Did You Know?

• The 39th Annual Bassmaster Classic is headed to Shreveport-Bossier
  During February 20-22, 2009, the Red River will be the backdrop of what is referred to as the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. The event will draw tens of thousands of spectators and hours of television coverage and will feature a huge expo for over 150 vendors featuring outdoor products and services, packing an estimated economic punch to the local economy of approximately $24 million .
• Parents Magazine names Sci-Port Discovery Center one of Nation's 10 Best Science Centers for Families.
  In the September 2008 issue of Parents magazine, Sci-Port Discovery Center was recognized as one of the top 10 science centers in the country. The article highlights the nation's best science centers that have special exhibit areas exclusively for young children and their families. Part of Parents' ongoing series of 10-Best articles, the survey places Sci-Port at number eight out of the nation's 150-plus science centers. Sci-Port is also the only science center in the Southern U.S. to make the top 10 ranking, and its location of Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, is the only mid-sized city on the 10-Best list.
• Louisiana is now known as Hollywood South.
  With a robust offering of film and digital media tax credits, the state is now recognized as the #3 location in the US to produce motion pictures, with Northwest Louisiana commanding its share of industry attention. In the first half of 2008, 14 movie and TV productions with budgets of $181 million were shot or started shooting in NW Louisiana, now referred to as Hollywood South (link to NY Times article). Motion pictures shot in the area since 2005 include The Great Debaters, Factory Girl, The Guardian, Mr. Brooks, Homeland Security, Mad Money, The Mist and The last Lullaby to name a few. Click here to read a recent New York Times article about film activity in the area.
• Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City is the largest bomber base in the world.
  
• The first offshore oil well in the world was in Caddo Lake.
  
• Shreveport was once the capital of Louisiana.
  
• The Spring Theater in Springhill has the largest movie screen in Louisiana with the exception of the IMAX at SciPort.
  
• Natchitoches was named one of the "Top Ten Bargain Retirement Spots in the United States" by US News & World Report (2007).
  
• The City of Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory.
  
• Louisiana Tech faculty and students are pioneers in the growing field of nanotechnology.
  Louisiana Tech ranks third nationally in micro- and nanotechnology education, according to a new guide to the country's top universities. The survey was published by Small Times, a magazine that focuses on business news and information about small tech, including nanotechnology and microsystems. Tech ranked above the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Maryland, the University of New Mexico, and Northwestern, Rice and Rutgers universities. In November 2007, Tech Professor Yuri Lvov received Small Times Best of Small Tech Innovator of the Year Award. Small Times presented its highly respected Best of Small Tech awards at its NanoCon International conference and exhibition at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Dr. Lvov, a professor at Louisiana Tech University's Institute for Micromanufacturing, has received major research sponsorship from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Energy, NASA, and other national agencies. His grants and industrial contracts have exceeded $5 million in the last five years. His research has found industrial applications in nanocapsules for drug delivery, biocompatible nanocoating, and new methods for cellulose microfiber processing for better paper. His results have been widely published in peer reviewed journals and also patented in the US and internationally.
• The Robinson Film Center in Shreveport opened as the first film center in the South in May 2008.
  
• Centenary College of Louisiana continually ranks as a top U.S. college.
  Centenary College is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to Forbes.com. The College ranks number 164 from a list of 569 undergraduate institutions across the country in the inaugural edition of "America's Best Colleges for 2008." The Princeton Review agrees, with the New York-based education services company known for its test-prep courses featuring Centenary in its 2009 edition of "The Best 368 Colleges." Also, in its College Guide '08, Newsweek/MSNBC ranks Centenary as one of the Hottest 25 Schools in America, calling it the "Hottest Liberal Arts School You've Never Heard Of."
• Shreveport is home to the famous children's author and illustrator William Joyce.
  Mr. Joyce's design studios are located at Shreveport's Centenary College. Mr. Joyce is the creator of Rolie Polie Olie (winner of three Emmy's) and George Shrinks, both animated series that air on the Disney Channel and PBS. Joyce is also the creator of characters for Pixar/Disney's feature films Toy Story and A Bug's Life, and the producer of the major motion pictures Robots and Meet the Robinsons. In production now for a 2008 release in theatres nationwide are The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, based on his award winning book.
• Natchitoches is recognized as the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Louisiana.
  
• In 1999, Louisiana established the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS).
  TOPS is a comprehensive program of state scholarships for Louisiana high school graduates that pays their tuition at Louisiana public colleges and universities, and provides the average tuition amount to in-state private institutions, as well.
• Louisiana ranked 5th among U.S. states in entrepreneurial activity in 2007
  The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity is a leading indicator of new business creation in the United States.