The parents of a Lafayette Parish teenager who was killed in a mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge back in April have sued the mall. Joe Gallinaro reports.
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Louisiana’s Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain is pleased with how the state’s sugarcane harvest is going. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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Economist Dr. Loren Scott is in Alexandria today to provide details of his economic forecast that predicts the state will add 55-thousand jobs over the next two years. Scott’s forecast calls for Alexandria to add 18 hundred jobs. A new data center in Rapides Parish is driving much of that job growth, but Scott says hundreds of new jobs will be created because of an increase in ICE deportations at England Airpark.
Cut 3 (04) “…their countries.”
The LaSalle Family Foundation plans to build a unit to help families that are self-deporting from the U.S., which will create 240 jobs. The GEO Group which operates the Alexandria Staging Facility is expected to hire another 50 workers.
Scott says many of central Louisiana’s long-standing businesses are also doing well.
Cut 4 (08) “…well there.”
Tomorrow, Scott will travel to Shreveport, to discuss his economic forecast with business leaders. Scott says the Shreveport-Bosier City area is projected to add 48-hundred jobs by the end of 2028, because of three Amazon data centers that will be built in the area. Scott says the data center boom is helping to boost the northern half of the state’s economy.
Cut 5 (07) “…Alexandria area.”
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Red River Revel in Shreveport, and the arts festival is now underway. Executive director Logan Lewis says there are 90 visual artists showing off their works at this year’s festival.
Cut 6 (12) “…we do that.”
Lewis says the Revel is also the perfect place to get your Christmas shopping underway.
Cut 7 (08) “…the shopping season.”
The Revel also includes eight nights of headline music, including Cowboy Mouth, Jeter Jones and Better Than Ezra. Lewis says there’s also plenty of food options.
Cut 8 (11) “…a fan favorite.”
The Red River Revel is being held in downtown Shreveport this Thursday through Sunday, as well as next Thursday through Sunday. It opens at 11 a-m each day and closes at ten p-m Thursday through Saturday and nine p-m Sunday.
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The Louisiana Sugarcane harvest is underway, and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says it’s going well. Heading into the season there was a concern about the pasture mealybug, an invasive species first identified in Louisiana last year. Strain says the small, white pest likes to drink sugar.
Cut 9 (09) “…not the case.”
The LSU Ag Center says the pasture mealybug has been detected in every parish that grows sugar, most severely in West Baton Rouge, Iberia and Vermilion parishes.
Insecticides have helped with control, but the insecticides don’t kill the ones in the soil and reinfestation occurs within a couple of weeks. Researchers in Louisiana and Florida are working on a solution.
This is week four of the sugarcane harvest and Strain says it’s going smoothly. It helps that Louisiana has avoided any major storms.
Cut 10 (08) “…right now.”
According to the American Sugarcane League, all but one of the eleven mills are in operation. Strain says there is a shortage of truck drivers because of the cap the federal government has placed on H-2B visas.
Cut 11 (11) “…are in place.”
Strain is also urging motorists in south Louisiana to drive with care in areas where sugarcane harvest activity is occurring. Last week, two people were killed in St. Martinville when a passenger car collided with two sugarcane tractors.
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The LSU men’s basketball team plays an exhibition game at McNeese tonight at 6:30; but yesterday, coach Will Wade was sharpening his comedy skills at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club. He told the crowd there are two major changes since the last time he coached at LSU.
Cut 12 (13) “…N-I-L, so.”
Wade was fired from LSU in 2022 after being investigated by the NCAA for allegedly paying recruits. He said, to him, N-I-L stands for now it’s legal. A lot has changed since N-I-L was approved. Now, he has to work with realtors.
Cut 13 (12) “…lived in there (laughter).”
Wade recalled a time during his first tenure LSU was investigated after point guard Tremont Waters’ father received an Audi from his agent.
Cut 14 (11) “…better car now.”