Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-2) at Wyoming Cowboys (4-5)

Laramie, Wyoming; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Wyoming faces the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs after Noah Reynolds scored 30 points in Wyoming’s 91-76 victory against the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions.

The Cowboys have gone 3-2 in home games. Wyoming has a 1-5 record against teams over .500.

The Bulldogs are 2-2 on the road. Louisiana Tech has a 1-0 record in one-possession games.

TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Maldonado is scoring 13.6 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Cowboys. Reynolds is averaging 12.6 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 54.4% for Wyoming.

Keaston Willis averages 3.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Bulldogs, scoring 14.0 points while shooting 36.9% from beyond the arc. Cobe Williams is averaging 18.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals for Louisiana Tech.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Percentages: FG 42.8, FT .818.

3-Point Goals: 12-28, .429 (Garraud 7-13, Allen 4-6, LaChance 1-3, Harbison 0-6)

Blocked Shots: 4 (S.Washington 2, Chambers 1, Harbison 1)

Turnovers: 17 (Brown 3, Harbison 3, Allen 3, Chambers 2, Garraud 2, S.Washington 1, LaChance 1, D.Washington 1, Team 1)

Steals: 8 (Chambers 3, Allen 2, Garraud 1, Harbison 1, LaChance 1)

Technical Fouls: None

Percentages: FG 42.8, FT .739.

3-Point Goals: 5-13, .385 (Green 3-3, Native 1-2, Sant 1-6, Bates 0-2)

Blocked Shots: 4 (Larr Roberson 1, Bates 1, Sant 1, Worm 1)

Turnovers: 18 (Bates 5, Larr Roberson 3, Team 3, Nativi 2, Walker 2, Brannon 1, Lee 1, Worm 1)

Steals: 8 (Walker 3, Native 2, Bates 1, Brannon 1, Thompson 1)

Technical Fouls: None

A_1,515

Officials_Scott Yarbrough, Natasha Camy, Bill Larance

MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser stopped in Monroe on Dec. 8, 2022, to promote Louisiana’s float appearing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena. Nungesser said having a float in the Rose Parade is all about promoting Louisiana tourism.

The float appeared in the parade for the first time in Jan. 2022. In Jan. 2023, country music artist and Female Vocalist of the Year, Lainey Wilson will perform on the float.

“I am also so excited to announce I will be performing on the Louisiana float in the 2023 Rose Parade on Jan. 2nd. I can’t wait to showcase Louisiana on the worldwide stage,” said Wilson.

The extravagant float will hit the streets of Pasadena on Jan. 2, 2023. Nungesser said after Louisiana’s float was in the Rose Parade for the first time this year, louisianatravel.com saw an 800 percent increase in activity.

“We saw people booking Mardi Gras trips, family-friendly, affordable, safe Mardi Gras, which North Louisiana has an abundance of all over the state,” said Nungesser.

He also said the state saw a double-digit increase in out-of-state visitors traveling to Louisiana for Mardi Gras.

“So it’s working, people are coming here, they’re meeting incredible people, they’re going home and telling their family and friends, you got to go to Louisiana,” Nungesser said.

Twenty festival queens from across the state will be ambassadors on the float, meaning they will help decorate it, as well as ride on it. One of the ambassadors is Ruston native and Queen Dixie Gem Peach, Emma Carter.

“At first I was really shocked, but then I was super excited, and just learning more about the trip I’ve just been really excited and can’t wait to go,” said Carter.

Carter said she’s looking forward to sharing everything North Louisiana has to offer.

“To just share about the small town, big love kind of thing. I mean Ruston isn’t very big but it’s definitely special and home to me,” said Carter.

Copyright 2022 KNE. All rights reserved.

Ceremonial event signals next step for moving the Louisiana Green Fuels project forward

COLUMBIA, La., December 08, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Strategic Biofuels, the leader in developing deeply carbon-negative fuels plants, joined Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson and Port of Columbia (Port) representatives for a groundbreaking ceremony to signal construction commencing at the port on several infrastructure improvement projects which will be funded by a $15 million grant from the DOTD Port Priority Program (PPP).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221208006042/en/

From left to right: Johnny Martin, Terral River Service; Mark Black, Caldwell Parish Police Jury President; State Sen. Glenn Womack; Noble Ellington, governor’s office; Bob Meredith, COO LA Green Fuels; dr Paul Schubert, CEO LA Green Fuels; dr Shawn Wilson, Sec. of LA DOTD; Greg Richardson, Columbia Port Director; Darren McGuffee, President, Columbia Port Commission; Renee Lapeyrolerie, DOTD; Doug Mitchell, North Delta Regional Planning; Deidre Robert, USDA; John Bell, Progressive Construction (Photo: Business Wire)

Construction of the first project will be led by Progressive Construction Co., who was recently awarded a contract from the Port, and will begin in December. Louisiana Green Fuels (LGF) project team members from contractors Koch, Hatch, ESI, HGA, Performance, and MMLH were also in attendance at the groundbreaking.

Strong local, state-wide and national support

To date, the Port has received nearly $17 million in federal and state grants in support of the LGF project. Strategic Biofuels has received the highest tax-exempt bond allocations from the State of Louisiana over the last two years and unanimous support from Caldwell Parish government and the broader community.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been a staunch advocate of the LGF project since Strategic Biofuels first announced Caldwell Parish as its home. gov. Edwards stated “I’ve been thrilled to see the rapid progress Louisiana Green Fuels has generated over the past year. On behalf of our great state, we look forward to continuing to support the Strategic Biofuels team as they continue to move this project forward. It will have a long-lasting impact on northeast Louisiana, the country and the world.”

Story continues

Recently, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), awarded a $508.9k grant to help with infrastructure improvements at the Port of Columbia, which will positively impact the LGF project. These funds are being used to supplement the PPP funds that will widen and strengthen Riverton Camp Road, the primary access road, and complete an essential first step that will sustain construction of the $2.8 billion LGF project.

This latest award to the Port follows an announcement that the State Bond Commission and the Louisiana Community Development Authority granted their approval to LGF for a $1.1 billion tax-exempt bond cap to support the project. The Port was also awarded a $1.0 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA through their Port Security Grant Program.

The most carbon-negative renewable diesel fuel plant in the world

The LGF project will use forestry waste to produce renewable fuel and electric power while capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide produced – resulting in Life Cycle Associates scoring the carbon intensity at “minus 294”. All of the carbon in the fuel and in the sequestered CO2 was originally captured directly from the air by the trees. The project’s test well program proved that all the CO2 from this first and future plants can be sequestered, maximizing both the 45Q sequestration tax credits and the California LCFS credits. All of the fuel and the environmental credits are covered by a 20-year offtake agreement.

“We are proud to have all levels of government at the local, state and federal levels backing the Louisiana Green Fuels project and we are grateful for the immense support,” said Strategic Biofuels CEO Dr. Paul Schubert. “Funding and support from all sources is essential to the success of what we are trying to accomplish, and we are full steam ahead on bringing online the world’s first and most deeply carbon-negative renewable diesel fuel plant.”

For more information about Strategic Biofuels or the Louisiana Green Fuels project, visit: www.strategicbiofuels.com.

About Strategic Biofuels

Strategic Biofuels LLC is a team of energy, petrochemical and renewable technology experts focused on developing a series of deeply negative carbon footprint plants in northern Louisiana that convert waste materials from managed forests into renewable diesel fuel and renewable naphtha. The fuel qualifies for substantial carbon credits under the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard Program and under the California Low Carbon Fuels Standard.

About The Port of Columbia

The Port of Columbia is a Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Site located six miles north of Columbia in Caldwell Parish. Certified sites are development-ready industrial sites which have passed an extensive application process and exhaustive review by an independent, third-party engineering firm. The Port of Columbia is governed by a board of commissioners who are accountable to the Caldwell Parish government.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221208006042/en/

Contacts

Hunter Dodson
512-448-4950
hdodson@piercom.com

Oyster Task Force

Public-Private Oyster Seed Grounds Committee Meeting

Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 10:30 am

New Orleans Lakefront Airport

6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd

New Orleans, LA 70126

Agenda:

I. Call to order

II. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Introductions

IV. To Discuss a Proposal to Make Changes to Oyster Tags

V. Public Comment

VI. Set Next Meeting

VII. Adjourn

The meeting will be held in compliance with Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law as defined by Louisiana RS 42:11, et seq. The public is invited to attend. To listen in to the meeting via webinar register at: https://wlf-la.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__rnfAyMzQGWkJx8C4LJrmw If you would like to call in via phone, you can log onto the webinar by dialing in at 215- 861-0674, and using the password- 806520#

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

To sign up for LDWF commercial fishing alerts sent as text messages or as emails visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/signup.

For press inquiries please contact Rene LeBreton, 504-286-8745 or rlebreton@wlf.la.gov

Voters in Louisiana will decide on three constitutional amendments on Dec. 10

Amendment 1 would prohibit local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote. Currently, Article I, Section 10 of the Louisiana Constitution reads, “Every citizen of the state, upon reaching eighteen years of age, shall have the right to register and vote…” This amendment would amend the section to read “Every person who is both a citizen of the state and of the United States, upon reaching eighteen years of age, shall have the right to register and vote…” It would also add, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to register and vote in this state.”

Since 2018, constitutional amendments to states that only a citizen may vote were approved in five states: North Dakota, Colorado, Alabama, Florida, and Ohio.

Amendments 2 and 3 concern Senate confirmation for civil service and State Police Commission appointees.

Amendment 2 would require senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointees to the State Civil Service Commission. The commissions regulate and administer the state civil service system. Currently, six members of the Louisiana State Civil Service Commission are appointed by the governor. The presidents of Centenary College, Dillard University, Loyola University, Tulane University, Xavier University, and Louisiana College each nominate three individuals. The governor selects one member from each of the presidents’ nominations. The members must each be from one of the state’s six congressional districts. The seventh member is an employee representative who is elected by other state employees. The appointments are currently not subject to confirmation by the legislature.

Amendment 3 would require senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointees to the State Police Commission.

The Louisiana State Police Commission was created through a 1990 constitutional amendment that removed the state police from the civil service system and created a separate state police service. Going into the election, appointments to the Civil Service Commission and State Police Commission were similar. Six members of the Louisiana State Police Commission are appointed by the governor. The presidents of six state colleges and universities each nominate three individuals. The governor selects one member from each of the presidents’ nominations. The members must each be from one of the state’s six congressional districts.

State Sen. Cleo Fields (D) said, “I could not come up with one single reason why we did not put confirmation in the constitution when we created it. I just don’t know. There’s just really no good reason why we didn’t put the confirmation of these members.” Fields also said Louisiana is the only state with a separate oversight commission for state police and that all other boards and commissions in the state constitution require Senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointments.

Louisiana voters decided on eight constitutional amendments on Nov. 8; three were approved and five were defeated.

LearnMore

Raymond “Coach” Blanco’s last resting place is now beside his beloved bride’s, tucked into the northwestern corner of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Cemetery with a tranquil view of Grand Coteau’s expansive fields.

His wife of 56 years, former Gov. Kathleen Marie Babineaux Blanco, chose this site herself, a family member said, because of its serenity and solitude. There, the couple who donated much of their lives to the hubbub of serving family, community and state, will be at eternal peace, within quick footsteps of the graves of their deceased son, Benedict Andrew Blanco, and Coach’s Italian-born mother, Mary Locascio Blanco. There will be places for other family members, too.

Blanco died Nov. 19, providing a heavy weight on those who knew and loved the University of Louisiana at Lafayette coach and administrator who called Acadiana home for much of his last six decades. For a quarter-century, the Alabama native served as his wife’s political confidant, guiding or supporting her as she moved from one public service role to the next.

He did not seek office himself despite his selection in high school as “most likely to succeed in politics,” his interest in politics as a college student and his comfort in advising political hopefuls in Louisiana. He’s inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame. He was and remains the sole “first gentleman of the State of Louisiana.”

The Blancos, both fervent Catholics, saw something of the divine in their dedicated public service. “I knew it was God’s work I was asked to do,” his wife said, words that are reflected at their gravesite, where he was buried Monday.

This, too, their gravesites make clear: They fought for civil rights, education, to eradicate poverty and to bring their fellow Louisianans economic opportunity. The marriage “exemplified faith in Christ, love, kindness, and sacrifice… .”

Kathleen Blanco’s quarter-century of impactful public life is part of Louisiana’s story. She won hearts as well as elections and served Louisiana in myriad ways: touting its outdoor treasures, its culture, its economic promise. She was the state’s first female governor, but because of her example, likely won’t be its last.

Coach’s contributions were more personal. He guided athletes and later provided sage counsel to students as they worked toward their academic degrees. Blanco’s family recalled that his excellence as a coach was matched by his zeal for recruiting and building public support first for his athletic teams and later for his university. He was like a doting father to students, oftentimes walking the halls of the university at night, keeping watch over them.

His four-year players all earned their college degrees, sometimes advanced degrees, his family recollected. Those who left school early could count on him to encourage their successful return to school. Oftentimes, it happened.

Blanco’s reign as a campus administrator at UL-Lafayette included his efforts to lead the campus through the tumult of desegregation and the Vietnam War. On campus, his family said, he provided a welcoming environment for Black students and hired Black staff members to high-level positions. One of those former students and staff remembers Blanco as “changing the culture” on the campus to enthusiastically welcome Black students.

Blanco instilled those guiding principles in his staff, said Patricia Cottonham, UL Lafayette vice president for Student Affairs. She graduated from the University in 1979, then went to work for Blanco.

“He taught us lessons every day, lessons of tolerance, second chances, lessons of love and understanding,” she said.

That’s worth remembering, today and forever.

East Baton Rouge voters will see a somewhat familiar measure on their ballots when they head to the polls Saturday: the renewal of a property tax that supports the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office operating budget.

The property tax — or millage — on this ballot is more integral to keeping the office running than other fees renewed in recent years. The 6.9 millage tax has been on the books since 1994 and supports about 33% of the sheriff’s operating budget, according to EBRSO spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks. It is up for renewal every 10 years and has been re-approved twice since its initial adoption.

“Basically, the renewal of this millage is vital to maintaining the current operations and services of the agency,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said.

The law enforcement millage is one of seven propositions for voters throughout the parish to decide Saturday, according to the Secretary of State. The ballot will also include three statewide constitutional amendments and a regional runoff race for a Public Service Commission seat.

If the millage passes, the Sheriff’s Office would cull from a tax rate fixed at $6.90 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. The 10-year period would go into effect in 2024 and last through 2033. A smaller millage last renewed in 2020 supports about 18% of the sheriff’s operating budget, documents show.

Business-focused groups including the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors have touted renewal of the tax on Saturday’s ballot.

“The business community has repeatedly listed crime as a deterrent to successfully doing business in the region and has expressed the need for an increased focus on crime-prevention across all sectors,” Helena Cunningham, chairperson of the BRAC Board of Directors, said in a statements. “Our board recognizes the need for the millage renewal and the potential for an adverse impact on East Baton Rouge Parish if it were not renewed.”

Following years of criticism of conditions inside the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, though, some local activists have pushed for more transparency of the sheriff’s spending, asking how the agency intends to use the estimated $35.1 million in annual revenue it would collect if the proposition passes .

Chazidy Bowman, an Ohio member of the national coalition Communities for Sheriff Accountability, hands out flyers Tuesday evening near the Old Goodwood neighborhood.

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer

Communities for Sheriff Accountability, a national coalition of grassroots organizations concerned about sheriff’s offices overreach in their communities, led volunteers who canvassed the Old Goodwood neighborhood on Tuesday, passing out flyers and talking with residents about the proposed tax renewal.

“The people that we’re speaking to here, I don’t really feel like that they will want the change that we’re looking for. But it’s about trying to change their perspective a little bit,” said Chazidy Bowman, a volunteer from the coalition.

Amelia Herrera, the Baton Rouge coordinator for a Louisiana prison reform group Voices of the Experienced (VOTE), works directly with families of former and current inmates to help them navigate the system once they’ve been behind bars. One of her main focuses is conditions inside the parish jail, where she said she’s seen deaths and overdoses unfold.

Julien Burns, left, and Amelia Herrera, advocates for more sheriff’s office accountability, canvases near the Old Goodwood neighborhood Tuesday evening, passing out flyers in preparation for Saturday’s ballot initiative to renew the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office property tax rate.

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer

There have also been sewage backups in cell blocks and inmates deprived of calling their families because only one or two phones work on a tier of nearly 50 prisoners, she said.

“So where is the money going,” Herrera asked. “I think the public would be more confident in the sheriff’s department, and would trust him more, if we knew that he was taking that money and providing services for our community that we need.”

Gautreaux said money from the tax has paid for an array of services over the years, like putting sheriff’s deputies on 24-hour residential and business patrols, outreach initiatives and paying salaries. It would also help fund upkeep of a newly implemented body camera program, he said.

Linda Franks, a founding member of the watchdog group East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition, said the agency has purchased drones and new police cruisers since another proposition passed in 2020 authorized another source of the Sheriff’s Office’s tax revenue.

Franks said the parish lockup has been run “like there’s absolutely no oversight,” citing a statistic from her advocacy group that at least 59 people have died there since 2012.

Organizers Julien Burns, left, and Linda Franks, a founding member of the watchdog group East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition, canvasses the Old Goodwood neighborhood Tuesday evening, passing out flyers of campaign literature on the upcoming ballot initiative to renew the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office property tax rate. The pair are local members of Communities for Sheriff Accountability, a national coalition focused on redefining the role of local sheriff’s offices across the nation.

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer

She, too, called for an improvement of conditions inside the jail and indicated she’d like to see more funding dedicated to community-based solutions that address the root causes of crime, like mental health, poverty and substance abuse.

“Budgets are moral documents,” Franks said. “And when public officials are given the privilege of being able to use our tax dollars, then they have an obligation to make sure that we know exactly where all of those monies are being used so that we can make really good assessments on if we’ re using the money in the right way.”

The warden of the pretrial jail has blamed the aging facility’s construction for the introduction of contraband, including fentanyl allegedly responsible for the September overdose of two inmates, one of whom died. Of three people who died there this year, two allegedly died of fentanyl overdoses, the sheriff’s office has said.

The sheriff said his office recently implemented more frequent, thorough searches of inmates and implemented virtual court call-out and visitation when possible, “which has greatly reduced traffic in and out of the facility, thus reducing opportunities for contraband,” Gautreaux said.

Election day polls open Saturday at 7 am and close at 8 pm East Baton Rouge residents can find their voting sites at geauxvote.com.

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A fallen Louisiana Navy veteran is home on the 81st anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Seaman’s first-class Houston Temples was honored and finally laid to rest today in Bogalusa, 81 years after his death.

Bagpipes played, and American flags waved as the community and service members paid their respects to a soldier who gave his life for our country on a tragic day in American history.

Temples died in the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941; today, more than 80 years later, he finally had a proper burial.

The crowd gathered at “American Legion Hall” in Bogalusa Wednesday afternoon to honor Temples, whose remains were not identified until April of this year.

“361 of about 396 have been identified and Seaman First Class Houston Temples was one of them. And so when they identified the remains, one of the neat things they were able to do was put the remains in a casket. They put the uniform in there with him and they send them back home because we want to provide some closure for the families and to be honest, it’s just nice to get the sailor back home,” said Rear Admiral Terry Eddinger.

On Dec 5, his remains were flown into New Orleans and escorted across the lake.

Temples was one of more than 400 soldiers who died when Japanese troops bombed the Oklahoma.

He was one of more than 2300 who died during the attack on pearl harbor.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2022 WVUE. All rights reserved.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The ‘tripledemic’ across the nation is spreading cases such as COVID-19, RVS, and Influenza into Louisiana causing an increase in occupied hospital beds and a decrease in Tamiflu treatment.

With Covid-19 still lingering in the capital city, LDH State Health Officer, Dr. Joesph Kanter says the Flu is the biggest thing they have their eyes on.

Baton Rouge man let go from job accused of stealing items from work, selling them on Facebook

Kanter says that over 1 in 10 hospital visits is due to RVS, COVID, or the flu. “That number is quite high it’s above both regional and national baseline and that’s the biggest thing we have our eyes on right now,” he adds.

Across the state, Dr. Kanter says that hospital beds are disappearing by the day, due to RSV, COVID, and the flu. However, Dr. Kanter mentions how neighboring states have it worse and hopes Louisiana doesn’t follow in their footsteps.

dr Kanter says that Louisiana’s hospital beds are full. He continues by explaining that Louisiana is not at the red line, other states in practical parts of Texas, some parts of California, and some parts of the northeast are in a real problem right now.

The flu in Louisiana has been a growing problem, and it’s ‘peak season’ hasn’t started yet.

“It hit us about a month and a half earlier than it normally does. It’s already the worse flu season we’ve seen in the past 5 years,” said Kanter.

Over at Ochsner Health in Baton Rouge, a family medicine physician, Dr. Rachel Kermis, explains symptoms and possible treatments for these three viruses. “There’s no true treatment to RSV,” she says the flu and COVID are very similar in symptoms.” She explains how to differentiate between the three viruses.

“What differentiates those two from RSV is mainly the fever kind of muscle aches you don’t get them quite as much with RSV,” Dr. Kermis says.

When it comes to treatments in hospitals, like Tamiflu, are decreasing and getting harder to obtain.

“Right now we’re just having overall supply chain issues with getting certain medications,” she says. “If we can’t get Tamiflu for a patient, then we can do the newer medicine called Zoflusa.”

Experts still suggest wearing an N-95 mask, washing your hands, coughing into an elbow, and staying up to date on your shots is the best way to protect yourself for the holiday season.