Governor-elect Jeff Landry’s pick as the next Secretary for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has no ties to Louisiana. Jeff Palermo on why Landry may have selected 26-year-old Madison Sheahan from Ohio…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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Livingston Parish has been awarded $45 million to build a disaster response rescue center. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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With Christmas dinner right around the corner, State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain reminds Louisianans to safely handle their turkey this holiday season. He says it takes about 24 hours for every four to five pounds to defrost a turkey.
Strain urges Louisianans to never thaw the turkey in the sink or on the kitchen counter. He says the safest way is to thaw it in the fridge.
Cut 4 (13) “…the refrigerator.”
If you don’t have much time, you can place the turkey in a clean sink and cover it with cold water, according to the CDC. You can even safely defrost it in the microwave.
Strain says folks shouldn’t bypass having Louisiana homegrown produce on their Christmas dinner table. In the Strain household, Louisiana-certified food and products are always a part of the holiday feast.
Cut 5 (12) “ …Louisiana first.”
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Governor-elect Jeff Landry has appointed Madison Sheahan as the new Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The 26-year-old old from Ohio and has spent the last three years working with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. La-politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Landry may have felt the need to bring an outsider because former LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet has been implicated in a bribery scandal
Cut 6 (09) “…who can you trust”
Montoucet resigned abruptly last April. A former contract worker in the Lafayette Parish District Attorney’s Office has pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme involving LDWF that allowed people facing felony and misdemeanor charges to pay money to avoid a pre-trial diversion program. Montoucet has not been indicted.
Alford says Landry is confident Sheahan will reshape and rebrand the department…
Some will question what a person living in South Dakota for the last three years knows about hunting and fishing issues in Louisiana. Alford says Sheahan’s role will be to reform the department and provide leadership, while her staff and the Louisiana Wildlife Commission can focus on regulations…
Cut 8 (12) “…this is one of those jobs”
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Livingston Parish has received $45 million in state dollars to build a disaster response rescue center. Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard says after the 2016 floods and other natural disasters they know how important it is to not only have a place to house those who are displaced…
The 100,000-square-foot Livingston Parish Emergency Response and Evacuation Center will be able to seat 5,000 people and will be located south of Livingston on LA 63 south of I-12.
Ard says he got the idea for a shelter when Hurricane Gustav struck. At the time they were able to use a newly constructed detention center that had 700 beds and no inmates yet. That’s where first responders stayed.
And it’s not only going to benefit Livingston Parish, but surrounding parishes also. Ard says the site will have space for rescue and utility vehicles and will be ideal to house linemen and National Guardsmen.
Construction is expected to be completed in late summer, or early fall of 2025.
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The LSU Lady Tigers could host a game against Southern in Tiger Stadium as soon as next year. Head Coach Kim Mulkey says she’s not sure how possible it would be but likes the idea of hosting a game that could have over 100,000 fans…
Cut 12 (14) “…court down there.”
Iowa set a women’s basketball attendance record earlier this year as over 55,000 fans packed their football stadium for an exhibition game against DePaul. Nebraska volleyball set the record for most fans at any women’s sporting event with over 92,000 at their Memorial Stadium in August. While Mulkey says the idea hasn’t been shared with Southern, a historic game against their cross-town rival could be in the works…
Cut 13 (11) “…had a conversation.”
Proceeds from the game could go to assist Southern’s women’s basketball program and their NIL fund.
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Louisiana will be impacted by a Christmas weekend storm system that could produce heavy rainfall on Sunday….Christmas eve. LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says rain is expected to develop tomorrow afternoon and evening….
Cut 14 (14) “…on Sunday night”
Jacquemin says rain during a holiday weekend is never fun, but the rainfall is much needed…
There’s the potential for one to three of inches of rain will fall this weekend.