May and June were very wet months in Louisiana. August – not so much. Joe Gallinaro reports.
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Foster parents went before state lawmakers to say a recent policy change has made it more difficult to care for children in state custody. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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What a difference a couple months make in Louisiana. Whereas May and June were marked by torrential rains throughout the state, August is a completely different story. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says this month has been almost completely devoid of rain throughout the state.
Cut 3 (09) “…way, way behind.”
Keim says two things are contributing to this unusually dry August here in Louisiana. One is El Nino, which is being largely credited for the forecast of a below-normal hurricane season. The other, Keim says, is a lot of high pressure in the Gulf of Mexico which is serving as a pump of hot air into Louisiana.
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Keim says whereas May and June reversed drought conditions throughout much of the state, August could be bringing them right back.
Keim says the lack of clouds and water on the surface to cool things off has led to the heatwave that’s been baking much of the state.
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ULM is expanding its health science offerings, thanks to a grant of more than two-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health through the Rural Transformation Project. Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says the grant will allow the school to provide well-educated medical professionals to rural hospitals.
Cut 6 (09) “…becomes very expensive.”
Dr. Bailes says one of the three initiatives of the grant is to increase nursing school enrollment.
Cut 7 (08) “…students per year.”
Bailes says the grant will allow ULM to expand its capacity in its health science college.
Cut 8 (12) “…win for everyone.”
The other two initiatives are adding a Diagnostic Medical Sonography concentration to the Bachelor of Science in Radiological Technology program, and establishing a Nurse Residency Hub serving rural hospitals in northeast Louisiana.
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Louisiana lawmakers heard from frustrated foster parents upset they are receiving less money from the state to provide care for kids in state custody. Starting July first, DCFS raised the foster care board rate payments from 600 to 900 dollars a month but stopped reimbursing families for incidental expenses. Danielle Eley from Franklin Parish says it was packaged as a raise for foster parents, but in reality that’s not the case.
Eley cares for three children and she says the reimbursements help pay for a lot of incidental expenses.
Eley testified before the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children. Covington Senator Patrick McMath is a member of that panel and says based on the testimony, it’s harder to be a foster parent in Louisiana and urged DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris to bring back the reimbursement policy.
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Harris agreed and reimbursements will return for the remainder of this fiscal year, which will end on June 30th, 2027.
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LSU fifth-year senior offensive guard Bo Bordelon has earned his starting spot the old-fashioned way. The Raceland native spent four years as a backup but has stood out as the likely week one starter during spring and fall practices. He says he just put his head down and worked.
Bordelon was rated as high as a four-star prospect out of Isidore Newman High School. Despite his time on the bench, he says he never considered transferring. When Lane Kiffin and his staff came to Baton Rouge, he asked them to give him a chance.
The son of former standout Tigers lineman Ben Bordelon, Bo says he had to earn his starting job. He made a switch from right tackle to left guard and put on extra weight this offseason. He says his new O-line coaches have made a big difference.