Lawmakers questioned health officials about adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine that have been reported in Louisiana, Brooke Thorington has more.
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History is being made on two fronts as the UL System Board of Supervisors hires Northwestern State University’s new president. More from Dave Brannen.
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Lawmakers questioned health officials about adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine that have been reported to the state during a Health and Wellness committee meeting Monday. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says so far 122 events have been reported in Louisiana via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Systems also known as VAERS.
More than 4.5 million total doses of the COVID vaccine have been administered in Louisiana.
Sokol says to date, the state has not reported any deaths from the COVID vaccine, and of the adverse effects, they are typically an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine that requires hospitalization, a reaction she says that almost happens immediately and they’ve had one such event.
She says they also look at cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, that’s been associated with the vaccine.
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Guillain-Barre (Ghee-YAN Bah-RAY) an autoimmune disorder that can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis has also been associated with the vaccine. Representative Kenny Cox of Natchitoches asked State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter about the number of events reported because his physician wants to see if there’s a possibility it’s impacted his own health.
Sokol says of the cases nationally that have been noted, the onset of symptoms from Guillain-Barre is typically within two weeks of vaccination.
VAERS was established in 1990 and anyone can report reactions, not just a healthcare provider, to the system.
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History is in the books at Northwestern State University with the naming of Marcus Jones as the 20th president of the school. UL System President and CEO Jim Henderson says Jones has risen through the ranks and will be Northwestern’s first African-American leader.
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Prior to Monday’s decision by the UL System Board of Supervisors, Jones had most recently served as Northwestern’s interim president since July.
Henderson says Jones’ race is but one of the assets he brings to the leadership position at Northwestern University.
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Henderson says the fact that Marcus Jones is Northwestern’s 20th president is not the only attribute that rings strong in his appointment to the post.
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Jones is a native of Winnfield and the 18th of 20 children.
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At last word, the search continued for a woman wanted for shooting her mother several times late Friday afternoon at a Lofton Street address in the Opelousas area. St. Landry Parish Deputy Chief Eddie Thibodeaux says Ashley Sims got into an argument with her mother.
Sims fled the scene in a Mercedes SUV. The victim, Vera Sims, remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Deputy Chief Thibodeaux offered this description of the suspect.
As for the latest condition on Ashley Sims’ mother, Vera Sims, Deputy Chief Thibodeaux had few details.
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A Grand Jury indicts a St. Mary Parish man with 1st-Degree Murder, for burning his girlfriend and young nephew to death last summer. 49-year-old Derwin Hamilton faces life in prison if convicted. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says it happened in July when firefighters were called to a mobile home fire in the town of Centerville. When they arrived, they got a horrible shock…:
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Hamilton is also the great uncle of the 5-year-old boy who perished. The woman, though horribly burned, was able to tell first responders that she and Hamilton were arguing, when he suddenly took lethal action…:
After being doused with a flammable liquid and set aflame, the woman died in the hospital a few days later. Hamilton was charged initially with two counts of 2nd-Degree Murder, but prosecutors asked the Grand Jury to indict on the higher charge. Rodrigue says that indictment was handed down Friday…:
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The victims’ names are being withheld for now. No trial date has been set for Hamilton at this time.
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A quarterback competition has returned at LSU. Max Johnson will start at Q-B for the Tigers against Arkansas on Saturday night, but Coach Ed Orgeron says true freshman Garrett Nussmeier will also get snaps early on in the game…
Orgeron says Johnson and Nussmeier will split snaps 50-50 during practice this week…
Most LSU fans were surprised to see LSU nearly beat Alabama as the Tigers played with great effort even though the team is playing for a lame-duck coach. Orgeron says he doesn’t see any quit in this team…
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Saints Coach Sean Payton says quarterback Trevor Siemian graded out well after watching the tape from Sunday’s loss to Atlanta. Siemian threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns and Payton says the number could have been better if not for the dropped passes…
When asked if Siemian will be the start for this Sunday’s game at Tennessee, Payton said we’ll see. The Saints committed ten penalties in the loss to Atlanta, and seven of the infractions were for 55 yards. Payton says it was frustrating to watch the tape on Monday…