A deputy U.S. marshal was killed in a shooting in Alexandria this week. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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More people than ever are working in Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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SWAC Media Day kicks off in Birmingham, Alabama, today. Kace Kieschnick has more.
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If you live in Avoyelles, St. Landry, St. Tammany or Terrebonne parishes and your property sustained damage from Tropical Storm Arthur, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance. Nate Custer with FEMA says while the deadline to apply for assistance isn’t until late next month, you shouldn’t procrastinate.
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Custer says once you register, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment.
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Ten days after that, you’ll get a letter either via email or snail mail explaining the decision and, if approved, the amount of the assistance. Custer says have your bank account information handy, because the assistance is paid in the form of direct deposit.
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There should be plenty of money to go around – the four parishes have been approved for eight-million dollars in FEMA assistance. To register, either download the FEMA app, go to disaster assistance-dot-gov or call 800-621-3362.
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Teachers in Richland Parish say the Meta data center is already providing benefits and will continue to do so once it’s fully built out. Sarah Morris, who teaches third and fourth grade at Holly Ridge Elementary School, says the technology associated with it is boosting student achievement.
Morris says the data center is allowing students to learn valuable skills that many adults couldn’t even think of grasping.
Morris says having the Meta data center will help set up Richland Parish students for successful careers.
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The number of non-farm jobs in Louisiana has topped 2.01 million for the first time in state history. That’s according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Adam Knapp, the CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, says it’s a major milestone, driven largely by growth in the construction industry.
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Knapp says Monroe posted the fastest job growth of any metro area, fueled by construction of Meta’s 50-billion-dollar data center in Richland Parish. He says six of the state’s ten metro areas added jobs, while Houma and Shreveport are among the four that lost jobs.
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While the construction boom has boosted employment, Knapp says he’s concerned Louisiana ranks among the lowest in the South for new business applications since 2019.
Knapp says the construction jobs are temporary. He says if new firms do not form behind the megaprojects, the boom risks leaving little residue.
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A new law going into effect August 1st sets a minimum length limit of 12 inches and a daily creel limit of five for black bass and a minimum length of eight inches and a 25-fish daily limit for crappie in portions of the Atchafalaya Basin. Ryan Montegue with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the law hopes to improve fishing in the area.
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The law affects portions of the Atchafalaya Basin and nearby waterways in south-central Louisiana. Montegue says waterways outside of the designated area will abide by the previous regulations.
Montegue says the law will allow LDWF officials to Montier the fishing quality in the area closely.
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For a map of the effected area visit the LDWF website.
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The Sun Belt conference kicks of media days in New Orleans today. UL Lafayette was picked to finish second in the West division in the preseason coaches’ poll. Fifth-yar head coach Michael Desormeaux returns starting quarterback Lunch Winfield, who Locked on Sun Belt podcast host Dave Schultz says will be key to the Cajuns’ success.
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Louisiana Tech finished fourth in the poll in its first season in the Sun Belt. The Bulldogs have another fifth-year head coach in Sonny Cumbie, who brings back two starting quarterbacks from last season in Blake Baker and Trey Kukuk. Tech finished last year 8-and-5 with an Independence Bowl win over Coastal Carolina, and Schultz expects them to compete right away.
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ULM came last in the poll, where they finished after going 1-and-7 in conference play last season. Third-year head coach Bryant Vincent brings back starting quarterback Aidan Armenta and three of his top four targets; but after two seasons of disappointment in Monroe, Schultz says it’s make-or-break for the Warhawks this season.
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SWAC Media Day kicks off in Birmingham, Alabama, today. One of the biggest storylines in the conference is the new head coach of the Southern Jaguars: NFL legend Marshall Faulk. SWAC TV play-by-play announcer Santoria Black has high expectations for the Jaguars, but he says fans may need to wait before they dub Faulk the next Coach Prime.
Defensive back Herman Brister and wide receiver Cameron Jefferson will join Faulk at Media Day.
Grambling finished 7-and-5 last season and 4-and-4 in conference play. Black says Mickey Joseph’s Tigers have some big questions to answer, but their five home games this season make them a team to watch.
The Tigers will be represented by offensive lineman Alexander Vigil and linebacker Marcellius Johnson.