There are more layoffs coming to Louisiana’s oil and gas sector. LSU economist Loren Scott says the industry has been devastated by the low gas prices we’ve seen since August of 2014. He says major companies are cutting back their drilling budget dramatically.
Scott says a lot of big companies are planning to stop drilling in the Gulf.
Louisiana’s third “Buckle Up in your Truck” campaign has just begun. Executive Director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, John Leblanc says the goal of the campaign is voluntary compliance. He says wearing a seat belt is especially important in a pickup because those vehicles are taller than others.
The campaign runs through April 28.
A report by the National Center for Health Statistics finds the suicide rate in the US has increased dramatically since 1999. The report finds the suicide rate of women increased to 45-percent and males increased by 16-percent. LSU Health New Orleans Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Michelle Moore says the gap is narrowing between the genders.
In the past week, two male students at Mandeville High School killed themselves within 48 hours of each other.
Law enforcement is getting help in learning how to handle cases of animal cruelty from the Humane Society. Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, Jeff Dorson, says they are teaching law enforcement officers about advances in technology, such as new developments in forensic pathology that can help determine what happened to animals that are brought in after abuse.