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• Livingston takes aim at dilapidated bridges

  May 13, 2013 8:41 AM

  FRENCH SETTLEMENT- Livingston Parish officials are launching a program to replace at least 15 bridges. The Advocate reports the effort can't come soon enough for Rose Sabre, who says an ambulance couldn't get quick access to her Virgin Isles home because of a dilapidated bridge. After being rerouted through a... more »

• Delgado, Nunez community colleges to lay off staff

  May 8, 2013 4:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Delgado Community College in New Orleans plans to lay off more than a hundred employees, including dozens of faculty members, while Nunez Community College in Chalmette also is letting go staff. Both moves were approved Wednesday by the schools' governing board and come as the campuses seek... more »

• Report: Felons, prisoners and overpayments in SNAP Play Video

  May 6, 2013 3:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Nearly 2,000 prisoners and drug felons received more than $1 million in food stamp payments during 2011 and 2012, according to a report from the Louisiana Auditor's office. The state food stamp program, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), gave 1,761 incarcerated participants $1,107,740,... more »

• BRAVE starts call-in program for violent offenders Play Video

  April 5, 2013 10:41 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The BRAVE initiative in Baton Rouge announced plans today to encourage violent offenders in the city to change their lives. District Attorney Hillar Moore and BRAVE Director "Tweety" Anny described the initiative, which asked people with violent records to attend the call-in where various services and... more »

• Congress spares military's tuition aid program

  March 21, 2013 10:28 AM

  WASHINGTON - Congress has spared the military's tuition assistance program from the budget knife. The House cleared a bill on Thursday to keep the government running. It includes a provision reversing the decision by the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps to suspend the program. Faced with some $43 billion... more »

• West Feliciana resumes counseling program

  February 27, 2013 8:14 AM

  ST FRANCISVILLE - The West Feliciana Parish School Board has voted to resume a career counseling program it dropped several years ago when state funding was frozen. Supervisor Al Lemoine told the board Tuesday the money to resume the program is coming from a federal grant routed through Baton Rouge... more »

• Health stories for Feb. 20, 2013 Play Video

  February 20, 2013 6:44 PM

  UNDATED - Here are today's 2 Your Health stories for Feb. 20, 2013 - February is women's heart month and there's reason to celebrate because women are more aware about their number one killer, heart disease. Public information campaigns are said to be working. The American Heart... more »

• BRCC to create airplane mechanic program

  February 18, 2013 11:03 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Community College hopes to have a program to train airplane mechanics up and running by the fall, more than two years after originally planned. School leaders say the program would produce federally-certified mechanics and is still being reviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration. They say... more »

• More schools added to Louisiana voucher program

  February 13, 2013 3:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - More schools have been approved for Louisiana's voucher program next year, which means the number of students using taxpayer dollars to go to private schools will likely grow as well. The state Department of Education said another 16 schools were approved to take voucher students next... more »

• Former DARE officer faces theft charges

  January 31, 2013 8:52 AM

  BAKER - A former sergeant from Baker is in custody, accused of theft and malfeasance in office. State police arrested Jason Doyle Wednesday, after allegations against Doyle surfaced regarding his time as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education and school resource officer for the Baker Police Department. Officers found... more »

• Fontana, Calif., schools get high-powered rifles

  January 23, 2013 1:03 PM

  FONTANA, Calif. - A Southern California school police force has acquired semiautomatic rifles for officers to bring to campuses under a controversial safety program. Fontana Unified School District police purchased 14 of the Colt 6940 rifles last fall, well before the Connecticut school massacre. The $1,000 rifles were received last... more »

• TV-over-Internet service expands despite lawsuits

  January 8, 2013 12:39 PM

  NEW YORK - The Barry Diller-backed Internet company that challenges cable and satellite TV services by offering inexpensive live television online plans to expand beyond New York City this spring. In the wake of a federal court ruling that tentatively endorsed its legality, Aereo will bring its $8-a-month service to... more »

• Program to aid Lafayette pregnant teens

  January 7, 2013 9:55 AM

  LAFAYETTE- The Lafayette Parish School System plans to launch a program next school year for teen mothers and pregnant teens that would provide on-campus child care and support services for the young mothers. Schools Superintendent Pat Cooper says the program will be housed at Northside High School with a... more »

• BESE agrees to pilot program for Pre-K grading

  December 5, 2012 2:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is moving ahead with plans to grade publicly funded prekindergarten and early childhood education programs. The board Wednesday agreed to Superintendent of Education John White's framework for complying with a new law that calls for the development of a common... more »

• BESE moves ahead with 'Course Choice' program

  December 4, 2012 2:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The state's top school board has backed nearly four dozen organizations to offer courses to Louisiana's public school students through online classes and other nontraditional means. The decision comes despite a judge's ruling that the program's planned financing is unconstitutional. Superintendent of Education John White recommended 45... more »

• NY appeals court skeptical about startup's live TV

  November 30, 2012 3:06 PM

  NEW YORK - A New York federal appeals panel has found weaknesses with a startup company's arguments it can legally send live TV programming to iPhones and other mobile devices. Three judges of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seemed poised Friday to reverse a lower court judge who... more »

• Grant to fund SLU nursing program

  November 19, 2012 10:41 AM

  HAMMOND - Southeastern Louisiana University's School of Nursing is offering an advanced training program for nursing students pursuing a graduate degree. The program is being made available through a $637,350 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. University officials... more »

• Obama: 'Still time' to resolve Iran nuke dispute

  November 14, 2012 2:12 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says there is still time for the United States and Iran to resolve an impasse over Iran's nuclear program. Obama said at a news conference Wednesday that there should be a way for Iran to enjoy "peaceful nuclear power" while still meeting international obligations and... more »

• School system considers plan to re-enroll dropouts

  November 9, 2012 9:06 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Lafayette Parish School System may soon partner with a company that seeks dropouts and gives them a chance to finish high school anytime and anywhere. The company, The American Academy's No Dropouts program, works with school districts to bring dropouts back to school and provides educational... more »

• Spelman College in Ga. ditches athletics program

  November 1, 2012 4:33 PM

  ATLANTA - Spelman College in Atlanta is ditching its athletics program and spending the money on a campus-wide health and fitness program. The president of the historically black women's college says the school was spending about $1 million on its athletics program but that money is now going to benefit... more »

• Southern to shed 2 programs

  October 25, 2012 7:16 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Board of Regents has given Southern University permission to drop its master of arts in mass communication degree in a budget-cutting move that provoked the ire of faculty when the idea was first floated months ago. Karen Denby, regents associate commissioner for academic affairs,... more »

• FEMA extends sheltering program for 2 weeks

  October 12, 2012 2:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Isaac are getting an extra two weeks to stay in hotels and motels on the government's dime. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that it has approved a third extension to its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which allows for FEMA to... more »

• La. develops seafood certification program

  October 12, 2012 7:00 AM

  BATON ROUGE - In a new effort to brand Louisiana seafood, the state has started a new certification program. State officials say the Louisiana Certified Seafood Program is meant to make consumers think of Louisiana seafood in a "geographically-based" way, similar to the way consumers now think of Maine's... more »

• La. seeks to use recovery money for Pre-K program

  September 26, 2012 2:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration wants to shift $20 million in hurricane recovery spending for hurricanes Gustav and Ike to fill in budget gaps in the state's preschool program for at-risk students. The proposal, which requires approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was posted this... more »

• Saints players' bounty suspensions overturned Play Video

  September 7, 2012 3:04 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - An NFL appeals panel overturned the suspensions of four current and former Saints players accused of taking part in a team bounty program. The panel ruled today that Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Scott Fujita would have their suspensions lifted. They were reinstated by... more »

• Voucher student numbers to be tallied by next week

  September 6, 2012 7:21 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A count of how many Louisiana students are enrolled in private and parochial schools through the taxpayer-funded voucher program will be available next week. Barry Landry, a spokesman for the Department of Education, says schools participating in the program have until Sunday to report their enrollment... more »

• Supreme Court refuses voucher program injunction

  August 16, 2012 5:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Supreme Court has refused to stop the launch of Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program, which began this month. The high court denied an injunction request by teacher unions and school boards to stall the voucher program as they challenge whether it is constitutional. A... more »

• La. taking applications for Katrina loan program

  July 19, 2012 7:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state of Louisiana is accepting applications for a program offering low-interest loans of up to $5 million to businesses affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The state Office of Community Development said in a statement that the loans are designed to address "unmet... more »

• Audit: Waste tire program not tightly monitored

  July 9, 2012 2:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says the state Department of Environmental Quality didn't have proper controls over a state program meant to keep tires from being dumped illegally, allowing overpayments. The report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office says DEQ allows waste tire processors to weigh their own tire... more »

• State launches defense of voucher program

  June 29, 2012 3:34 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - State officials are launching their legal defense of Louisiana's new tuition voucher program. The program lets thousands of students from low-performing public schools get taxpayer-funded private school tuition. Opponents' lawsuits say the program is unconstitutional for several reasons. One argument is that Louisiana's constitution requires that money... more »

• Deadline to apply for new voucher program today

  June 29, 2012 5:58 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Time is running out for eligible families to apply for state-paid tuition to private schools. The voucher program was approved in the last legislative session. It allows students from low- to moderate-income families who attend low-performing public schools to switch to an approved private school and have... more »

• New lawsuit filed against Jindal voucher program

  June 22, 2012 8:36 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Association of Educators boarded buses this morning on their way to file a lawsuit against Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher program. The organization's leaders lodged their challenge against the education changes Friday in Baton Rouge district court. They object to the use of the state's public... more »

• Students excited for West Side Magnet Program Play Video

  June 21, 2012 5:50 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE- Students in Ascension Parish now know if they'll be a part of the new West Side Magnet Program. The program takes high achieving students and gives them more rigorous classwork and a laptop or iPad to help them with their studies. "The thing I'm probably looking more... more »

• Voucher program framework approved by BESE panel

  June 18, 2012 2:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's education board has agreed to a framework for a new statewide voucher program that will use tax dollars to send children to private schools. But that framework does not have accountability standards required by the Legislature and still being devised by the Louisiana Department of Education.... more »

• Audit: Job-training program overspends

  June 12, 2012 6:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new report from the Legislative Auditor's Office says a state job-training and employment program spent between $3 million and $5 million more on transportation than it should have compared to practices used in other states or even within other areas of state government. The Times-Picayune reports... more »

• Voucher programs challenged in other states

  June 8, 2012 10:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- More teachers consider taking the governor to court over his education reform. The Louisiana Association of Educators could be next to sue over private-school vouchers. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers sued Thursday following teacher groups in other states where vouchers were challenged. For students, it quite... more »

• Islamic school no longer on La. voucher list Play Video

  June 5, 2012 5:51 PM

  KENNER - A fight over funding for the state's new voucher program caused a heated debate over an Islamic school. The Louisiana House approved a funding plan for public schools on the last day of session. Before the approval, state Representative John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, spoke about the Islamic... more »

• Lawmakers concerned about vouchers funding Muslim school

  June 5, 2012 11:11 AM

  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Legislature passed a funding plan for public schools on the last day of session, but not before debate which included a discussion about what types of schools could benefit from Governor Bobby Jindal's voucher plan. The plan makes vouchers or scholarships available to some students... more »

• Ascension Schools introduce magnet program Play Video

  June 4, 2012 5:40 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE- Students in Ascension Parish will get an extra push to succeed next year thanks to the new Westside Magnet Program. The program will focus on students who live in Donaldsonville and need a more rigorous curriculum. "Some of the lessons they are teaching, he knows those and... more »

• DOE accepting voucher applicants, announces schools

  May 22, 2012 12:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - More than 5,000 students can get new taxpayer-funded voucher slots at private schools, under a law passed this session expanding a New Orleans voucher program statewide. The state education department announced Tuesday that in addition to the 2,300 existing voucher slots available to New Orleans students, seats... more »

• Publc hearings set on proposed road project

  May 10, 2012 3:43 PM

  GONZALES - Ascension residents will get a chance to voice their opinions regarding a proposed Parish Road Program. Two public hearings will be held starting next week. The road program would be funded by a half-cent sales tax that will go before parish voters on the November ballot,... more »

• An appeal to Zachary schools regarding voucher program

  May 10, 2012 10:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options has asked the Zachary Community School system to reinstate its commitment to the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (SSEE) program. The program provides opportunities for low-income children who attend low-performing schools to transfer to private schools or higher-performing public... more »

• 16 fishermen get training in pilot mariner program

  April 10, 2012 7:29 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Sixteen fishermen have graduated from a pilot project to teach them skills to help them get jobs outside their usual line of work. The pilot was supported by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, a philanthropic organization; the nonprofit Coastal Communities Consulting and Delgado Community College. After the... more »

• Board members oppose program changes

  April 6, 2012 6:41 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Two Lafayette Parish School Board members say they aren't happy with Superintendent Pat Cooper's plan to change the mission of the district's newest high school, Thibodaux Career and Technical High School. Board members Mark Allen Babineaux and Rae Trahan said Wednesday that they oppose Cooper's recommendation to move... more »

• Online master's program added at Ole Miss

  April 6, 2012 6:36 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - The University of Mississippi School of Business Administration and University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Health Related Professions have launched a new part-time option for the online master of health care administration program. Bethany Cooper, director of corporate relations and MBA/MHA services, says the new three-year,... more »

• $90 million program to improve NO-area roads

  April 3, 2012 8:24 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A $90 million program has been started to repair, restore and improve more than 60 roadways in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. Many of the roads were damaged during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and then used as major hauling routes for post-story recovery operations. Repairs will... more »

• Drug treatment for Redmond O'Neal

  March 27, 2012 12:39 PM

  LOS ANGELES - A judge says the son of Ryan O'Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett is making excellent progress in a drug treatment program and he appears to be making the right decisions. The judge delayed O'Neal's sentencing for a probation violation as long as the 27-year-old keeps doing... more »

• White: Voucher program will draw few at first

  March 6, 2012 2:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - If lawmakers approve a statewide program enabling some low-income families to send their kids to private schools at public expense, Louisiana's education superintendent expects it to start small. Gov. Bobby Jindal has proposed expanding a voucher program already in place in New Orleans. It allows lower... more »

• Privately-run behavioral health program begins

  March 2, 2012 2:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. - Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has moved to private company management and coordination of mental health and addictive disorder services for 150,000 troubled Louisiana children, youth and adults. The new Behavioral Health Partnership began Thursday. The program is being run by Connecticut-based Magellan Health Services under a... more »

• Former abstinence director sentenced

  March 1, 2012 4:57 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's former director for the Governor's Program on Abstinence has been sentenced to six years in prison. 64-year-old Gail Ray Dignam was convicted last year on two counts of mail fraud. U.S. District Judge James J. Brady also ordered Dignam to pay restitution and to... more »

• La.'s new Medicaid managed care program begins

  February 1, 2012 2:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana's Medicaid program is starting to provide health care through private managed care networks in nine parishes around New Orleans, the first step in a sweeping revamp of the program that provides care to the poor. The insurance-based model, called Bayou Health, launched Wednesday in southeast... more »

• Mayor launches energy conservation initiative

  December 15, 2011 4:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE -The city of Baton Rouge has officially gone green. Mayor Kip Holden launched the ConserveBR energy efficiency outreach program Wednesday. The grant-funded program encourages both city-parish employees and area residents to become more energy-efficient by making small changes to conserve energy usage. For more information... more »

• La. Medicaid program has $127M shortfall

  November 1, 2011 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Medicaid program for the poor, elderly and disabled has a nearly $127 million state funding shortfall. The state health department announced the deficit figure Tuesday. But the Department of Health and Hospitals says it will use available federal funds to plug much of the gap,... more »

• Chef John Besh backs loan program to help farms

  October 8, 2011 11:20 AM

  PROGRESS, Miss.- It looks like the perfect, bucolic life - neat barns and a rustic store, cows grazing peacefully under the trees beside a pond, a sprawling house just across the road, and the third and fourth generation of dairy farmers working together. But the life Kenny and Jamie... more »

• Shreveport area in Alzheimer's volunteer program

  June 5, 2011 9:37 AM

  SHREVEPORT, La.- The Shreveport-Bossier City area is among 12 communities across the United States piloting a volunteer program for people with early stage Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association is testing the Community Connections program with the aim of helping early-stage Alzheimer's patients regain or maintain engagement in their communities,... more »

• Regents vote to cut more than 100 programs

  April 27, 2011 11:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state Board of Regents voted to cut more than a hundred degree programs from the state's colleges and universities to deal with expected budget cuts. The full board approved all recommended cuts and consolidations, which included ending 109 degree programs, consolidating 189, and conditionally keeping... more »

• Pointe Coupee Central HS cancels activities due to weather

  April 4, 2011 4:51 PM

  MORGANZA - All after-school programs at Pointe Coupee Central High School have been canceled for this afternoon because of the possibility of severe weather. Principal Kathryn Price sent out an email this afternoon notifying people of the cancelations. "Our first priority is the safety of our students," said... more »

• List of programs recommended for termination by UL System

  February 28, 2011 4:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The University of Louisiana System released a list today of 138 programs recommended for termination at the eight colleges that make up the system. Those recommendations came from 200 academic programs flagged by the state Board of Regents for having low completion rates. Of those recommended... more »

• Gov. Jindal wants status quo spending for K-12

  February 15, 2011 5:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal says Louisiana's public schools will not face the massive budget cuts some agencies are dealing with. His proposed plan leaves the formula for funding K-12 the same. An increase in the number of public school students means the plan will still take more of... more »

• Texas may eliminate steroid testing program

  January 30, 2011 3:27 PM

  AUSTIN- The nation's largest high school steroids testing program may fall victim to budget cuts. Texas has tested tens of thousands of high school athletes since 2008. The goal was to stop teens from taking dangerous performance-enhancing drugs. The death of a 17-year-old baseball player helped draw national attention... more »

• Regents target hundreds of degree programs for termination

  January 26, 2011 1:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Hundreds of degree programs could be cut from universities, community colleges and technical colleges across Louisiana. The Board of Regents released a list of more than 450 programs it identifies as having low completion rates. LSU and Southern University could be among the big losers;... more »

• Students support Jindal's TOPS plan

  January 19, 2011 6:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal is calling on state lawmakers to support a move protecting the TOPS scholarship program. The program covers tuition for many students at public colleges and universities. Governor Jindal wants to shift a portion of the money from the state's tobacco settlement to cover... more »

• Health department to rework CommunityCare program

  November 22, 2010 12:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Jindal administration plans to revamp, rather than scrap, a Medicaid program that links poor children with physicians who manage their care. State Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein says the reworked program will have a "pay for performance" feature, in which doctors get more money if... more »

• Medicaid managed care program stalled for now

  October 25, 2010 2:36 PM

  The state's health secretary says he doesn't have a new timeline for when the Jindal administration plans to begin changes to the way Louisiana delivers health care to the poor through the Medicaid program. Concerns by health providers and lawmakers stalled the pilot program, which was supposed to begin in... more »

• Groups fight La. Gov. Jindal's Medicaid plan

  October 19, 2010 6:29 AM

  Hospitals, emergency responders, physicians and other medical providers have stepped up their opposition to the Jindal administration's planned restructuring of the state's Medicaid program. The Louisiana Ambulance Alliance, Louisiana Hospital Association, Louisiana State Medical Society and other groups announced the organization of the Coalition to Protect Louisiana's Healthcare to challenge... more »

• New Orleans pulling the plug on crime cameras

  October 15, 2010 12:14 PM

  The city of New Orleans is dropping its crime camera program. In seven years, the program has yielded six indictments. They include three for crimes caught on video and three for bribes and kickbacks a vendor is accused of paying a former city official to sell the cameras to city... more »

• SLCC plans midwifery training

  October 4, 2010 8:47 AM

  The community college in Lafayette plans the first degreed midwife training program in Louisiana and four nearby states. South Louisiana Community College dean Annette Accomando tells The Advocate that the program could begin as early as January if it wins fall approval from the regional accrediting agency. The college's proposal... more »

• Councilman touts effort to lure baseball academy

  September 29, 2010 5:39 AM

  A New Orleans City Council member will meet with a Major League Baseball official in hopes of bringing a youth program to a hurricane-damaged park. Arnie Fielkow meets today with Darrell Miller, director of the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy, as the city continues efforts to bring the Academy... more »

• Program under way for renewable power generation

  August 21, 2010 10:36 AM

  A pilot program endorsed by state utility regulators could establish guidelines for utilities generating or purchasing electricity from renewable sources. The intent is to create up to 350 megawatts of long-term renewable power within the next three years, enough to supply 2 percent of Louisiana's electricity needs. The Public Service... more »

• Texas couple charged in theft from nonprofit

  August 13, 2010 5:31 AM

  A Texas couple has been indicted on charges they conspired to embezzle more than $220,000 from a Louisiana health care benefit program where the wife worked. Melanie Newman and Michael Anthony Goodloe Jr. are charged with conspiracy, health care fraud and uttering forged securities. Newman worked as a bookkeeper for... more »

• Feds could pay farmers for wildlife habitat

  July 20, 2010 5:25 AM

  A new program could compensate farmers for agricultural practices that provide habitat to wildlife. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service says the program could pay farmers for creating mud flats in their fields, pumping water onto fields and holding water. State conservationist Kevin Norton says the same... more »

• Unique program helps cancer survivors

  June 24, 2010 10:09 PM

  A unique program helps people get back on track after battling cancer. News 2’s Sylvia Weatherspoon showed us how the Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge offers the perfect fit fur survivors to make a difference. more »

• Shrimp certification program created

  June 8, 2010 5:49 AM

  A program to market and certify Louisiana's wild-caught shrimp will be created and funded by two bills that have received final legislative passage. The branding campaign is designed to help the state's ailing shrimp industry, which has complained about foreign shrimp flooding the market. The bills backed by Gov. Bobby... more »

• BR 1 of 4 sites for childhood obesity program

  June 7, 2010 5:16 AM

  Baton Rouge is one of four cities chosen to participate in the National League of Cities childhood obesity program. The league plans this month to set up an 18-month partnership with Baton Rouge to assist in the development of community-wide wellness plans. In 2009, Louisiana ranked seventh in the nation... more »

• Buy from the boat program up and running

  June 2, 2010 6:08 AM

  Folks in Delcambre with a taste for fresh seafood will like a new program set up by the port. An internet link will allow consumers to place their orders with commercial fishermen while the boats are still out at sea. According to the LSU AgCenter, in less than a month... more »

• 75 grads of training program get oil spill jobs

  May 20, 2010 5:46 AM

  Seventy-five graduates of a training program run by environmental justice centers in New Orleans and Atlanta are now working on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup. Dillard University's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and Clark Atlanta University's Environmental Justice Resource Center have given environmental clean-up courses for 15... more »

• Appliance rebate program begins Saturday

  April 21, 2010 6:16 AM

  Beginning Saturday, Louisiana residents who buy new energy-efficient appliances can get rebates ranging from $75 to $500. Clothes washers, dishwashers, water heaters and heating and air conditioning systems are covered. Within 30 days, you must send proof that you've bought an Energy Star-rated appliance as a replacement. The EmPower Louisiana... more »

• Budget cuts threaten anti-truancy program

  April 20, 2010 7:42 AM

  District Attorney Hillar Moore says state budget cuts are threatening an anti-truancy program in Baton Rouge. Moore says the yearlong effort between his office and the East Baton Rouge Parish school system appears to be working. The campaign includes automated phone calls with Moore's voice to families with children not... more »

• Amnesty plan offered in Mansfield

  March 29, 2010 6:48 AM

  Mansfield police are offering amnesty through April 15 to those charged with various crimes or citations through mayor's court. The grace period will allow people to avoid arrest if the outstanding bench warrants and/or fines are resolved. After the deadline, Mansfield police will be on the hunt for those who... more »

• Pastorek: Stipend cuts OK

  February 24, 2010 6:23 AM

  State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek has reversed course on the merits of a national certification program that adds at least $5,000 a year to teachers' paychecks. Pastorek touted the achievement last year as vital to creating a world-class education system. He said Tuesday that national certification does not mean... more »

• From developmentally disabled to juvenile jail

  February 18, 2010 8:01 AM

  The Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice says a former home for the developmentally disabled is to become a moderate-security juvenile jail. The facility in Columbia will hold up to 48 youths and employ 43 staffers, starting next year. It won't get the most violent youths. After reports of violence and... more »

• Cleco offers new program for low-income customers

  February 2, 2010 5:12 AM

  A new program offered by utility provider Cleco could mean a 25 percent discount to low-income customers. The company says customers who meet certain income guidelines can apply to receive the discount on the fuel portion of their bills for July, August and September. Customers must apply at one of... more »

• Beautiful Black Girls have fashion show to raise money

  November 24, 2009 6:44 AM

  Beautiful Black Girls, Inc. is a group of women who reach out to young girls and teach them to be strong, positive people for free. Frances Farlow joined Whitney Vann with more on what they do. "Beautiful, Radiant Gems and Jewels" Fashion Show Southern University in the Smith-Brown Memorial... more »

• Prescription discount program starts in Ascension Parish

  November 2, 2009 1:35 PM

  Starting Monday, residents in Ascension Parish can start saving money on their prescription drugs. The parish has joined a prescription drug discount card program, sponsored by the National Association of Counties, or NACo. The program is geared towards people who are uninsured, those who don't have insurance, or those... more »