Louisiana cities blaze the trail for economic development

Economic development doesn’t have to be an exercise in wishful thinking.

In some communities around the country, such efforts have led to successful and robust results.

Take Baton Rouge, La., and its neighbor, Houma.

These Southern communities changed their fates after recognizing some hard truths. To stay vibrant they would have to reinvent how they attract and retain businesses, and to do that, they would need outside help.

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_2669e79e-2430-11df-b540-001cc4c002e0.html