•The 2014 Duck Commander Independence Bowl between Miami and South Carolina, televised by ABC, garnered a 2.5 U.S. television rating. The 2.5 rating is the highest for the Independence Bowl since 2006 when the Oklahoma State vs. Alabama matchup also received a 2.5 rating. The last Independence Bowl above that mark was the 2003 game featuring Arkansas and Missouri (3.0 HH US rtg). An estimated 2.9 million households and 4.1 million viewers tuned in to watch South Carolina defeat Miami, 24-21. ABC televised the Independence Bowl for the first time since 1991, and the 39th installment of the 11th-oldest bowl game fell on a Saturday for the first time since 1990. The 2014 matchup marked the 23rd-consecutive year an ESPN network televised the Independence Bowl.
• Gov. Bobby Jindal announced appointments to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors’ responsibilities include but are not limited to selecting the presidents of system institutions, determining fees paid by students, purchasing land and buildings for universities, formulating curricula and programs of study, exchanging university property, seeking financial assistance for universities, and allocating university system expenditures. According to the Louisiana Constitution, the board is comprised of 15 members, including one student member. The remaining 14 members are gubernatorial appointments, subject to Senate confirmation, including two members selected from each congressional district and the remaining members selected from the state at-large. Ed Crawford III, of Shreveport, a managing partner of Atco Investment Company, was appointed to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Crawford will be reappointed to serve as a representative of the 4th Congressional District in accordance with the requirements of the Louisiana Constitution.
• Claiborne Fundamental Elementary Magnet School has been named a National Title I Distinguished School by the National Title I Association. Claiborne was one of two schools in Louisiana nominated by the Louisiana Department of Education for the 2014-15 school year. The school was selected based on the school’s exceptional student achievement for two or more years. This is the second national accomplishment for Claiborne in recent years. In 2012, the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the special election date for the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the temporary appointment of Mary Johnson Harris. Harris will replace Walter Lee as the representative of BESE District 4 on the board. According to statute, the board is comprised of 11 members. One member shall be a resident of and shall be elected by the electors of each of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education districts. Three members shall be appointed by the governor from the state at-large, with consent of the Senate. Harris is the principal of South Highlands Elementary Magnet School. Harris will serve as a representative of BESE District 4, as required by statute.
• The shareholders and directors of Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts congratulate R. Perry Pringle, upon the conclusion of his long and successful career as a practicing attorney in Shreveport- Bossier City. Pringle’s official retirement was effective as Dec. 31. Pringle was admitted to practice law in 1967 and joined the firm in 2012. Prior to joining the firm, he was partner in the law firm of Pringle and Herzog formed in 1978.
