A Louisiana nonprofit had a very successful year transitioning servicemembers into civilian life. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
____________________________________________
Authorities are hopeful that they’ve found the remains of 15-year-old Je’Darrius Minnieweather in a 400-acre landfill in East Baton Rouge Parish. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
____________________________________________
Amazon Web Services announces it’s increasing its investment in the Shreveport-Bossier area and will build a third data center. Joe Gallinaro has the story.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”
___________________________________________________
Thanks to the efforts of Louisiana nonprofit The Boot, 255 service members transitioned into post-military careers during the 2025-26 fiscal year. That’s more than twice as much as the prior fiscal year’s total. CEO Benjamin Armstrong says the vast majority – 72-percent – came from Louisiana bases, including Fort Polk, JRB New Orleans and Barksdale Air Force Base.
Cut 4 (10) “…back home here.”
Armstrong says the careers that the servicemembers pursue after their military careers end usually relate in some way to the training they received while serving their country.
Cut 5 (15) “…is another one.”
Armstrong says the leadership skills these servicemembers build come in very handy in their post-military careers.
Cut 6 (11) “…their new careers.”
Since launching in 2024, The Boot has placed 366 service members into careers and has grown its employer network to 371 partners throughout the state. It says it has contributed an overall economic impact of more than 28-million dollars to Louisiana.
__________________________________________
The Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association is hailing the latest offshore lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, in which 12 companies submitted 69 bids totaling almost 100-million dollars. President Tommy Faucheux says that’s a very impressive number.
Cut 7 (08) “…bids for leases.”
Faucheux says this third lease sale was more or less a rebound from the previous lease sale, which took on a more targeted approach months after the initial lease sale, which drew bids totaling nearly 300-million dollars.
Cut 8 (11) “…in the Gulf.”
Faucheux says these lease sales have underscored the U.S.’ commitment to energy dominance.
Cut 9 (13) “…to see return.”
__________________________________________
Authorities believe they have found the remains of 15-year-old Je’Darrius Minnieweather at the East Baton Rouge Parish landfill, ending a 36-day search for the teenager who was reported missing June fifth. Baton Rouge Police Chief T.J. Morse says DNA testing will be conducted to confirm the remains.
Cut 10 (08) “…very, very hopeful.”
Fifty-one-year-old Maurice Parms is charged with killing Minnieweather. Investigators say Parms beat the teen to death during an argument over Parms’ treatment of a 16-year-old girl Minnieweather knew.
Detectives say Parms dumped the teen’s body in a trash can that was picked up and taken to the landfill June 22nd. Video of the body being dumped helped investigators pinpoint where to search.
Over five weeks, crews sifted through four-thousand tons of material and found more than four-thousand animal bones before discovering what they believe are Minnieweather’s remains.
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor Sid Edwards says the odds were stacked against them.
Cut 11 (12) “…didn’t count that.”
District Attorney Hillar Moore says a photo of Minnieweather at the search site helped motivate crews.
Cut 12 (14) “…doing this for.”
Chief Morse says DNA testing could take one or more days, and crews will continue searching the area for additional evidence.
________________________________________________
Amazon Web Services, which announced plans in February to build two data centers in northwest Louisiana, says it’s adding a third at Resilient Technology Park in west Shreveport. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the additional investment shows Amazon’s confidence in Louisiana.
Cut 13 (15) “…want to tell.”
Amazon has already started construction on a data center in Bossier Parish near Benton and another one in Caddo Parish near Blanchard. All three data centers are expected to create 750 permanent jobs and 22-hundred temporary construction jobs.
Bourgeois says Amazon has promised to protect natural resources and invest in infrastructure as it constructs these three data centers.
Cut 14 (05) “…hardening the grid.”
Bourgeois says the facilities will rely on air cooling most of the year, using water for cooling only when temperatures exceed 85 degrees. She says Amazon also plans to invest up to 400-million dollars in public water infrastructure. And L-E-D says Amazon is working with SWEPCO to fully fund the new energy infrastructure.
Bourgeois says these plans align with Louisiana’s broader strategy to responsibly support large-scale A-I and digital infrastructure investments.
Cut 15 (13) “…in that regard.”
____________________________________________
ULM and Louisiana Tech announced the new Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series between the two schools just 30 minutes apart. As the Bulldogs enter the Sun Belt, Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey says the championship spotlights a historic, heated rivalry.
Cut 16 (19) “…critical for us.”
The series includes competitions across 12 sports, with points awarded for wins in head-to-head games and season series and conference standings for non-head-to-head sports. Ivey says each sport is weighted equally.
Cut 17 (19) “…to do that.”
Ivey says giving athletes and fans official bragging rights and a trophy will make each game mean more. He says the universities are designing a trophy now, and fans should look out for their chance to weigh in.
Cut 18 (18) “…the next year.”
The tie-breaker goes to whichever school won that year’s football game.
_________________________________________