Sean Richardson tells us about Frederick Burgess’s after-school programs which offer a range of activities from educational support to physical education to keep young people away from crime and violence.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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Due to the state’s infestation of Ips (I.P.S) beetles the House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee is meeting at the capitol today. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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A group of teenagers from Terrebonne Parish have been arrested, accused of targeting homeless people in the French Quarter. Colleen Crain has the details.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”
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Louisiana Tech University has announced the launch of a new doctoral program in engineering, which will begin accepting students in the upcoming academic year. This interdisciplinary Ph.D. program is designed to prepare graduates for careers in both academia and industry, emphasizing strong research capabilities across various engineering disciplines. DETM Program Coordinator Beth Hegab says it was time to expand.
Cut 4 (12) “…starting in 2010.”
The program offers flexible scheduling including online classes for working professionals and Hagab says the program is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree to apply.
Cut 5 (09) “…doctorial program.”
This new initiative aligns with Louisiana Tech’s commitment to fostering innovation and leadership in engineering, providing students with the skills needed to tackle real-world problems through research and collaboration with industry partners.
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Stop the Violence in Alexandria CEO Frederick Burgess has been actively creating safe spaces for young people as part of his mission to combat crime and gun violence. Now he is asking for help to keep the program alive.
Burgess started getting sponsors to help with the added cost and a major one was Hixon Ford Dealership where Burgess works, and 3-4 kids received jobs at the dealership.
Currently, the after-school sports program is not active. The Charles Hayward Activity Center where basketball was hosted is requesting more funds for Burgess to continue to host the program at their facility.
Cut 8 (05) “…off the streets.”
By focusing on these safe spaces, Burgess aims to build resilience and empowerment among the youth, helping them to navigate their challenges and avoid the pitfalls of violence and crime.
Stop the Violence in Alexandria hosts around 400 students a month in the after-school program and has helped over a thousand youths in the city with life skills and education.
To donate visit StopTheViolence.us
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Opponents of Louisiana Ten Commandments law are asking a federal judge to block the legislation before a new school year starts. Associate VP with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Alex Luchenitser (looch-ah-nitz-er) says until the case is decided they want to keep them from going up.
Cut 10 (06) “…the litigation.”
Even though the law says schools must comply by January 1st teachers could choose to display them before that date and Luchenister wants to keep students from being subjected to the religious display. He says they’ve asked for an expedited ruling on the preliminary injunction the week of July 29th.
Cut 11 (12) “…right of parents.”
More than four decades ago the US Supreme Court overturned a similar law in Kentucky. Luchenister says that the case set a precedent and he’s confident the Louisiana law will be overturned also.
Governor Jeff Landry says if you want to respect the rule of law you have to start from the original law which was Moses.
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The House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee is meeting in Baton Rouge today. The drought last summer made pine trees extremely susceptible to beetle infestations. Pineville Representative Mike Johnson says they are holding the hearing to discuss ways to combat the issue because pesticides won’t work.
Johnson says the Ips (I.P.S) beetles move from treetop to treetop and within a short amount of time can and have killed many pine trees.
During the session, Johnson sponsored legislation to create the subcommittee because the timber industry is one of the largest in the state.
Johnson says infested trees present multiple dangers, like falling on powerlines and roadways which create infrastructure issues. In April a 60-year-old Pineville woman was killed when a tree fell on her home.
The subcommittee will hear from several entities including agriculture on how to stop the spread, the Public Service Commission on how our utilities are negatively impacted along with the Insurance Commissioner. Johnson says insurance does not cover the removal of dead trees.
Johnson says the cost of removing dead trees from one’s yard can be thousands of dollars.
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Cut 16 (14) “…I’m really honored.”
Cut 17 (12) “…everyone involved.”
Cut 18 (11) “…and as the host.”
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