A new school year has arrived. The head of the state department of education talked about a couple of new priorities this year. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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With the new school year about to begin, Andrew Greenstein has some tips for kids to get to and from school safely.
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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A new school year gets underway this week and an emphasis this year for the Louisiana Department of Education is to expand work-based learning opportunities for high school students. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says that means more high school students will participate in internships…
Cut 3 (11) “…this year.”
According to Leaders for a Better Louisiana, just over two-thousand of about 42-thousand high school students graduated with an internship credit, or about five-percent of the graduating class.
Brumley says another emphasis this year is more structured physical education classes…
Cut 4 (10) “…thoughtful than that.’”
Brumley says structured P-E classes will complement mandatory recess time for students between kindergarten and fifth grade.
Cut 5 (11) “…too long.”
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With school starting up again, now is the time to start to pay extra close attention on the roadways. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says you can start by giving yourself a little extra time to get to and from work.
Cut 6 (12) “…at those times.”
Fischer says kids who walk to and from school should be focused solely on that single task and doing everything they can to stay safe.
Cut 7 (11) “…way as possible.”
Fischer says if it’s absolutely necessary for kids to cross the street, they should only do so at crosswalks and nowhere else.
Cut 8 (10) “…on their phones.”
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A 1.4-million-dollar grant from NASA will support a three-year research collaboration between LSU, Southern and Louisiana Tech. Dr. Andrew Peters, a professor of chemical engineering at Louisiana Tech, says the money will be used to research ways to construct and fix large space structures without relying on bolts, screws or glue.
Cut 9 (09) “…kind of stuff.”
While LSU will get the bulk of that money, Louisiana Tech will receive more than 360-thousand dollars. Dr. Peters says the research team will be focused on developing a new generation of materials called vitrimers.
Cut 10 (10) “…techniques they need.”
Peters says Louisiana is the perfect place to do this research, with the plastics industry being very robust in this state.
Cut 11 (07) “…and manufacturing capabilities.”
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Starting in January, SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use their food stamp benefits to purchase soda, energy drinks and candy. Governor Jeff Landry asked the federal government to prohibit these foods from being purchased by SNAP benefits because they contribute to poor health outcomes…
Cut 12 (06) “…chronic diseases.”
Landry talked about the upcoming changes to the SNAP program on his “Diner Days” podcast he recorded at a restaurant in Broussard.
The governor was joined by Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein (Green-steen) who says the state’s SNAP program costs the federal government one-point-nine billion dollars and SNAP recipients use their benefits to purchase about 350-million dollars in soda every year…
Cut 13 (11) “…dairy products.”
SNAP recipients can still purchase soda candy, but they’ll have to use their own money.
Greenstein says the waiver also allows the 800-thousand SNAP recipients in the state to use their benefits to buy a hot rotisserie chicken…
Cut 14 (11) “…and pop.”