed. The number of self-employed people ages 55 to 64 is soaring, climbing 52 percent from 2000 to 2007.   Full Article.

In a recent meeting with an economic development group, the U.S. Deputy Asst Sec. of Commerce for Econ. Dev. indicated that the national economy can rebuild and strengthen itself by promoting regional economic development and by supporting the emergence of high growth, high potential companies. Full Article. 

In January 2010, Leesville resident Matthew Fletcher received a second heart transplant, which occurred only after he outlasted his first transplant. "It is a very rare thing," said Fletcher's cardiologist, Hector Ventura. "You don't see very many patients who live to have two transplants in their lifetime. It has even been a learning experience for me."   Full Article.

Huey P. Long Medical Center in Pineville earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating compliance with commission's national standards for health-care quality and safety. Full Article.

Dresser Inc.'s facility in Tioga will lay off a total of 86 employees during the first six months of this year. The Tioga valve facility, which has more than 400 employees, is outsourcing its manufacturing operations and focusing on assembly and shipping.   Full Article.  

Alexandria’s City Council signed off on a new agreement with Cleco, officially settling the city’s lawsuit against Cleco Corp. City Council President Roosevelt Johnson said resolution of the case can bring relief to everyone throughout the city.   Full Article.