For the third Valentine’s Day in a row, the Louisiana Family Forum is recognizing a New Orleans husband and wife as the state’s longest known married couple. Sean Richardson has more.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
___________________________________________________
A local advocacy group is speaking out against the Department of Health’s new approach to vaccines. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
___________________________________________________
The Louisiana Family Forum has named Mr. Ira Milan and Mrs. Margery Milan of New Orleans as Louisiana’s Longest Married Couple for the third straight year, celebrating 83 years of marriage. LFF President Gene Mills says it’s tough staying at the top of the leaderboard.
Cut 3 (14) “…on a daily basis.”
Mills says they will be inducted into LFF’s 2025 Marriage Hall of Fame alongside nine other honored couples.
Cut 4 (11) “…very competitive division.”
Mills praised the couple’s dedication, emphasizing that lifelong marriage remains a source of joy, health, and community strength.
Cut 5 (10) “…and a successful marriage.”
You can see the full list of couples at la-family-forum-dot-org
______________________________________________________________
We could be in for some severe weather Saturday. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says most of the state will be at an enhanced risk for severe weather.
We had a round of severe weather earlier in the week. Grymes says what Mother Nature has in store for Saturday could top that.
Cut 7 (13) “…fuel the storms.”
Grymes says the northern half of the state could see thunderstorms, damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes. He says the southern half of the state could also see some severe weather.
______________________________________________________________
An advocacy group is speaking out against the Louisiana Department of Health over its ending of mass vaccination clinics and its directive that staffers not promote seasonal vaccines. Dr. Jennifer Herricks with the group Louisiana Families for Vaccines, says the department is taking a dangerous approach.
Cut 9 (12) “…misrepresent basic facts.”
In a letter posted onto the department’s website, Surgeon General Ralph Abraham and Deputy Surgeon General Wyche Coleman took aim at the rollout of COVID vaccines, saying that they were mandated despite having no third-party benefit in terms of reduced transmission. Dr. Herricks says Abraham and Coleman are misleading people with that claim.
Cut 10 (10) “…risk of transmission.”
Herricks also takes exception to Abraham’s and Coleman’s assertion that vaccines may benefit some and cause harm to others.
Cut 11 (11) “…long-term harm.”
___________________________________________________________
Natchitoches Parish is reeling over Thursday’s announcement that International Paper is closing its Red River containerboard mill in Campti. 300 permanent jobs will go away when the facility ceases operations in April. Economic developer Jon Maynard, who is a Natchitoches native, says closure of the mill will increase unemployment and reduce local spending…
Cut 12 (13) “…people themselves.”
Maynard says Natchitoches Parish’s economy was already suffering an economic decline that began 20 years ago…
Cut 13 (11) “…high poverty levels.”
Maynard says adding to Natchitoches Parish’s economic troubles is the 16-percent decline in employment since 2019 at Northwestern State and a declining Natchitoches-based student population. He says for Natchitoches to reverse it’s downward trend, it needs to fully embrace itself as a college town and attract more students back to campus…
Maynard says more Northwestern State students living in Natchitoches would increase consumer spending, lead to greater housing demand and job creation.