FERRIDAY, La. – The Louisiana Legislature’s special session, which ended Sunday, paid off for the economy of northeast Louisiana, economic development official Buddy Spillers said Monday.

The Ferriday-based Macon Ridge Economic Development Region, of which Spillers is president, will receive $250,000 from the Department of Economic Development for fiscal 2000-2001, which starts Saturday. The non-profit received $300,000 in 1999-2000.

&uot;It was shaky for a while there, but it turned out well,&uot;&160;said Spillers who, along with other officials such as Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland, lobbied the Legislature for the funding.

More than $100,000 of that will be passed on to other economic development groups in the 12 northeast Louisiana parishes covered by Macon Ridge.

Less than $150,000 will be kept by Macon Ridge to fund economic development efforts in its coverage area but outside a federal Enterprise Community that covers parts of Concordia, Catahoula, Tensas and Franklin parishes, Spillers said.

Macon Ridge got $2.95 million from the federal government in 1994, but those funds cannot be used outside the EC, an area that makes up only about 10 percent of the area covered by the organization.

Services Macon Ridge provides include industrial recruiting, services for existing industries, developing websites for businesses and local governments, grant writing assistance, small business development and strategic planning assistance.

In addition, the Legislature also agreed to continue of funding for two rural economic development coordinators — including northeast Louisiana coordinator Teresa Dennis — at a total of $110,000 a year. Those coordinators are not affiliated with Macon Ridge.