Add seven swans, six geese and five golden rings to the list of Christmas gifts that cost more than they did a year ago.
An extreme makeover is in the works for Lafayette’s second oldest shopping center.
The nearly 6-decade-old Winnwood Shopping Center is undergoing a major facelift — the new version having as much sex appeal as curb appeal, retro in style and boasting touches of mid-century modern architectural forms. Think Jane Jetson visits Mel’s Diner.
By Cherry Fisher May

Controversial legislation involving standby vessels may be on hold until next term.
The leader of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association recently took U.S. Rep. Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia, to task over proposed legislation that would require “stand-by vessels to be located within three miles of every manned oil and gas platform facility in the Gulf of Mexico, including mobile offshore drilling units.”
By Jeremy Alford
Louisiana ranks sixth overall in Area Development magazine’s 2012 Top States for Doing Business.
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