The Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction has added three new inductees to its ranks. Teiko Foxx has more.
_______________________________________________
Early voting and mail-in ballots in Caddo Parish are off to the strongest start in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
____________________________________________
Governor Jeff Landry challenges state lawmakers to be bold on the opening day of the legislative session. Colleen Crain has the story…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain”
____________________________________________
Three individuals who have made contributions to advancing agriculture in Louisiana are the newest inductees into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction. One inductee, former North Louisiana Congressman and Physician Dr. Ralph Abraham served the largest agricultural district in the nation.
Cut 4 (11) “…national security.”
The Richland Parish native co-authored the 2018 farm bill and ensured Iraq remained a reliable destination for U-S rice.
Stephen Crawford of Concordia Parish was recognized for his extensive career in protecting agriculture. He aided the LSU AgCenter’s efforts of developing weed control to prevent and disrupt the growth of intrusive weeds.
Crawford has been a key developer of herbicides for cotton, corn, soybeans, and rice.
Dr. Leodrey Williams became the first black inductee in the hall of distinction. Since 2001, Williams has led the Southern University Agricultural and Research Extension. Establishing the newest campus was challenging, but Williams knew it would see great dividends.
Cut 6 (11) “…various locations.”
Since its inception, the Hall of Distinction has inducted 31 individuals.
__________________________________________
Turnout for early voting is high in Caddo Parish and the driving force isn’t the presidential primary, it’s the hotly contested sheriff’s race. Political analyst Scott Hughes says there was a one-vote margin between Democrat Henry Whitehorn and Republican John Nickelson last November and after two appeals, the courts ruled for another run-off election.
And while you’d expect plenty of mudslinging with such a close race, Hughes says so far, it’s been more of a get-out-the-vote effort driving turnout.
Hughes says another noteworthy item in this race is that traditionally Democrats tend to vote early or by mail compared to Republicans who tend to cast their ballot on election day…
Cut 9 (11) “…Republican voters.”
Hughes says the one-vote margin in the November 2023 sheriff’s election was not only historic in Louisiana, but he believes it’s the largest one-vote margin in the country with more than 40,000 votes cast.
________________________________________________________
Governor Jeff Landry opens the 2024 regular legislative session by telling state lawmakers that bold changes need to be made to improve public education. Landry says it’s time to give parents more flexibility to decide where to send their students to school. He pointed out the success of two children in the audience who attend a charter school in Baton Rouge…
Landry also wants legislators to address constitutional reform. He says the state’s current constitution has been amended way too many times. He says the document also limits the legislature’s ability to address significant problems…
Insurance reform will also be key topic as the state legislators will look at ways to improve the property insurance market. New Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says deregulation of the industry is the key and Landry agrees…
_______________________________________________________
Children’s Hospital New Orleans has been designated the only hospital in Louisiana to offer a promising, newly approved gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, a devastating illness that affects every major organ. Pediatric Oncologist, Dr. Zachary Leblanc says this therapy has advantages over others because it uses the patient’s own stem cells…
Cut 13 (11) “…red blood cells.”
Leblanc says after years of clinical trials that began in France; two companies received approval from the FDA in December to provide the gene therapy products Lygenia (lif gen nee uh) and Casgevy (cass jevie). According to the Louisiana Department of Public Health, around 3000 Louisianans are living with Sickle Cell Disease.
The therapy is only available for patients over the age of 12 and involves multiple health care disciplines. Dr. Leblanc says, the procedures require several months, and the patient will be hospitalized at least twice with multiple follow up visits but when it’s over…
Cut 15 (07) “…non-sickle hemoglobin.”
____________________________________________________________________
One of LSU’s most popular athletes will likely compete for the final time on the LSU campus Friday night. Olivia Dunne and the 2nd ranked LSU gymnastics squad host North Carolina for Senior night. Dunne only competed in four meets last year because of injuries, but she says a more focused approach to all of her responsibilities has led to better results
The social media star, who is earning millions through NIL deals, has competed on uneven bars several times year and last week matched a career-high 9.9 score on the floor.
Last summer, Dunne started the Livvy fund, to help other LSU female athletes land NIL deals with some of the top brands. She’s proud of the legacy she’s leaving behind
The 21-year-old is a senior, but does have one more year of eligibility left. Dunne is not ready to speculate on her future plans, she’s more focused on helping LSU win its first national championship in gymnastics. The New Jersey native admits this has been her favorite year at LSU…