LSU President William Tate will get a taste of Louisiana during his inaugural “Scholarship First” bus tour; kicking off today. Teiko Foxx reports…:
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There’s another FDA-approved migraine medication about to be on the market and it’s a nasal spray. Brooke Thorington has more….:
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The final piece of funding that fully funds the construction of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project. Kevin Gallagher has the story…:
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LSU President William Tate will get a taste of Louisiana on his inaugural Scholarship First bus tour that kicks off today. The tour, powered by RoyOMartin, the first stop will be at LSU’s original campus in Pineville. Tate says this is a listening tour and an awareness campaign all rolled into one.
The goal of the tour is to learn more about some of the state’s key industries to ensure alignment with LSU’s priorities. Tate says the agenda prioritizes agriculture, biomedical, energy, defenses, and coastal resilience.
The 1,000-mile road trip will travel across Louisiana – making stops in Monroe, Alexandria, Jeanerette, Natchitoches, Crowley, Chopin, New Orleans, and Lake Charles. Tate says information gathered during the tour will help to put the finishing touches on its master plan.
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The tour ends in Convent on March 16.
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March is Sleep Awareness month and we’re even more aware of our lacking slumber thanks to the time change. United Healthcare Louisiana chief medical officer Dr, Kevin Stephens says sleep is a learned behavior and just like we are trained as children to sleep certain hours we need to re-train as adults sometimes.
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Stephens admits it’s difficult to cut everything off, like our TVs, phones, and tablets. He says these distractions often make time fly by and you realize it’s way past your bedtime. Stephens recommends turning off those distractions and preparing for bedtime. He suggests reading a book, turning off the lights, and even meditation, and…
Lack of sleep he says can contribute to weight gain, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Stephens says we should strive for seven to eight hours a night. And there are sleeping disorders, for example, insomnia, that Stephens says could be caused by an underlying health condition.
Other sleep disorders like narcolepsy, and sleep apnea should be monitored by a physician at a sleep lab.
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The FDA has approved a nasal spray for the treatment of migraines. Ochsner Health Neurologist Dr. Jose Posas (poe-sauce) says this is welcome news because there are more options than ever to give migraine sufferers relief.
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The nasal spray is called Zavegepant (zav-gee-pant) and in trials, 24 percent of patients reported they are pain-free in two hours and 40 percent were free of sensitivities, to things like light, sound and even nausea. Posas says the nasal spray is also ideal for heart patients who had to avoid other migraine meds that often tighten blood vessels.
In addition to cardiac patients who can benefit from the nasal spray, Posas says patients who use preventative oral medications or even Botox to decrease the frequency of their migraine attacks.
He says Zavegepant should begin rolling out to pharmacies in the near future.
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The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority says the final funding piece is in place for the construction of the Mid-Barataria Sediment, a massive coastal restoration project expected to create over 20 square miles of wetlands in the Barataria Basin over the next 50 years. C-P-R-A Director Bren Haase says the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is investing 660 million dollars in the project…
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The overall cost of the project is over two-billion dollars. Haase says construction is expected to begin this summer to reconnect the Mississippi River to Louisiana’s Barataria Basin estuary…
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, the St. Bernard and Plaquemine Parish councils, oystermen, and fishermen oppose the coastal restoration plan. They say it threatens fishing, dolphins, and their economies and culture. But Haase says the diversion will be a positive for the estuary…
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New Saints starting quarterback Derek Carr says he chose New Orleans of the interest the team showed him as he searched for a new team after nine seasons with the Raiders. Carr says he was also overwhelmed with the southern hospitality this his family has received
Carr says he spoke with former Saints quarterback Drew Brees and the Manning family as he was considering his options. The 31-year-old also says he has a chip on his shoulder after the Raiders decided to go in a different direction…
Carr believes the Saints’ offense can be explosive and he’s already connected with wide receiver Michael Thomas…
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The LSU Lady Tigers are a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament and they’ll host Hawaii on Friday in Baton Rouge. If LSU wins, they’ll play the winner of the Michigan and UNLV matchup on Sunday at the Maravich Center. Last season, LSU lost at home in the second round and Coach Kim Mulkey hopes they can go a little farther this year…
In the first two years of the Mulkey era, LSU received a high enough seed in the NCAA Tournament to host the first two rounds. Some fans are disappointed with the three-seed, but Mulkey reminds everyone this program has come a long way in a short time…