2theadvocate.com
Saturday, March 20, 2010
- The Advocate eEdition
- |
- Wedding Forms
- |
- Newsletters
- |
- Text Alerts
- |
- Mobile
- |
- RSS
- |
BUSINESS TODAY
Business Today for March 16, 2010
|
LSU researchers create advanced optical sensor
LSU researchers have invented an optical sensor that surpasses a quantum limit to sensitivity that was believed to be unbeatable. The breakthrough can be applied to everything from gravity wave observatories used to observe distant astrophysical phenomena to optical gyroscopes used in commercial navigation. Optical interferometers are some of the most sensitive devices on Earth. They have been used to find evidence of gravity waves emitted from colliding black holes as well as for the navigational gyroscopes found in jets and magnetic field sensors in oil drills. “We uncovered this ground breaking new sensor concept in an analysis of optical sensors that exploit some of the stranger predictions of quantum mechanics in their workings,” said Jonathon P. Dowling, Hearne Research Chair in Theoretical Physics at LSU and lead researcher on the project. The research was published in the current issue of Physical Review Letters, which describes itself as the world’s foremost physics letter journal.
Saurage buys former Levis Mitsubishi site
Hank Saurage has purchased the former Levis Mitsubishi site on 9330 North Interstate Drive for $1.8 million. Saurage bought the property, which is located on the south side of Interstate 12 and west of Airline Highway, from Robert and Debra Levis. The property was last home to BIG Mitsubishi, which sold the auto franchise to Gerry Lane Enterprises late last year. Lane moved the franchise to its dealership site on Reiger Road. BIG, which is an acronym for “Brothers in God,” was formed as a Christian-based company in Slidell by Manny Manzano, David Bottner, both of Slidell, and Robert Moncada, of Baton Rouge. It bought the Levis Mitsubishi dealership in 2008 but changed its mind shortly after and decided to find a buyer, which ended up being Gerry Lane. Levis Mitsubishi was opened in the mid-1980s.
Copeland’s expands to Nashville, Birmingham
Copeland's of New Orleans Restaurants will open new locations in Nashville, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala. The company also has its previously announced locations in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, set to open as well. The new restaurants will fit the new Copeland's prototype, which debuted at the Baton Rouge location in 2009, featuring a bakery area, upgraded kitchen, a “pub-style” bar area and an expanded dining room that can seat 220 customers.
Lafayette’s Home Bank opens third BR location
Home Bank has opened a new location on Corporate Boulevard, its third in Baton Rouge. The full-service bank, at 6,400 square feet, will be managed by Robert Lott. Home Bank is based in Lafayette with nine locations in the Acadiana area and two other Baton Rouge locations, at Highland Road and Bluebonnet. The bank recently acquired six locations of Statewide Bank in the Northshore area, which includes the communities of Covington, Madisonville, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Slidell and Folsom.
Mall of La. Rave picked for 3-D basketball playoffs
The Rave Motion Pictures theater at the Mall of Louisiana is one of a handful of the chain’s locations picked to host a digital 3-D showing of the NCAA Men’s Final Four semifinals and championship games early next month. The Dallas-based company said it will be the first time the games have been broadcast to the public in live 3-D on a nationwide basis. The games in 3-D on Saturday, April 3, and Monday, April 5, will be a fully produced CBS Sports event with CBS College Sports Network announcers calling the game. Ticket prices for each event are $25. The semifinal round includes both games.
Encana boosts Haynesville spending
Canada-based natural gas producer Encana Corp. said it plans to spend an additional $563 million this year to buy more leases and increase production in the Haynesville Shale, from Louisiana to Texas. In total, the company will add $750 million to the $3.75 billion IT already planned to spend in 2010. Encana has 12.7 million acres in North America and proved reserves equivalent to 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas. The company believes, based on a recent independent assessment of its properties, that it can double its daily production in five years. The assessment estimated that at worst, Encana has the equivalent of an additional 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or more than 120 percent of the company’s proved reserves.
Red River plant signs contract
ADA Carbon Solutions LLC announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Red River Environmental Products LLC, has signed an additional contract with a coal-fired power company to provide activated carbon to control mercury emissions. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. AD Carbon Solutions is a joint venture owned by ADA-ES Inc., a publicly traded pollution and emissions control company, and Energy Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on the energy industry. Red River is building an activated carbon plant in Coushatta, which will be the largest in North America with an annual production capacity of 150 million pounds. The plant is expected to begin production in May. Red River now supplies activated carbon to some of the country’s largest power companies from its Natchitoches facility, which can produce 60 million pounds per year.
DEQ holding sludge regulations workshop
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is sponsoring a free workshop Thursday concerning new regulations for sewage sludge haulers and others involved in the sewage sludge hauling and disposal. The program will be held at 8 a.m. in the Lamar Dixon Center at 9039 St. Landry Road in Gonzales. Topics will include regulations regarding the registration of sewage sludge haulers, how to properly fill out the registration form, and monitoring and reporting requirements for both the haulers and the designated receiving facilities. The workshop is for wastewater treatment facility owners, operators and drivers that are involved with sewage sludge operations.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
|
