State

Citrus plants offer a crisp, refreshing top note, injecting a burst of energy into scents. (Photos by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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The fragrance of nature

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist

Friday, March 22, 2024

National Fragrance Day, celebrated March 21, might not be a widely recognized day on our calendars, but it’s hard to deny the integral role that fragrances play in our everyday lives.

Incoming Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple speaks at the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana candidate’s forum April 27, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

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Temple pushes insurance industry-friendly package

Friday, March 22, 2024

By Wesley Muller Louisiana Illuminator A package of legislation to benefit insurance companies found widespread support in a Louisiana Senate committee Wednesday after only one member questioned why the state would help the industry instead of drivers and homeowners who pay extraordinarily high...

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Acadiana legislative delegation elects officers

Harlan Kirgan

Friday, March 22, 2024

BATON ROUGE – The Acadiana Delegation of the Louisiana Legislature has elected its officers for 2024. State Representative Beau Beaullieu will serve as chairman and represents House District 48 including Iberia, Lafayette, and St. Martin parishes.

Coushatta Tribe holds groundbreaking ceremony for new hotel with 204-rooms. (Illustration courtesy of the Coushatta Tribal Council)

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8-story, 204-room hotel planned at Coushatta

Harlan Kirgan

Friday, March 22, 2024

Chairman Jonathan Cernek and members of the Coushatta Tribal Council, and Coushatta Casino Resort General Manager Todd Stewart joined principals from TBE Architects, Yates Construction and the Wenaha Group in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new hotel on Wednesday.

Adam Gordon, of Oakdale, uses a drip torch during a prescribed burn training at the Louisiana Ecological Forestry Center near Florien on March 12. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

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Workshop teaches proper prescribed burning methods

Olivia McClure / omcclure@agcenter.lsu.edu

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Rodney McKay knows a lot about starting fires. Between 15 and 25 times a year, McKay heads into the woods with a drip torch, rakes and an array of other tools used to light fires, monitor their spread and manage the smoke they produce.

Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, seated, listens to Rep. Francis Thompson, R-Delhi, on opening day of the regular legislative session, March 11 at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. (John Ballance/The Advocate, Pool)

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Louisiana lawmaker wants broader access to public records

Piper Hutchinson / Louisiana Illuminator

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Lawyers for Louisiana State University often deny public records requests for investigations into employee wrongdoing by citing the court case McMakin v. LSU. Now, McMakin is fighting back. Attorney and freshman state Rep.

Japanese magnolia flowers are extremely fragrant and make gorgeous cut flowers to bring in, arrange and enjoy. (Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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Jane Japanese magnolia named Louisiana Super Plant for spring 2024

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist

Friday, March 15, 2024

Japanese magnolias are completing their bloom and flushing out new, light green foliage. These beautiful trees are some of the first plants to signify that spring is just around the corner. With their pink-to-purple blooms, they’re one of the most strikingly beautiful trees.

Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek

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Juvenile justice experts express caution about new crime laws

Jacob Mathews / LSU Manship School News Service

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

As Louisiana undertakes a massive overhaul of criminal justice laws, one of the most controversial changes is putting more 17-year-olds on trial for crimes as adults. The move backpedals on a measure passed seven years ago that treated teens under 18 as juveniles in most cases.

House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, left, jokes with President of the Senate Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, on opening day of the regular legislative session, Monday, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge. (Photos by Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate Pool)

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Stances firm but details scarce in Gov. Landry’s legislative agenda

Julie O’Donoghue / Louisiana Illumunator

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Gov. Jeff Landry urged lawmakers to change state education policies and overhaul Louisiana’s constitution, but he didn’t say what specific proposals he supports during his opening speech of the state’s regular lawmaking session Monday.

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LSU vision includes ‘statewide university’

Piper Hutchinson / Louisiana Illuminator

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The long-awaited strategic plan for Louisiana’s flagship university calls for a new vision of LSU, one administrators are calling the “statewide university.