Wal-Mart

With bargain hunters looking for low prices, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Thursday reported a 17% profit rise in second-quarter profits sought lower prices at the national retailer's stores.   Also, net income rose to $3.45 billion, or 87 cents a share, compared to $2.95 billion. 

Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) and national advocacy and education organization, Consumer Action, launch new and interactive financial education eLearning modules for consumers. The course offers consumers case studies, interactive tips and exercises along with a variety of resources based on the MoneyWi$e financial education materials.

“At Capital One, providing the tools to help consumers make good financial choices is important, not just to business, but to the economic well-being of our neighbors and our communities. Being able to bring our MoneyWi$e curriculum to life through these interactive modules is just one more way to reach a wider audience and give them the opportunity to learn how to better manage their finances,” said Diana Don, Capital One’s Director of Financial Education.

Billy Tauzin

The 2008 Mid-Atlantic Bio conference today announced that Billy Tauzin, president and chief executive officer of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), will address this year’s conference as keynote speaker for a special, separately ticketed international dinner, October 23 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Va. Dedicated to promoting the growth of biotechnology in the Mid-Atlantic region, the conference, collectively sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic's most influential bioscience and investor associations, Tech Council of Maryland (TCM), the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA), and the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO), attracts more than 800 senior executives from the life sciences industry, as well as regulatory officials, researchers, university administrators, investors, and professional services firms.

Tauzin, who served 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and chaired the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, now plays a leading role in advocating for pharmaceutical research and biotechnology in the United States and globally.

ACT

District level data for the ACT assessment is now available on the Department of Education's Web site. It may be accessed through the link here or on the department's homepage, www.louisianaschools.net. The data is attached to the related ACT press release published yesterday.

Nicholls State

With the fall 2008 semester already underway at Nicholls State University, students are participating in a series of events dubbed the Weeks of Welcome – or WOW.

“The goal is to welcome students to Nicholls in a festive way,” said Allie Johnson, assistant director of the student union for student activities. “We want to provide opportunities for students to get to know each other, to learn about the services and organizations at Nicholls, to have fun and to feel good about their choice to attend this university.”

A three-week celebration, WOW began Wednesday, Aug. 13, when students moved into the residence halls, Johnson said – “but the celebration really kicks off with Welcome Back Day, slated for Thursday, Aug. 21.”

Themed "60 Years on the Bayou,” the three-hour Welcome Back Day event is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Quadrangle.

“It will celebrate the rich and unique culture of the Bayou Region,” Johnson said. “There will be pop, Cajun and zydeco music as well as southeast Louisiana food such as jambalaya, crawfish pies and andouillie sausage. The official ceremony will began at 11:55 a.m. with a welcome from Dr. Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs and enrollment services. Nicholls coaches and players representing various sports will then pump up the crowd, with the band, cheerleaders and choir performing.”

New Orleans Apartments

The architects of “Village de Jardin” will announce and unveil their architectural plans for the redevelopment of the Gaslight Apartments.Friday August 15, 2008 at 9:30 A.M. located at the “Old Gaslight Apartments”, 8800 I-10 Service Road, New Orleans, LA

GUEST LIST: Mayor Ray Nagin

                          Senator Ann Duplessis

                          Laverne Saulny (On behalf of Sen. Landrieu)

  Wayne Woods, Chairman LHFA Commission

  Milton Bailey, LHFA President

                          Ed Blakely, PhD, Executive Director N.O. Dept. of Recovery Management

                          Jeffrey Smith AIA (Holly & Smith Architects)

  Dr. Linda Rhodes

This location identified now as “Village de Jardin,” is an 11.5 acre tract where the old Gaslight Square Apartments once stood.  Given the unquestionable need for elderly housing, and in response to community concerns, the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency (LHFA) will build the first fully operational elderly housing community post Katrina, in the New Orleans East area.

This development will include multi-level structures of about 144 individual apartments, and 80 single-family “residential cottages.” The basic concept is to “bring the community back” so that the residents, particularly the elderly, are integrated into a “working neighborhood” in a setting that incorporates basic services such as transportation, laundry facilities, and food services. .

Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission has paid out approximately $2.4 million to more than 3,500 people who are eligible for extended unemployment insurance benefits under a new federal program.

They are among more than 32,000 people notified by the Commission that they might be eligible for these benefits. The federal government enacted the program this summer in response to increased unemployment nationally. It generally covers people whose benefits ran out or their benefit year ended at some point since May 1, 2007, and they are unemployed today.

The LWC unemployment call center operates at capacity most of the time and the increased volume of calls resulting from the new federal program has caused many callers to get a busy signal. However, the LWC is taking several steps to make filing easier.

People filing claims are urged to do so via the Web at www.laworks.net. In addition to being able to file initial claims, the Web site is being updated to enable claims to be filed for previous weeks covered by the new program. This feature will be available starting late Thursday.

People who have been determined to be eligible under the program but have not filed for benefits for all of their eligible weeks of unemployment will be notified by letter how to file those claims via the Web.

People filing claims who do not have computers at home can use the computers at any of the LWC’s Business and Career Solution Centers around the state.

Starting Friday, Center staff also will have computer access to check the status of claims that have been filed but have not yet resulted in benefits being paid. If the Center staff cannot resolve an issue on their own, they will email the LWC benefits personnel, who will respond by the close of business the following day. Additional personnel have been assigned to assure prompt email responses.

Those who do call the Commission’s call center (1-866-783-5567) are less likely to get a busy signal from 7-8 a.m. daily. Call volumes also are less on Thursdays and Fridays and the call center will be open for the next two Saturdays, Aug. 16 and 23, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to handle the increased volume.