Smoke from wildfires is impacting air quality in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Louisiana sugarcane producers set a record by producing more than two million tons of raw sugar last year but this year’s number will be less due to the dry weather. Teiko Foxx has more…
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In addition to the destruction the wildfires are doing, they also present a health hazard. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says where the fires are and the smoke is, are not always the one in the same.
For comparison, Kanter says smoke from Canadian wildfires decreased air quality in areas as far away as the northeastern U.S. Smoke trails can be carried a great distance and most of Louisiana is experiencing a decrease in air quality as a result of the wildfires. Kanter says it’s a good idea to pay attention to local air quality reports.
Kanter advises residents to minimize their time outdoors especially if they have a respiratory illness, such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, or even heart disease.
With the statewide burn ban still in effect, Kanter implores residents not to burn anything outdoors and that includes lighting up the grill for Labor Day weekend.
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Last year the state set a record, producing more than two million tons of raw sugar last year but growers will not beat that number this year. Sugarcane Specialist Kenneth Gravois says the heat from June through August will result in a smaller harvest
Most cane farmers put their plant cane in the ground during late July and early August. Harvest generally begins in September. Gravois says farmers on the western side of the cane belt are severely impacted.
While many farmers will have to wait for more rain for soil moisture to go up, Gravois says some cane farmers are seeing pretty good yields.
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The Saints will have a new field goal kicker this year. New Orleans has reportedly traded Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos for a 2024 7th-round pick. The Black and Gold have decided to go with undrafted free agent kicker Blake Grupe instead. Host of the Locked on Saints podcast Ross Jackson says the trade should not come as a surprise.
Lutz has been with the team since 2016, but Grupe was brought in as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. Lutz was expected to be the kicker going into the offseason, but Grupe’s success was hard to pass up.
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Cornerback Bradley Roby was waived by the Saints today, and is expected to be replaced by second year corner Alontae Taylor at the slot corner position. Taylor and Paulson Adebo have been competing for the second press corner position, but now both will be on the field for the Saints, and it cost Roby his spot on the roster.
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Governor John Bel Edwards is in southwest Louisiana to get an update on the fight against multiple wildfires. During a press conference in DeRidder, Edwards says the wildfires have destroyed about 60-thousand acres and the recent rainfall the state has seen was not enough to end the drought…
A front moving through the state has sparked some scattered thunderstorms and showers, but Edwards says behind the front is drier air, higher winds and sunny conditions…
Edwards says hundreds of people are involved in this fight against the wildfires and that includes help from the federal government