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More child abuse victims can sue after Louisiana Supreme Court reversal

Julie O’Donoghue and Piper Hutchinson / Louisiana Illuminator
Friday, June 14, 2024
Adults abused as children decades ago will be able to sue over the mistreatment under a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling released Wednesday. Justices overturned their decision from March that declared a “lookback window” for lawsuits over older child abuse allegations unconstitutional.
Patrick Jenkins

Patrick Jenkins

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Former St. Landry Parish school chief applies for East Baton Rouge Parish job

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, June 14, 2024
Patrick Jenkins, who served as superintendent of St. Landry Parish schools for seven years is one of 17 applicants for East Baton Rouge Parish schools superintendent, according to The Advocate. Jenkins is now chief of operations for the Jefferson Parish school district.

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Landry shakes up economic development agency

Wesley Muller / Louisiana Illuminator
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law Tuesday that restructures the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) agency, eliminates labor union representation from its board and exempts the agency from certain state purchasing laws that critics say have caused bureaucratic delays.
Rep. Dustin Miller

Rep. Dustin Miller

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Legislators make big changes to cannabis industries

Wesley Muller / Louisiana Illuminator
Friday, June 7, 2024
Louisiana’s edible hemp products industry survived a close call with state lawmakers who chose stricter regulations over a complete dismantling. (Canva image) Louisiana’s edible hemp industry survived a close call with state lawmakers who chose stricter regulations over a complete dismantling.
Mike Stout, Christine Gambino and Laila Santos look over a rice research plot at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station near Crowley. The three work in the LSU AgCenter’s Department of Entomology and are working on insect pest management strategies as part of the Climate Resilient Innovations for Sustainable Production for Rice project. Photo by Craig Gautreaux/LSU AgCenter

Mike Stout, Christine Gambino and Laila Santos look over a rice research plot at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station near Crowley. The three work in the LSU AgCenter’s Department of Entomology and are working on insect pest management strategies as part of the Climate Resilient Innovations for Sustainable Production for Rice project. Photo by Craig Gautreaux/LSU AgCenter

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AgCenter project aims at making rice more sustainable, profitable

Craig Gautreaux / cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, June 7, 2024
Its full name is Climate Resilient Innovations for Sustainable Production of Rice, but it’s mostly known by the acronym CRISP Rice.

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$5.1M in unclaimed property checks on the way

Harlan Kirgan
Friday, June 7, 2024
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, M.D., announced that 27,842 unclaimed property checks totaling $5.1 million will be mailed out on Thursday following a data match to update addresses with the Louisiana Department of Revenue.
Rep. Les Farnum asks a question during the May 26, 2022, meeting of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

Rep. Les Farnum asks a question during the May 26, 2022, meeting of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

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One facet of Louisiana’s public records law is never enforced; a bill would weaken it

Wesley Muller / Louisiana Illuminator
Friday, June 7, 2024
Officials in Louisiana will soon be free to disregard state public records law at no risk if Gov. Jeff Landry signs into law a bill that currently sits on his desk. One expert says it will change nothing because courts have never enforced that part of the law anyway.
Richard Zuschlag

Richard Zuschlag

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Richard Zuschlag, who built Acadian Ambulance service into powerhouse, dies at 76

Tyler Bridges and Adam Daigle / The Acadiana Advocate
Friday, June 7, 2024
Richard Zuschlag, a Pennsylvania native who moved to Lafayette in 1970 and a year later started a company with two ambulances that he grew into the country’s largest privately held medical transportation company, died early Wednesday.

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Legislators free money for projects

Elizabeth White / LSU Manship School News Service
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Three senior lawmakers said a decision last Friday to shift $717 million in state funds was one of the highlights of the legislative session that ended Monday.
While the Asian longhorned tick has yet to be sighted in Louisiana, LSU AgCenter entomologist Kristen Healy would like the public to remain vigilant in keeping an eye out for this and other species. To better understand where certain species live, Healy and her team have developed the website geaux-ticks.org, where people can send in photos or specimens of ticks they may encounter.

While the Asian longhorned tick has yet to be sighted in Louisiana, LSU AgCenter entomologist Kristen Healy would like the public to remain vigilant in keeping an eye out for this and other species. To better understand where certain species live, Healy and her team have developed the website geaux-ticks.org, where people can send in photos or specimens of ticks they may encounter.

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Tick talk: AgCenter entomologist seeks input from public via new website

V. Todd Miller / vtmiller@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, May 31, 2024
With summer comes outdoor activities and the possibility of encountering ticks and the diseases they carry. To determine which species may be common to a particular location in Louisiana, an LSU AgCenter researcher and her team have developed an online tool to assist in locating the bloodsuckers.