With Louisiana only being able to muster a C-minus in the infrastructure report card, the big question is, how does the state improve that grade? Andrew Greenstein reports.
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The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a new leader. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is the first former LSU pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, winning it for the National League. Skenes led Major League Baseball with a 1.97 ERA and had 216 strikeouts. Skenes, who was recruited as a catcher coming out of high school, told MLB Network he never thought he would become a dominant pitcher in the big leagues…
Skenes is in his second season in the Major Leagues. Last year, he was a Cy Young Award finalist and was named National League Rookie of the Year. Despite Skenes’ domination on the mound, the Pirates finished in last place in the National League Central. But Skenes says him winning the Cy Young was a team effort….
At LSU, Skenes helped the Tigers win a national championship in 2023 and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. LSU Coach Jay Johnson is thrilled to see Skenes having success in the Majors.
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On the heels of Louisiana getting a C-minus in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ infrastructure report card, experts are giving their recommendations on how to boost that grade. And the consensus is to boost funding. Former DOTD Secretary Eric Kalivoda says money spent to improve roads will save drivers money in repairs.
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Kalivoda says furthermore, investing in road infrastructure will help lower Louisiana’s sky-high auto insurance premiums.
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Louisiana struggled in all ten infrastructure metrics, ranging from C-plus grades in aviation and solid waste to D grades in roads and drinking water. The national overall grade, which measures 18 metrics, is a C. Former ASCE President Norma Jean Mattei (muh-TAY) says on a national level, the amount of infrastructure funding needed is staggering.
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The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a new interim president. Jamie Hebert is stepping down, and the U-L System Board has appointed Ramesh Kolluru as the new interim president while a search for a permanent president takes place. This year, the school has eliminated more than 70 positions and made other cuts because of a 25-million-dollar budget deficit. But Kolluru says this financial crisis will not prevent the school from growing.
Kolluru says he’ll release a plan after Thanksgiving on how the university can grow revenue. He says student success will be the mission of the university.
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Kolluru is the school’s current vice president for research, innovation and economic development. He had this message for the faculty at today’s U-L System Board meeting…
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There is speculation Kolluru will be named the permanent president in the near future. Also, president emeritus Joe Savoie announced he will retire December 31st. And Dr. Jamie Hebert is returning to his post as provost.