The National Science Foundation awarded LSU and other universities across the state with a $160 million grant to support the state’s energy transition over the next 10 years. Teiko Foxx explains….
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Louisiana becomes the 45th state to sanction Girls High School Wrestling. At their annual meeting last week, The Louisiana High School Athletics Association said yes to adding a High School Girls Wrestling Division. Colleen Crain has the story…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”
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The number of flu-like illnesses remains elevated despite a slight decrease from the reporting period before and COVID cases are still circulating in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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LSU and other Louisiana universities have been awarded a $160 million grant – the largest ever awarded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to support energy transition, decarbonization, and create jobs. Vice President of Research and Economic Development Robert Twilley says the grant positions the state to be the leader in expanding the energy industry.
Louisiana has more than 250,000 people working in the energy, chemical, and petrochemical industries. The state’s geographic location and its existing infrastructure of plants, refineries, and 50 thousand miles of pipelines place the Bayou State at the epicenter of energy transition.
Twilley says the NSF grant is an opportunity to educate and retain skilled workers and expand the state’s future energy economy.
Louisiana Economic Development will also contribute $67 million toward the project over the next decade.
Twilley says they will work to solve emerging challenges in areas like carbon capture, transport and storage, and other areas. He says the grant lays the foundation for other successful research endeavors to keep the state as the energy leader of the world.
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The Louisiana High School Athletics Association says yes to Girls Wrestling Championships at their annual convention. LHSAA Assistant Director, Adam McDowell says girls wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports and for years they worked to get 80 schools to participate, the number required to add a new sport. Turns out…
Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Brusly High School authored the proposal to add the division.
Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, Louisiana becomes the 45th state to have girls’ wrestling championships. 157 girls from 40 schools were already wrestling on the boys’ teams and McDowell says adding the girl’s division was overwhelmingly approved.
Next year there will be four state championship divisions, one girls’ division with 12 weight classes, and three boys’ divisions. The Coach’s Association hosted a High School Wrestling Championship for Girls on Saturday at Baton Rouge Magnet High and McDowell was there…
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The Joint Transportation Committee meets today to consider a revised new deal by the state and Calcasieu Bridge Partners to reduce toll cost by 25 percent. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says it’s time to bite the bullet and build a new bridge even if it has tolls.
If a deal was not approved, the state would lose nearly $150 million in federal funding for the project.
Pinsonat says legislators did not approve the deal last year that leaned on heavy tolls. He says some lawmakers believed it would be risky if fewer vehicles crossed the bridge to avoid the toll but this time…
Commercial trucks would pay $8.25, instead of the original proposal’s $12.50. Residents in the five-parish area would pay 25 cents.
Pinsonat says the state is putting up $800 million in an effort to try to minimize the cost of the tolls. He believes residents are ready for solutions that works.
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The number of flu-like illnesses remains high in the state, even though the Louisiana Department of Health says they are starting to see the number of cases decrease over the last four weeks. Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Fred Lopez says the strain of flu they are seeing in patients is included in the current flu shot.
LDH reports hospitalizations for flu remain elevated with 139 new admissions for the week of January 14th through the 20th. The positivity rate for flu is at 12 percent, which is a decrease from the previous reporting week of 16 percent. Lopez encourages eligible Louisianans to get their flu shot, even if they’ve already had the flu this season.
Lopez says even if you’ve had a flu vaccine, you can still catch influenza but know that the shot is designed to decrease the severity of the illness.
In addition to the flu and flu-like illnesses, Lopez says COVID cases seem to have peaked for the time being.
Lopez encourages individuals to get their COVID booster shots and he anticipates there will be an increase of respiratory illnesses as a result of Mardi Gras and the colder weather forcing people to stay indoors.
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After winning 41 games and reaching an NCAA Baseball regional last year, the Ragin Cajuns are preparing for another season that hopefully ends up with a postseason berth. Coach Matt Deggs on what he sees from his team as full squad workouts are underway…
Cut 16 (19) “…extremely athletic.”
Deggs says the pitching staff is the strength of this team as they have a half dozen candidates to start on the weekend. He says they will not play for the big inning early on as the offense could be a work in progress…
Cut 17 (14) “…behind that pitching.”
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LSU third baseman Tommy White says he’s healthy after offseason shoulder surgery that resulted in him not swinging a bat for six months. White says his shoulder bothered him all last year…
Last year’s starting left fielder Josh Pearson is trying to make the move to second base. Pearson says he got advice from last year’s starting second baseman Gavin Dugas…
Cut 19 (13) “…balls hit to me.”
South Carolina transfer Michael Braswell is in line to be LSU’s new starting shortstop. Braswell hit just three home runs in two seasons with the Gamecocks. He says he’s worked hard to lift the ball more and drive the ball into the gap…
Cut 20 (16) “…process though.”