The UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns will make their first appearance in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on December 23rd. Marsanne Golsby reports Shreveport is rolling out the red carpet.
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In three days, Monroe police responded to four overdose deaths. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office releases details from a survey about the level of satisfaction workers felt within the Department of Children and Family Services. Whitney Thomas Reports
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Shreveport will host the Independence Bowl for the 46th time this year and two teams that have never been there will play. The UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns will face the Houston Cougars at 2 pm Friday, December 23rd. Missy Setters is the Executive Director of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
This will be the tenth time the two schools will face off against each other. The Cajuns won the last matchup in 2006. The Cougars lead the series six to three.Setters says the game and the festivities surrounding it should be a nice getaway for fans of both schools.
Tickets are on sale now and are $30 for the end zone bench, $45 for sideline bench, and $65 for sideline chair back seats. Setters encourages fans to arrive in time for festivities the night before.
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Monroe Police responded to four overdose deaths over the weekend in the span of just 72 hours. Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan, who’s also a former DEA agent, says the first of the four overdoses happened on Thursday.
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Zordan wants to warn the public of what he believes is a particularly deadly strain of fentanyl. He says an arrest has been made in connection with one of the overdose deaths and they were able to…
Zordan says they believe two of the overdose deaths are linked and the cases remain under investigation. Because there were four deaths in such a short period, authorities want to alert the public. Zordan says they are also asking the public to contact them or Crimestoppers if they have any information about overdoses.
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Zordan says as much as 67 percent of the drugs they process are shown to contain fentanyl. He says one milligram of fentanyl can kill a person and which is equivalent to 11 grains of table salt
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The Louisiana Legislative Auditor released details from a job satisfaction survey of child welfare workers within the Department of Children and Family Services. The survey revealed that workers had issues with pay, caseloads, and unrealistic expectations. Emily Dixon with Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office says workers felt a lack of respect and were unsupported by supervisors and managers.
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Most issues respondents reported began over the previous governor and were carried from 2014. The survey revealed 89% of workers are passionate about their work, and only 54% are actually satisfied with their job. Dixon says workers are forced to do more with fewer resources.
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DCFS has already started working on initiatives to address job satisfaction, job performance, and leadership. Dixon says so far they are working on increasing pay and filling job vacancies.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says flu cases are rising fast nationwide. How is the flu season in Louisiana shaping up? State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says the flu came earlier than normal this year and cases in Louisiana are on the rise…:
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Kanter says the best way to avoid getting sick is to get your flu shot as soon as possible. He says Louisiana medical providers are not yet overwhelmed by the flu, but the caseloads are rising fast…:
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The CDC says nearly 9 million have gotten seriously sick with the flu so far this season and about 78-thousand had to be hospitalized. Dr. Kanter says the best way to lower your chances of flu-related downtime is to get the annual flu shot right away…:
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Flu shots are available most everywhere. If you cannot afford one, visit your parish health unit and ask about a free flu shot. Locations are online at “ldh.la.gov”