State

Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier

Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier

Speaker DeVillier to hold town halls

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier is hosting nine regional town hall meetings highlighting the historic work of the legislature during the past 18 months.
Harvest elderberries when they are dark purple to black. Do not eat green or red elderberries, which are toxic. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

Harvest elderberries when they are dark purple to black. Do not eat green or red elderberries, which are toxic. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

Are elderberries a nuisance or nature’s gift?

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, August 29, 2025
There’s an old saying that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. It’s a similar story for elderberries — nuisance for some, valuable crop to others. It’s true: Elderberries do behave like weeds in many ways. These large shrubs pop up along fences, in ditches, on vacant lots.
Peggy Martin holds the children’s book that tells the story of the rose that bears her name. (Photo by Tobie Blanchard/LSU AgCenter)

Peggy Martin holds the children’s book that tells the story of the rose that bears her name. (Photo by Tobie Blanchard/LSU AgCenter)

The Peggy Martin rose: 20 years after Hurricane Katrina

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, August 15, 2025
A quick glance at Peggy Martin’s Gonzales, Louisiana, home, and it’s clear she loves plants. Paintings and prints of flowers line her walls, tablecloths pop with colorful flora, potted plants fill corners and bouquets dot shelves and end tables.
Okra thrives in the summer heat, making it a favorite in Louisiana gardens. Many varieties are available; Clemson Spineless, a popular choice, is pictured here.

Okra thrives in the summer heat, making it a favorite in Louisiana gardens. Many varieties are available; Clemson Spineless, a popular choice, is pictured here.

Easy-to-grow okra is a Louisiana tradition

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, August 15, 2025
Okra holds a special place in the hearts of many Louisianans. For some, it’s an essential ingredient in gumbo, and for others, it’s a must-grow crop in the summer vegetable garden. It’s no wonder why: Okra is tasty and nutritious. It’s easy to grow and prolific, even in intense heat.
New observation tower on South Farm at Sherburne WMA. (Submitted photo)

New observation tower on South Farm at Sherburne WMA. (Submitted photo)

New observation platform at South Farm on Sherburne WMA opens

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Construction has been completed on a new observation platform at South Farm on the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and is open to the public, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced.
Students Abby Roche and Lily Tubbs retrieve the conductivity, temperature, depth sensor package after profiling dissolved oxygen at a station on the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Shelfwide Hypoxia Cruise. (Photo by Cassandra Glaspie | LUMCON/LSU)

Students Abby Roche and Lily Tubbs retrieve the conductivity, temperature, depth sensor package after profiling dissolved oxygen at a station on the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Shelfwide Hypoxia Cruise. (Photo by Cassandra Glaspie | LUMCON/LSU)

‘Dead zone’ shrank sharply in 2025

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
The Gulf’s “dead zone” has shrunk significantly this summer, with scientists measuring a hypoxic area of just over 4,400 square miles — roughly a third smaller than last year and far less than the long-term average, federal officials announced July 30.
Damon Abdi, LSU AgCenter assistant professor of landscape horticulture, recommends using the three-cut method to remove tree branches. Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter

Damon Abdi, LSU AgCenter assistant professor of landscape horticulture, recommends using the three-cut method to remove tree branches. Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter

Need to remove a tree branch? Follow these steps

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, August 8, 2025
If you find yourself needing to remove a tree branch, there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. The wrong way can unnecessarily harm your tree — and even you! The right way gets rid of the problematic branch while keeping both you and the tree safe. So, where to begin?
Drivers should prepare for school zones, buses, and excited children

Drivers should prepare for school zones, buses, and excited children

Researchers develop ‘living reefs’ to prevent land loss, promote marine life

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Right past the dock on Calcasieu Lake, Megan La Peyre stared at an ominous rain cloud she and her team were driving straight into. On this boat, La Peyre, an adjunct professor at the LSU AgCenter and unit leader of the U.S.

Vietnam veterans, Purple Heart recipients honored

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is proud to honor both Vietnam veterans and Purple Heart recipients this week during the Vietnam Veterans of America National Convention and on National Purple Heart Day with the lighting of the Governor’s Mansion and the Crescent City Connection.

New laws to tackle insurance costs are now in effect

Harlan Kirgan
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Six new Louisiana laws went into effect on Friday that are a part of the state’s push to lower the cost of insurance. The laws make significant changes across the state’s construction, insurance, contractor regulation, and traffic enforcement policies.