Financial

Our region is getting some big bucks from Chesapeake Energy. The company is handing out a total of nearly $14-million in property tax payments to parishes benefitting from natural gas and oil development.

Louisiana's delegation was divided as Congress agreed to a compromise to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts.

Two well-known community banks are now one. The parent company of MidSouth Bank has announced the completion of its merger with Peoples State Bank.

It's not scheduled to open until June, but the Margaritaville Resort and Casino already has a General Manager. And he's no stranger to Shreveport/Bossier.

I understand we taxpayers will receive another economic stimulus check this year. Yes, it's a tiny bit of the money we sent to the government; they're keeping most of it. The purpose of this act of kindness is to help stimulate the economy. Then, I received a funny email that took a unique look at stimulus checks and whether they actually benefit the US.

The median net worth of working-class Americans is now lingering at a 43-year low of $57,000.

After a two-month nationwide search, the North Louisiana Economic Partnership has a new president.

Lawmakers in Texas are exploring affordable-education options for people under the financial hammer of the nation’s exploding tuition rates. The most controversial option is a bachelor’s degree for $10,000, which would cover tuition costs and textbooks.

KROTZ SPRINGS, La. (AP) — Construction is under way on a $1 million project to extend waterlines from the Krotz Springs municipal system to serve an area along Louisiana Highway 105 dotted by residential water wells that have shown high levels of arsenic.

Good news for college students: the job market is starting to look a little brighter, with 5 percent more employment opportunities predicted for new college graduates this year, according to a recent survey conducted by the Michigan State University’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute.