Louisiana is one of seven states under a federally declared fishing disaster, which makes state anglers and businesses eligible to request assistance from a 165 million dollar congressionally approved fund. Congress approved NOAA for the management of the funds. LDWF Biologist Administrator Jason Froeba (Fray-bah) says they will work with the agency to aid struggling anglers.
Twenty-five years after a newborn baby was found dead in Jeanerette, Iberia Parish Sheriff Deputies have arrested the mother 50-year-old Sonia Charles. Major Wendell Raborn says Detective Scott Hotard who originally worked on the case in 1994, reopened the homicide investigation after new leads developed with DNA.
Census Bureau numbers show Louisiana’s poverty rate dropped from 19.7 percent in 2017 to 18.6 percent last year. The child poverty rate in the state declined nearly two points from 28 percent to 26.2 percent, and Louisiana Budget Project Executive Director Jan (Yan) Moller says the poverty rate for African American children saw a four-point decline.
That decline has resulted in about 22,000 fewer African American children in poverty.
The US drought monitor currently lists five percent of the state in severe drought and 13-percent in moderate drought. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there is very little rain in the forecast for the next week.