Road Home Rentals

The Road Home Small Rental Property program is extending the application period for Round Two to July 31, 2007, in an effort to supply rental property owners more time to complete their applications and allow more applicants to apply to the program.

"This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in applying but still have unanswered questions," said Michael Taylor, director of the Disaster Recovery Unit, Office of Community Development. "We will be providing additional workshops in the coming weeks throughout the storm damaged areas."

Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities through The Road Home's Outreach Workshops and Application Training Sessions. The Application Training Sessions are held twice daily and offer step-by-step instructions on how to complete an online application. They are offered Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Orleans and Jefferson Housing Assistance Centers. These workshops are free, however, participants must contact The Road Home's Call Center at 1.888.ROAD.2.LA (1.888.762.3252) to reserve a seat.

The round extension will also provide those Round One conditional award recipients who have been unable to provide the required information to support their application - and are in jeopardy of losing their award - with a chance to re-apply and get funding in Round Two. All Round One conditional awardees must have their completed packages returned to the program by July 31, 2007 or their award will be rescinded.

"We are also doing everything we can to help Round One conditional awardees get the help they need to proceed with their awards," said Calvin Parker, OCD's Manager for Rental Housing. "We are setting a firm deadline of July 31st for them to supply us with the back-up for their applications and we will be reaching out to all of these folks to make sure they have the assistance they need to meet the deadline. On the other hand, for those Round One applicants who realize that they can not document the answers they gave us, we will be encouraging them to submit modified applications in Round Two."

Any funds that are recaptured from Round One conditional award winners who do not submit their required documentation by the July 31st deadline will be added to the Round Two allocation and redistributed to the application pool.

With this extension, the program is also being opened to additional applicants who may apply for financial incentives. Many owners of town homes and condominiums may now apply for Round 2 funds. It is important to note that these owners must still meet eligibility criteria of "small," one- to four-unit buildings. As with other buildings in the Program, the units must have received severe or major damage from one of the storms and they must have been rental units prior to the storm.

Round Two of the program began on June 5, 2007 and offers up to $300 million in funding. The round will remain open and accepting applications until July 31, 2007. To learn about Outreach Workshops and schedule an appointment for an Application Training Session or for more information on Round Two, visit www.road2la.org/rental.

To download The Road Home Small Rental Property Program Extends Round 2 Application Deadline To July 31, 2007

Southern Shrimp Alliance

The Southern Shrimp Alliance, representing shrimp fishermen and processors from eight states, announced new commitments and issued challenges to U.S. shrimp processors and the Louisiana Shrimp Association as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the U.S. shrimp industry.

Future Settlement Monies
The SSA Executive Committee adopted a resolution regarding the use of any future funds received as a result of agreements to settle trade litigation. The resolution makes clear that SSA will continue to distribute funds received from settlements to further the interest of the domestic shrimp industry in each of the eight shrimp-producing states, with a portion being retained by SSA for its administrative and related expenses.

SSA received financial settlements from 104 foreign shrimp exporters in 2006 and is distributing more than $1,100,000 in this fiscal year to member states. The remaining settlement monies are being used by SSA to enhance the U.S. shrimp industry through a variety of initiatives, such as to defend the antidumping duties, to represent the shrimp industry in fisheries management councils, to enhance marketing of U.S. wild-caught shrimp, and to represent the industry in future years.

Equitable Byrd Amendment Distributions
In recognition that shrimpers have received an insufficient proportion of the funds distributed under the Byrd Amendment, SSA challenged shrimp processors to contribute 60 percent of the funds received under the Byrd Amendment to programs to benefit the shrimpers and to cooperate to seek changes in the law and/or the way the law is administered to achieve a more equitable distribution.

To address concerns about the disparity in the amounts of Byrd Amendment funds received by shrimpers and processors in 2006, SSA persuaded Customs and Border Protection to verify an unprecedented percentage of claims for Byrd funds. SSA has also requested a ruling from Customs to the effect that shrimp inputs are not qualified expenditures under the Byrd Amendment and continues to work with elected officials to address the current law with appropriate legislation.

Second Administrative Reviews
Finally, SSA calls upon the Louisiana Shrimp Association (LSA) to withdraw its pending requests for antidumping administrative review immediately, in order to permit substantial amounts of vitally-needed funds to be distributed to the domestic industry pursuant to the Byrd Amendment this year.

LSA has failed to meet deadlines to provide comment on multiple issues in the second administrative review that could significantly influence whether the final antidumping rates increase or decrease. SSA has posted its recent filings in the second administrative review on its website.

SSA’s public announcements and challenges to the U.S. shrimp industry underscore how SSA continues to act in the best interests of the domestic shrimp industry.

SSA is a non-profit alliance of members of the shrimp industry in eight states committed to preventing the continued deterioration of America's domestic shrimp industry and to ensuring the industry's future viability.

Stewart Enterprise

Stewart Enterprises, Inc. reported today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per share. The dividend is payable on July 27, 2007 to holders of record of Class A and Class B Common Stock as of the close of business on July 12, 2007.

Founded in 1910, Stewart Enterprises, Inc. is the second largest provider of products and services in the death care industry in the United States, currently owning and operating 226 funeral homes and 142 cemeteries. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides a complete range of funeral merchandise and services, along with cemetery property, merchandise and services, both at the time of need and on a preneed basis.

Valentec

Valentec Systems will recruit assemblers from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 28 and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 30 at Webster Career Solutions Center at 310 Homer Road in Minden Louisiana.

Valentec Systems, Inc. is a defense contractor and munitions manufacturer.  It designs, develops, manufactures and sells ammunition and light weapons for military use.

Regents

On Wednesday, State Superintendent of Education Paul G. Pastorek announced that Caddo Parish School Superintendent Ollie Tyler will assume the role of Deputy Superintendent for the Louisiana Department of Education beginning August 1, 2007. Tyler will replace Carole Wallin, who has served as deputy for more than 10 years under the leadership of both Cecil J. Picard and Pastorek. Wallin plans to retire August 15, 2007.

"The Department of Education will be well served by Ms. Tyler because of her many years of educational experience, her dedication to public service and her commitment to improved student achievement,” said Pastorek. "Ollie and I have worked together for a number of years, and I respect tremendously her dedication to the children of this state.”

"I look forward to the challenge this new position brings to my career in education,” said Tyler. "I am humbled that Superintendent Pastorek asked me to bring my ideas and philosophies to the state level, and I am anxious to work closely with him in moving Louisiana’s educational system forward.”

Since 2003, Tyler has served as the Superintendent for the Caddo Parish School System in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Caddo Parish School District is the third largest school district in the state and includes approximately 43,500 students in 74 schools. Tyler also served as Interim Superintendent for the Orleans Parish School System from July 2002 until she assumed the top leadership position in Caddo. Earlier in her career, Tyler was employed as a mathematics teacher, an assistant principal, the Director of Middle Schools and the Deputy Superintendent for Caddo Parish Public Schools.

Pastorek cited Tyler’s many accomplishments in K-12 education as the reason he chose her to support him as Deputy Superintendent of Education. Those achievements include:

Receiving Louisiana’s 2006-07 Superintendent of the Year Award

Reducing the number of schools in Caddo Parish with School Performance Scores below 60 from 25 to 12

Moving from a one-star school district to a two-star school district under Louisiana’s District Accountability Program

Achieving a district-wide ACT score of 20.3, the highest in district history

Tripling the number of National Board Certified Teachers in the past three years

Acquiring more than $39.6 million additional dollars in grant funding for Caddo schools

Receiving two additional Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education, bringing Caddo’s total to 9

Restoring Caddo’s financial stability, resulting in a strong fiscal management rating from the Louisiana Department of Education

Completing more than $76 million in capital improvement projects, including classroom wing additions and gymnasiums

"Ms. Tyler has a proven track record in the educational arena that will serve her well in her position with the state,” said Pastorek. "She knows what needs to be done to move Louisiana to the next level of educational accountability, but she also knows what it takes at the local level to get it done. When she became Superintendent of Caddo Parish, she found a budget deficit and numerous schools that were academically unacceptable. She has since brought the district to financial stability and improved academic achievement significantly. She understands how schools actually behave and how they can be improved. This is something we can benefit from at the State Department of Education,” Pastorek emphasized.

Tyler earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Grambling State University. Her Master’s Degree was earned from Louisiana State University, and she has 42 hours of post-baccalaureate work done at Louisiana State University in Shreveport.

New Blanco Appointment

Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today announced her appointment of Donna Guinn Klein to the Louisiana Board of Regents.

"Donna Klein is recognized as a great leader who tirelessly gives so much of herself to her local community," Governor Blanco said. "Her passion and expertise will be a meaningful contribution to the people of Louisiana. I look forward to working with her and the Board of Regents as we expand educational opportunities across Louisiana."

Klein represents the 2nd Congressional District. She is an attorney with the law firm of McGlinchey Stafford where she serves as head of the healthcare law group and as managing partner of the New Orleans office. Klein attended Loyola University and received her Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law in 1981. She serves as co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee and as a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Ernest N. Morial-New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts/Riverfront, and the Board of Directors of Louisiana ArtWorks. Klein has received numerous awards including being selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as one of the Women of the Year in 2007 and 2001; by the Young Leadership Council as a Role Model in 2002; by the Human Rights Campaign to receive the Humanitarian Award in 2003; and by Southern Woman Magazine to recei! ve the Spirit Award in 2004. She has also been recognized as one of Woodward White's Best Lawyers in America in Health Care each year since 1991.

Klein's term expires December 31, 2012.

The Louisiana Board of Regents is the state's governing body for all public higher education institutions in Louisiana. The Board is currently working on a new master plan for higher education as well as issues to address students' access and success in higher education.