MILES Miles discusses cancellation of Tulane series, page 5.
SK8 OR DIE, BRO Local skater starts company to produce boards, page 9.
THE DAILY REVEILLE Volume 114, Issue 18
WWW.LSUREVEILLE.COM
Construction Confusion Carpenters’ union protests PMAC contractor for alleged insurance fraud By Ryan Buxton Staff Writer
The Louisiana Carpenters General Council, a carpenters’ union, is protesting the contractor constructing a new extension on the PMAC, alleging the contractor is engaging in insurance fraud and using workers who are not given proper workers’ compensation. The council says the contractor, Lloyd N. Moreau of Pineville, worked with a labor supplier who provided undocumented workers. Charlie Manning, director of business
development for the council, said Moreau and his labor supplier are “circumventing the law” and paying less insurance premiums by claiming to have less workers and pay less wages than they actually do. A secretary for Moreau said Moreau refused to speak with The Daily Reveille. Manning said a company which misrepresents its number of employees can pay less insurance premiums and therefore put in a lower project bid by 30 to 40 percent — a tactic Manning CONSTRUCTION, see page 19
photos by ERIN ARLEDGE and BENJAMIN OLIVER HICKS / The Daily Reveille
[Top] Construction continues on a ramp in front of the PMAC. [Bottom] Mark Cutrer, left, and Rosie Lodge, right, members of the Louisiana Carpenters Regional Counsel, protest alleged insurance fraud Monday morning on the corner of Nicholson and Nouth Stadium.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
CAREER SERVICES
More students, less employers attend expo By Mary Walker Baus Staff Writer
The economic downturn caused lay offs and hiring cuts, but that didn’t keep companies or students from attending the Career Expo on Wednesday at the Maddox Field House. Sara Crow, Career Services assistant director of communications, said 1,977 students attended the expo. Only 1,727 students attended the fall 2008 expo, and 1,407 students attended the spring 2009 expo. Around 188 companies came to the expo to mingle with students. “This was one of our biggest ever [in terms of student participation],” Crow said. “The employers talked about great student turnout.” Crow said students are more focused about getting jobs, which she attributes to current difficulties in the job market as well as the higher caliber of students accepted to the University. Crow said the reasons for the increase in student participation are the recession and the importance of networking. Laura Daray, kinesiology graduate student, said looking for opportunities at the expo was harder for her than for business and engineering students. But she said the expo was beneficial because she was able to talk to different companies face-to-face and dig for EXPO, see page 20
BR COMMUNITY
Planetarium to host 2012 convention Conference to bring hundreds of visitors By Adam Duvernay Senior Staff Writer
The Louisiana Art and Science Museum announced Wednesday it will host the 2012 International Planetarium Society’s biennial conference.
The IPS selected the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium in downtown Baton Rouge to host the conference instead of the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the Astronef Planetarium in Saint-Etienne, France. The convention will be held between July 22 and July 26 in 2012. Hundreds of national and international IPS members will visit the planetarium during the convention to share ideas and technology. Visiting members will be given the
opportunity to share their productions and view Pennington Planetarium shows. Baton Rouge’s proximity to other Louisiana cities may provide visitors an opportunity to see planetariums in both Lafayette and New Orleans, said Carol Gikas, president of the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. Past conventions have been held in cities like Melbourne, Australia; Washington PLANETARIUM, see page 19
MAGGIE BOWLES / The Daily Reveille
Mayor-President Kip Holden makes an announcement Wednesday morning at the Planetarium about the LASM holding the 2012 International Planetarium Society Conference.