(The Center Square) – A Louisiana jury last April determined oil giant Chevron owed $744 million for environmental damage to the state’s coastline. Chevron, seeking a rematch in a potentially friendlier arena, told the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that a federal court should decide the case. Chevron’s argument centers on a federal law that allows defendants to move certain lawsuits from state court to federal court when the claims are tied to actions taken under federal autho

Louisiana’s job market showed modest improvement over the past year, but the state’s economy remains mostly stagnant, an  LSU Shreveport economist says. Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in November, tied for 33rd among the 50 states and lower than the national rate of 4.6%, according to the U.S.  Bureau of Labor Statistics . The number of unemployed Louisianans declined to 88,684, down from 96,134 a year earlier, while the state’s labor force was essentially flat y

Business First Bancshares, Inc.  has completed its acquisition of Progressive Bancorp, Inc.  and its subsidiary, Progressive Bank, significantly expanding its presence in North Louisiana and pushing total assets to approximately $8.7 billion. The transaction strengthens Business First’s statewide footprint by adding nine North Louisiana branches and deepening its reach in a region that has become increasingly important to Louisiana’s economic growth. “We love this opportunity

At a ribbon-cutting in Vermilion Parish celebrating Cajun Broadband’s latest expansion, there were all the usual trappings of a public milestone: remarks from local officials, a video message from Jeff Landry , and a ceremonial cut of the tape. There was also seafood gumbo — cooked the night before by company co-founder Chris Disher. It was a fitting detail. Cajun Broadband has grown into one of Louisiana’s most important rural infrastructure builders, but it still operates w