Podcasts about louisiana board

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a mixed race shoemaker in New Orleans, was arrested, convicted and fined $25 for taking a seat in a whites-only train car. This was not a random act. It was a carefully planned move by the Citizen's Committee, an activist group of Free People of Color, to fight a new law being enacted in Louisiana which threatened to re-impose segregation as the reforms made after the Civil War began to dissolve.The Citizen's Committee recruited Homer Plessy, a light skinned black man, to board a train and get arrested in order to push the case to the Supreme Court in hopes of a decision that would uphold equal rights. On May 18, 1896 the Supreme Court ruled on the Plessy v. Ferguson case establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine, upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation. The case sharply divided the nation racially and its defeat “gave teeth” to Jim Crow. The “separate but equal” decision not only applied to public transportation it spread into every aspect of life — schools, public toilets, public eating places. For some 58 years it was not recognized as unconstitutional until the Brown v. Public Education case was decided in 1954.Homer Plessy died in 1925 and his conviction for breaking the law remained on his record. In 2022, 125 years after his arrest, the Louisiana Board of Pardons voted unanimously to recommend that Homer Plessy be pardoned for his crime. The pardon was spearheaded by Keith Plessy, a descendent of Homer Plessy, and Phoebe Ferguson, the great-great granddaughter of John Howard Ferguson, the convicting judge in the case. The two have joined forces digging deep into this complex, little known story – setting the record straight, and working towards truth and reconciliation in the courtrooms, on the streets and in the schools of New Orleans and across the nation.The Plessy and Ferguson Foundation is responsible for erecting plaques throughout New Orleans commemorating African American historic sites and civil rights leaders.  

Jeff Richardson is an attorney practicing law in New Orleans at the office of Adams and Reese LLP. His practice areas include appellate litigation and representing defendants in class actions and complex litigation. He is an Appellate Practice Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and is currently one of only 13 attorneys in Louisiana with that certification and has been practicing law since 1994.We discuss how the Apple Vision Pro has been incorporated into his work. We also chat a fair bit about impressive photo and video apps for visionOS.Early episodes with chapter markers are available by supporting the podcast at www.visionpros.fm/patreon. Early episodes are also now available in Apple Podcasts!Show notes are available at www.VisionPros.fm. Feedback is welcomed at tim@visionpros.fm.Links: https://www.inthenewspodcast.comhttps://www.iphonejd.comhttps://ipadpros.net/2024/08/01/how-attorneys-use-the-ipad-with-jeff-richardson-ipad-pros-0203/Chapter Markers:00:00:00: Opening00:00:44: Support The Podcast00:01:08: Jeff Richardson00:02:34: Accessories00:05:15: Airplane00:07:42: Headstraps00:13:35: Input00:22:21: Anker00:27:05: MDM00:32:49: Mac Virtual Display00:38:54: Spreadsheets00:42:26: Video Conferencing00:47:16: Photos00:50:49: Immersive Apps01:02:03: In The Courtroom01:11:23: iPad Mirroring01:13:10: Anything Else?01:18:49: Dial M For Murder01:24:56: Follow iPhoneJD.com01:26:00: Closing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Louisiana Board of Regents is recommending that UNO move back into the LSU system. We speak with one of the Regents, Darren Mire, about the decision and how to best help UNO

* As temperatures start to increase, so do the mosquitoes. We'll talk with Zack Lemon with the Audubon Insectarium about tips for dealing with them, how you can check your property for breeding spots...and why they seem to prefer some of us over others * The Louisiana Board of Regents is recommending that UNO move back into the LSU system. We'll speak with one of the Regents, Darren Mire, about the decision and how to best help UNO

Jeff Richardson is an attorney practicing law in New Orleans at the office of Adams and Reese LLP. His practice areas include appellate litigation and representing defendants in class actions and complex litigation. He is an Appellate Practice Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and is currently one of only 13 attorneys in Louisiana with that certification and has been practicing law since 1994. We discuss how the iPad has transformed his work and has done so since the very first iPad was released. We also chat a bit on the potential for Artificial Intelligence as an attorney and what the ramifications may be. This episode is sponsored by Agenda, the award winning app that seamlessly integrates calendar events into your note taking. Learn more at www.agenda.com. Agenda 19 is now available as a free download on visionOS, iPadOS, iOS, and macOS. Early episodes with chapter markers are available by supporting the podcast at www.patreon.com/ipadpros. Early episodes are also now available in Apple Podcasts!Show notes are available at www.iPadPros.net. Feedback is welcomed at iPadProsPodcast@gmail.com.Links:https://www.inthenewspodcast.comhttps://www.iphonejd.comhttps://www.relay.fm/people/jeffrichardsonhttps://staging.adonit.net/jot/pro/Chapter Markers:00:00:00: Opening00:01:45: Support the Podcast00:02:18: Jeff Richardson00:08:06: Nano-Texture?00:18:44: Accessories for your iPad00:28:19: VGA00:30:07: External Monitor? 00:32:15: iPad inside the Apple Vision Pro 00:34:23: VNC00:37:21: Cellular00:39:27: Sponsor - Agenda 1900:42:19: How big is your practice?00:46:11: OCR00:48:09: iManage00:50:20: PDF Expert00:52:00: Before the iPad00:56:34: Universal Control for Windows?00:57:57: MDM01:03:28: M chips01:05:19: Favorite improvements to iPad over the decade?01:09:01: Styluses01:15:27: Scanning01:16:56: Any other tasks? 01:21:01: Final Cut Pro for iPad01:24:17: iPad as a personal computer01:25:17: Artifical Intelligence01:26:43: Photos01:30:38: Any apps you wish existed on the iPad?01:32:01: What has impressed your coworkers the most with? 01:33:30: Apple Intelligence01:35:47: All of your previous iPads01:37:50: Anything else?01:38:31: In The News01:39:35: Lawyer TV Shows01:41:53: Closing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Louisiana Community College's ("SoLAcc") Anne Falgout, Director of Strategic Communications, and Lana Fontenot, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and External Relations and Executive Director of the College's Foundation, join Discover Lafayette to discuss the latest developments at SoLAcc and its recent rebranding. SoLAcc currently offers more than 50 programs, leading to associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates, to almost 12,000 students annually, at its campuses in Abbeville, Crowley, Franklin, Lafayette, Morgan City, New Iberia, Opelousas, St. Martinville, and Ville Platte. The College also offers a wide range of non-credit instruction and training, for careers that need certification training such as power linemen, industrial scaffolding, and commercial driving, which students can complete in under six months. Following an Academic Blueprint prepared five years in advance, SoLAcc endeavors to build educational programs that fit the needs of each community they serve. Many people in our region don't have high school diplomas, and SoLAcc steps up to offer Adult Basic Education Services, assisting individuals in passing the High School Equivalency Exam ("HiSET") which replaced the former GED exam. Students of all ages come to SoLAcc for this program, sometimes after their own children graduate from high school, and are guided by the college counselors to figure out the best way to obtain an appropriate degree while qualifying for grants, loans, and other institutional aid resources to help cover the cost of their education. SoLAcc was awarded the Hunger-Free Campus Award by the Louisiana Board of Regents in 2024. The typical age of a SoLAcc student has declined in recent years, from 27 years of age to 24 years of age today. This is a huge shift in demographics, due to the college's effective outreach program. Additionally, SoLAcc's tuition is on average about 40% less than a tradtional four-year colleges and institutions. Anne Falgout says, "The top issues that come up when we speak with prospective students is affordability and flexibility in classes as they choose which institution to attend. Affordability plus Quality equals Value!" Student Success Live is an in-person new-student orientation that all students take before registering. Guidance on resources and expectations help SoLAcc's retention rate of students. About 3/4 of the college's students are first generation college students and have no frame of reference about what to expect. Many know no one who has gone to college. SoLAcc works to help each student holistically and offers free tutoring at every campus. More than one-half of SoLAcc's students are university bound and find that first obtaining a two-year Associate's degree at the college is the most economical method to earn their credits. SoLAcc partners not only with UL-Lafayette, but also McNeese, Holy Cross, and Nicholls State to offer a 2 + 2 agreement that allows students to seamlessly transfer their credits from the community college to the universities. Lana pointed out that SoLAcc is the largest feeder of students to UL-Lafayette and its graduates start the university ready to excel. The Early College Academy, which is 'baked into SoLAcc's Devalcourt location in Lafayette," is rated in the top 1% of public high schools in Louisiana, and is particularly well-known for its students' math and reading proficiencies. The high school shares faculty with SoLAcc and the benefit of of this dual enrollment program is that students can earn their two-year Associate's Degree while earning their high school diploma. This enables the students to start at a university as a Junior. Many people attend SoLAcc after having graduated from a traditional four-year college and established in a career. As an example close to home, Lana's husband, educated to be a teacher and experienced as a fifteen-year veteran of teaching middle and high school stu...

3 - The end of democracy. That threat looms over an election loss, according to both major presidential candidates. Trump holds the mirror up to the lefties echoing that sentiment if Trump is elected.  310 - Nebraska is about to change the way they count electoral votes and the Mainstream Media cannot fathom that. At least when the Republicans do it, they go through the courts. 330 - Gordon Chang joins the program to discuss the repercussions of the earthquake in Taiwan. How was their infrastructure able to stay upright after a massive earthquake? How real are the reports that China was doing flyovers and placing ships in the area near Taiwan after the earthquake? Are they getting ready to strike? How Biden and the administration handle this will set a precedent going forward.  350 - Revisiting Kim Mulkey's controversy. 4 - The Louisiana Board of Regents is moving to pass legislation to penalize student-athletes for not being on the playing surface during the national anthem.  410 - Paul Pierce finally respects Caitlin Clark after she beat LSU, for an entirely different reason. We then move to primary voting, where there are factions on both sides of the isle not satisfied with the nominees.  420 - How do we feel about self checkout at stores? We take your calls regarding the matter, as Amazon looks to close some of their walk-out stores. 450 - Taking more of your calls. 5 - Drive @ 5 - Scott Presler joins us from Amish country to touch base on what he's been up to, including milking a cow! As Scott continues to enroll the Amish as voters, he lets the people know just how much their vote matters as it pertains to Pennsylvania. What will Scott be doing this week to increase voter turnout? What transpired between Scott and the RNC?  520 - Cicadas will be back in full force this summer, but did you know that Mike's brother wrote a song about them? 525 - Beyonce's cover of “Jolene” 530 - Ozempic for Ramadan 540 - We're all over the place. 550 - Playing clips from The View where they yet again assume the general population is dumb, and Joy Reid is once again spouting racist rhetoric on National TV. 6 - Oh, to be born in an earlier generation… How do we feel about kid on screens at restaurants? 610 - Mike might have to bail out Friday for the Final Four. 630 - Dr. Michael Roizen joins us to discuss the avian flu evolving and jumping to humans, and the distrust of vaccines here in America that could contribute to more avian flu deaths than we should have. They then turn to the discussion of vaping and smoking weed, and vaping turns out to be worse than smoke! 650 - Rounding up today's show and teasing tomorrow.

Continuing the important conversation on encouraging a drug-free college experience, our hosts Jodie Sweetin and Dr. Krystal Lewis, along with their guests, delve deeper into the challenges and solutions for college-bound students and their families. Dr. Calvin Mackie shares personal experiences and innovative methods to stay connected with college students, emphasizing validation and open communication. He underscores the power of empathy and kindness in supporting students facing drug-related challenges. The episode offers indispensable advice for parents embarking on college tours, emphasizing thorough research into campuses and an understanding of factors influencing students' decisions.  The episode concludes with reflections on self-esteem, validation, and understanding as guiding principles for young adults making safe choices during their college years. Dr. Mackie provides insights into his STEM NOLA initiative, designed to engage students in STEM education. The guests share their final thoughts on supporting students in their journey toward a drug-free college experience. Join us for a crucial discussion offering guidance and inspiration for both parents and students alike.   Key Takeaways: Dr. Calvin Mackie emphasizes the importance of validation and open communication as means to support students facing drug-related challenges. Thorough research and understanding of campus dynamics are crucial for parents embarking on college tours. Social media hashtags, like those on TikTok, play a significant role in shaping campus discussions and creating communities focused on sobriety. The importance of asking questions during college tours is highlighted, along with the introduction of collegiate recovery programs. Dr. Smith discusses red flags that parents should be aware of and the importance of providing additional support when needed. Dr. Mackie's STEM NOLA initiative aims to engage students in STEM education, providing them with valuable opportunities.   Jodie Sweetin is an actress, author, and advocate, best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on the iconic sitcom "Full House" and its sequel "Fuller House". In 2009 she penned her memoir, "unSweetined", which chronicles her journey through addiction and into recovery. With her frank and open approach, Jodie has emerged as a compelling speaker and advocate who now seeks to use her platform and experiences to educate others and reduce the stigma associated with addiction and recovery. @jodiesweetin Amy McCarthy, LICSW, is a Director of Clinical Social Work at Boston Children's Hospital's Division of Addiction Medicine. She has been working in the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program since 2019. @amymccarthylicsw Dr. Allison M. Smith serves as the Assistant Commissioner for Student Health and Wellness for the Louisiana Board of Regents. In this role, she facilitates the Louisiana Higher Education Coalition, oversees statewide Core Survey administration, provides professional development training for higher education staff and stakeholders, facilitates campus community partnerships, and renders technical assistance around the issue of substance use prevention and expanding collegiate recovery in Louisiana's collegiate communities. Additionally, Dr. Smith also focuses on broader campus safety issues such as hazing prevention, increasing equitable access to mental health resources and policy matters related to the implementation of Title IX and Power-Based Violence statutes. Dr. Smith, a native of Baton Rouge, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Southern University in 2009, a Master of Public Administration from Louisiana State University in May 2011, followed by a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Research and Counseling with a specialization in Higher Education Administration in 2016. Dr. Calvin Mackie is an award-winning mentor, inventor, author, former engineering professor, internationally renowned speaker, and successful entrepreneur. In 2013, Dr. Mackie founded STEM NOLA, a non-profit organization created to expose, inspire, and engage communities in the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To Date, STEM NOLA has engaged over 125,000 K-12 students in hands-on project-based STEM activities. In 2021, he launched STEM Global Action to advance K-12 Stem education across the U.S. and the world. Natalie is currently a psychology major at California Institute of Integral Studies, and plans to use her degree to work in psychedelic-assisted therapy. She received her Associate's Degree from Santa Barbara City College, where she now works as a psychology tutor. In her free time, Natalie does Krav Maga, and will be receiving her black belt in January 2024. Elks: As a 150-year-old organization, they are 100% inclusive with a membership of close to 1 million diverse men and women in over 2,000 Lodges nationally, and while they consider themselves faith based, they are nondenominational and open to all creeds. The Elks have always prided themselves on civic duty, and the Elks Drug and Alcohol Prevention (DAP) program is the nation's largest all volunteer Kids Drug & Alcohol Use Prevention program. The Elks are also strong supporters of our brave men and women in the military, having built and donated the nation's first VA Hospital to the U.S. government. The Elks have donated more than $3.6 billion in cash, goods, and services to enrich the lives of millions of people!  DEA: The United States Drug Enforcement Administration was created in 1973 by President Nixon after the government noticed an alarming rise in recreational drug use and drug-related crime. A division of the Department of Justice, DEA enforces controlled substances laws by apprehending offenders to be prosecuted for criminal and civil crimes. DEA is the largest and most effective antidrug organization in the world, with 241 domestic locations in 23 field divisions and 93 international field divisions in 69  countries.   Resources/Links Get Smart About Drugs Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Substance Use Prevention One Pill Could Kill SAMHSA | Help and Treatment   DEA Website DEA on Instagram DEA on Twitter DEA on Facebook DEA YouTube Channel   Elks Kid Zone Website Elks Drug Awareness Program Website Elks DAP on Twitter Elks DAP on Facebook Elks DAP on YouTube   Jodie Sweetin's Links Jodie's Instagram Jodie's TikTok   Amy McCarthy's Links Amy's Instagram Boston Children's Hospital Instagram Boston Children's Hospital Addiction Medicine   Dr. Allison Smith 's Links Allison's Twitter Allison's LinkedIn Louisiana Board of Regents Campus Drug Prevention For the Culture: The Role of Family, Faith, and Cultural Competence in Prevention at HBCUs in Louisiana Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Prevention Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Dr. Allison Smith Prevention with Purpose: A Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students Prevention with Purpose: Considering Culture Throughout the Strategic Prevention Framework   Dr. Calvin Mackie's Links Calvin's Twitter Calvin's Facebook Calvin's Instagram STEM Global Action STEM NOLA STEM NOLA YouTube  

In this two-part episode, titled "On Their Own But Not Alone: Encouraging a Drug-Free College Experience," begins with the excitement and challenges of sending your kids off to college, a milestone that every parent faces. Dr. Allison M. Smith, Assistant Commissioner for Student Health and Wellness at the Louisiana Board of Regents, contributes valuable insights into the primary factors behind drug misuse among college students. The conversation continues with Dr. Smith shedding light on the significance of balancing harm reduction vs. prevention. Dr. Calvin Mackie, an accomplished mentor, STEM  advocate, university professor and the father of two college age boys, shares his decades of experience and provides valuable insights into the social dynamics of college life. Natalie, a psychology major in her junior year of college, adds a unique perspective to the episode as she discusses the prevalent substances used by college students, such as alcohol, cannabis, and stimulants. The conversation further explores the challenges faced by students with ADHD and the importance of early diagnoses. Dr. Mackie advises parents to stay connected to their children in college, emphasizing affirmations and effective communication. The episode culminates in practical advice for parents navigating college tours, including the necessity of research, an understanding of annual security reports, and insights into the potential risks associated with Greek organizations. Join us for an informative discussion on ensuring a drug-free college experience for young adults.   Key Takeaways: Sending kids off to college is an exciting yet challenging milestone for parents, and it's essential to prepare for it. Family history plays a significant role in drug misuse, making it important to understand these dynamics. College campuses often involve drink counting, emphasizing the need to understand the social standards and peer pressures. Dr. Calvin Mackie reveals insights into the socialization dynamics of college life, including several surprising revelations! Alcohol, cannabis, and stimulants like Adderall are commonly used by college students, and early ADHD diagnoses are crucial. Effective communication, affirmations, and staying connected with college-bound kids are vital for their well-being. Parents should research colleges thoroughly, review annual security reports, and be aware of the risks associated with Greek organizations. Social media hashtags can unveil campus trends related to substance use, and programs promoting sobriety and on-site counseling are essential resources.   Jodie Sweetin is an actress, author, and advocate, best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on the iconic sitcom "Full House" and its sequel "Fuller House". In 2009 she penned her memoir, "unSweetined", which chronicles her journey through addiction and into recovery. With her frank and open approach, Jodie has emerged as a compelling speaker and advocate who now seeks to use her platform and experiences to educate others and reduce the stigma associated with addiction and recovery. @jodiesweetin Amy McCarthy, LICSW, is a Director of Clinical Social Work at Boston Children's Hospital's Division of Addiction Medicine. She has been working in the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program since 2019. @amymccarthylicsw Dr. Allison M. Smith serves as the Assistant Commissioner for Student Health and Wellness for the Louisiana Board of Regents. In this role, she facilitates the Louisiana Higher Education Coalition, oversees statewide Core Survey administration, provides professional development training for higher education staff and stakeholders, facilitates campus community partnerships, and renders technical assistance around the issue of substance use prevention and expanding collegiate recovery in Louisiana's collegiate communities. Additionally, Dr. Smith also focuses on broader campus safety issues such as hazing prevention, increasing equitable access to mental health resources and policy matters related to the implementation of Title IX and Power-Based Violence statutes. Dr. Smith, a native of Baton Rouge, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Southern University in 2009, a Master of Public Administration from Louisiana State University in May 2011, followed by a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Research and Counseling with a specialization in Higher Education Administration in 2016. Dr. Calvin Mackie is an award-winning mentor, inventor, author, former engineering professor, internationally renowned speaker, and successful entrepreneur. In 2013, Dr. Mackie founded STEM NOLA, a non-profit organization created to expose, inspire, and engage communities in the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To date, STEM NOLA has engaged over 125,000 K-12 students in hands-on project-based STEM activities. In 2021, he launched STEM Global Action to advance K-12 Stem education across the U.S. and the world. Natalie is currently a psychology major at California Institute of Integral Studies, and plans to use her degree to work in psychedelic-assisted therapy. She received her Associate's Degree from Santa Barbara City College, where she now works as a psychology tutor. In her free time, Natalie does Krav Maga, and will be receiving her black belt in January 2024. Elks: As a 150-year-old organization, they are 100% inclusive with a membership of close to 1 million diverse men and women in over 2,000 Lodges nationally, and while they consider themselves faith based, they are nondenominational and open to all creeds. The Elks have always prided themselves on civic duty, and the Elks Drug and Alcohol Prevention (DAP) program is the nation's largest all volunteer Kids Drug & Alcohol Use Prevention program. The Elks are also strong supporters of our brave men and women in the military, having built and donated the nation's first VA Hospital to the U.S. government. The Elks have donated more than $3.6 billion in cash, goods, and services to enrich the lives of millions of people!  DEA: The United States Drug Enforcement Administration was created in 1973 by President Nixon after the government noticed an alarming rise in recreational drug use and drug-related crime. A division of the Department of Justice, DEA enforces controlled substances laws by apprehending offenders to be prosecuted for criminal and civil crimes. DEA is the largest and most effective antidrug organization in the world, with 241 domestic locations in 23 field divisions and 93 international field divisions in 69  countries.   Resources/Links Get Smart About Drugs Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Substance Use Prevention One Pill Could Kill SAMHSA | Help and Treatment   DEA Website DEA on Instagram DEA on Twitter DEA on Facebook DEA YouTube Channel   Elks Kid Zone Website Elks Drug Awareness Program Website Elks DAP on Twitter Elks DAP on Facebook Elks DAP on YouTube   Jodie Sweetin's Links Jodie's Instagram Jodie's TikTok   Amy McCarthy's Links Amy's Instagram Boston Children's Hospital Instagram Boston Children's Hospital Addiction Medicine   Dr. Allison Smith 's Links Allison's Twitter Allison's LinkedIn Louisiana Board of Regents Campus Drug Prevention For the Culture: The Role of Family, Faith, and Cultural Competence in Prevention at HBCUs in Louisiana Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Prevention Prevention Profiles: Take Five - Dr. Allison Smith Prevention with Purpose: A Strategic Planning Guide for Preventing Drug Misuse Among College Students Prevention with Purpose: Considering Culture Throughout the Strategic Prevention Framework   Dr. Calvin Mackie's Links Calvin's Twitter Calvin's Facebook Calvin's Instagram STEM Global Action STEM NOLA STEM NOLA YouTube  

Jeff is joined by two guests this week, Lauren Jewett is a candidate for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Benjamin Hoffmann is a long time comedian and organizer with New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America. Follow Lauren on Twitter Follow Benjamin on Twitter   SUPPORT GOOD MORNING COMRADE Subscribe on Youtube  Follow Jeff on Twitter Email us! goodmorningcomrade.com Twitter Facebook Leave a review! 5 stars and say something nice to spread the word about the show!    

Across the Gulf South, parents' organizations have been leading efforts to ban books they say  are inappropriate for children and teens. But libraries and bookstores are pushing back, celebrating Banned Books Week. The Gulf States Newsroom's Drew Hawkins and Maya Miller report on efforts to celebrate the books that have been removed from the shelves. In June, nearly all of Louisiana's 57 death row inmates filed clemency applications with the Louisiana Board of Pardons, asking Gov. John Bel Edwards to commute their sentences to life in prison. Edwards declined to commute the sentences, but asked the state's Committee on Parole to set clemency hearings for the inmates – and publicly announced that he supports abolishing the death penalty. But the clemency effort was brought to an abrupt halt when prosecutors struck a deal with the state pardons board to consider only five clemency applications, at most. This came after a Baton Rouge judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to halt all 55 clemency requests. James Finn, who covers criminal justice reporter The Times-Picayune / The Advocate, joins us for more about this blow to the historic death row clemency effort – and what it means for the incarcerated people at the center of the movement. In September, Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge announced that it will open Louisiana's first inpatient maternal mental health unit. The unit will serve pregnant and postpartum patients in an effort to increase maternal health care in a state that consistently has higher than average maternal complications and mortality. Woman's Hospital president and CEO Rene Ragas, and Cheri Johnson, the hospital's executive vice president and chief nursing officer, join us to discuss the groundbreaking clinic. Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts.  Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The federal government narrowly avoided a shutdown this weekend after a resolution passed to keep agencies open until Nov. 17. While some members of Congress celebrated it as a victory, another potential shutdown still looms large.  Mark Ballard, with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, tells us how a federal government shutdown would impact Louisianans.  In August, the Biden administration opened the first-ever wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, allowing companies to bid for the rights to put turbines off the coast of southwest Louisiana and east Texas. Despite excitement leading up to the lease sale, it only attracted two bidders, leaving an uncertain future for the state's brand new industry.To learn more about the sale, why there weren't more bidders and what happens next, we are joined by Jenny Netherton, Louisiana program manager for the Southeastern Wind Coalition, and Helen Rose Patterson, senior campaign manager for the National Wildlife Federation's Offshore Wind Energy program. Approximately 29% of students at four-year colleges and 38% at two-year schools in the U.S. experience food insecurity,  according to a 2020 study. In response, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved hunger-free campus designations for 31 public and four private higher education institutions across the state. Susannah Craig, the board's deputy commissioner for strategic planning and student success and senior policy analyst Lupe Lamadrid join us to share what these designations mean for the fight against student hunger. Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 p.m. It's available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to. Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we're talking about prevention in the higher ed setting with Dr. Allison Smith who facilitates a statewide higher education prevention coalition, provides professional development training for higher education staff and stakeholders, facilitates campus community partnerships and delivers technical assistance around the issue of substance use prevention collegiate communities. This episode is jam-packed with wisdom from Dr. Smith on strategic planning in higher ed prevention, how to utilize the Strategic Prevention Framework, increasing collegiate recovery communities and even how to leverage social capital. We also get into a wonderful conversation about owning your authenticity in the workplace. Dr. Smith and I both share fun stories of how we have each grown to embrace our authenticity. Allison is an amazing person! Seriously... if you haven't hit play yet, here's a little more about her: Dr. Allison Smith serves as the Assistant Commissioner for Student Health and Wellness for the Louisiana Board of Regents. In this role she facilitates the Louisiana Higher Education Coalition, oversees statewide core survey administration, provides professional development training for higher education staff and stakeholders, facilitates campus community partnerships and delivers technical assistance around the issue of substance use prevention in Louisiana's collegiate communities. Additionally, Dr. Smith also focuses on broader campus safety issues such as hazing prevention, increasing access to mental health resources and policy matters related to the implementation of Title IX and power-based violence statutes. Dr. Smith is a native of Baton Rouge. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern University in 2009, a master's degree in public administration from Louisiana State University in May 2011, followed by a doctoral degree in educational leadership, research and counseling with a specialization in higher education administration in 2016. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Allison received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Southern University in 2009, a Masters of Public Administration from Louisiana State University in May 2011 followed by a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Research and Counseling with a specialization in Higher Education Administration in 2016 also from Louisiana State University. Allison has spent the last 10 years working in the field of substance mis/use prevention and recovery in higher education, with eight of those years being spent at Louisiana State University until moving to the Louisiana Board of Regents, where she currently champions this work. A consistent passion for Allison is addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and access in the world of prevention programming and recovery in higher education – on both the student and staff sides. In sharing her personal experiences, Allison is able to help audience identify areas for collaboration and mutual wins from a different perspective they may not have previously considered in their good faith efforts to collectively problem-solve. Through her love of conversation and collaboration (and pop culture), Allison enjoys connecting multiple parties to create innovative yet practical solutions and making “hard” or “difficult” conversations empathetic, informative and actionable to create a more just and equitable world. Additionally, Allison enjoys encouraging others to fully be their authentic selves in every arena and to discover, develop and leverage their social capital. With extensive experience, a passionate desire for change and a humorous stage presence, Allison is sure to motivate, captivate and educate your audience -- all while inspiring them to action. Sit back and enjoy the show! Episode links:

www.themidnighttrainpodcast.com  Hello, you crazy, beautiful bastards. And happy new year. We hope your Christmas or whatever holiday you chose to celebrate was a great one. As you probably know, we took the week off to be with our families, and this week we're back with another banger, as the cool kids say. We are hopping back into the dark, twisted world of UNSOLVED true crime—the best and only way to serve that horrible cold dish. We know you guys love that shit, and so do we. Of course, not in a weird "sitting alone in front of my computer masturbating to unsolved terrible crimes" sort of way, but in more of a "gee-whiz Mr. Wilson, that's interesting, I'd like to learn more" kind of way. And with that out of the way, let's get into today's episode on the Jennings 8!   The Jennings 8, sometimes also referred to as the Jeff Davis 8, is a series of unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish in Louisiana between 2005- 2009. And for those of you wondering, no, Moody wasn't living there yet. So he's been cleared of this one. This one.  Two of the victims had their throats slit; the other six were in such a bad state of decay that a cause of death could not be determined, but asphyxiation is thought to be the cause. Law enforcement would have you believe a serial killer was on the loose but is that really what happened? Or was something crazier going down?  Let's take a look at the unfortunate victims first.    The first body found was that of Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis. She was 28 and last seen on 05/17/05 in Jennings, Louisiana. Her body was found in the Grand Marais Canal 05/20/05 and floating in Grand Marais Canal's east fork, a few miles southwest of Jennings. She was partially clothed and shoeless. The advanced decomposition caused difficulty identifying and collecting evidence, and an autopsy found Loretta had no physical injuries. A toxicology report showed "high levels of drugs and alcohol" in her system, but no cause of death was determined. Investigators believe she may have been in the canal for three to four days.    The second victim, Ernestine Patterson, was a mother of four and a lifelong Jennings resident. The 30-year-old was last seen on June 16, 2005. On June 18, her body was discovered in a drainage canal off LA Highway 102. She was partially clothed, and her throat had been slit. The death was ruled a homicide, and two people were arrested and charged with 2nd-degree murder but were later released due to "lack of evidence." She worked at Iota State University.   The third victim was Kristen Elizabeth Gary-Lopez. Kristen was last seen alive by friends and family on March 6, 2007. By all published accounts, Kristen was involved in a high-risk lifestyle of drugs and prostitution. Because it was not unusual to not hear from her for extended amounts of time, she was not reported missing until ten days later.   On March 18, a fisherman discovered Lopez's utterly nude body in the Petitjean Canal, a rural area near Cherokee Road right off LA 99, about 10 miles south of the town of Welsh. Investigators felt her body had been placed in that location but killed elsewhere. According to autopsy results, the cause of death for Kristen Gary Lopez is undetermined. However, toxicology results showed elevated levels of drugs and alcohol in Lopez's system. In May 2007, Frankie Richard and his niece, Hannah Conner, were arrested in connection with Lopez's death. Richard and Conner were also questioned about the other deaths before Lopez's body was found. Richard was reportedly seen with three of the victims in the last days of their lives. Charges were eventually dropped due to insufficient evidence and conflicting witness statements.   Also arrested in May 2007 was Tracee L. Chaisson. The police booked her on Accessory After the Fact charges. Chaisson was the person who reported Kristen missing. Investigators believed she knew where the body was when she made the report. Like Richard and Conner, charges were dropped against Tracee Chaisson due to lack of evidence and conflicting statements.       Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, was last seen on 05/10/07. Her remains were found 05/12/07 at the intersection of Bobby and Earl Duhon Roads, approximately five miles outside of Jennings, Louisiana.   According to the family, "Whitnei enjoyed listening to music, absolutely adored her daughter, was tough on the outside despite her vulnerabilities within, and left a lasting impression on all those who knew and loved her."   The nude body of Whitnei Dubois was found 05/12/07 near the intersection of Bobby and Earl Duhon Roads, approximately five miles outside of Jennings. Investigators believe she had been dead "a couple of days." Officials never determined the cause of death, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.    Her family has doubts about the investigation into her death. Whitnei's sister Brittney Jones wonders, "why haven't we been questioned? Why haven't we been asked when was the last time we saw our sister? Where her whereabouts was? Why haven't we been asked about the evidence? Why haven't we been contacted?"   Lolita Doucet, her aunt, believes Whitnei and the other victims were dismissed as women who lived high-risk lifestyles involving drugs and prostitution.   23-year-old LaConia Shontel "Muggy" Brown was last seen on May 27, 2008. Around 2 am on May 29, a Jennings police officer discovered her body lying on Racca Road, leading to the police firing range. Although in a rural area, Brown's body was the first found within the city limits of Jennings. She would become the 5th victim of the Jennings 8. LaConia was clothed but had no shoes on. Her throat had been slit, and someone had doused her body with bleach. Brown was wearing a white, tank-top style shirt stained from white to pink. Police believed the stain to be blood and that some type of liquid had diluted it from red to pink. They discovered more evidence and potential leads in this case than in any of the previous deaths since Brown's body was found about six hours after it was left on the road.   LaConia's family stated that she may have known something horrible was about to happen to her and that she was living in fear just days before her death. She was a lifelong resident of Jennings and attended Jennings High School.   Crystal 'Shay' Benoit Zeno, 23, was last seen 08/29/08. Her remains were found on 09/11/08 near a dry irrigation canal a few miles from Jennings, Louisiana.   Crystal was employed with Sonic in Lake Arthur until May 2008, when she moved to Jennings. She enjoyed spending time with her daughter, fishing, singing, and listening to music. She was a people-person, who also enjoyed spending time with friends.   According to her parents, Shay was diagnosed with bipolar at 12 and started using drugs early to cope with the illness.   On 09/11/08, hunters reported a foul smell in a wooded area to authorities. The remains of Crystal Shay were found around 3:00 pm on the LaCour Road levee, off LA Highway 1126, a few miles southeast of Jennings. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, she was not identified with DNA until nearly two months later, on 11/07/08. Her death was ruled a homicide, although the cause of death and toxicology reports have not been released to the public.   Crystal, who went by "Shay," was married and had a young daughter. She also knew many of the other victims, including Brittney Gary.   17-year-old Brittney Gary became the 7th and youngest victim. Brittney walked out of the Family Dollar Store in Jennings, never to be seen alive again; sometime after 5:30 pm that day, she was abducted. Thirteen days passed as her family, and a concerned public held out hope that Brittney was safe and would be located soon. Sadly, on November 15, 2008, her deceased body was found in a grassy area outside Jennings. According to her family, Brittney loved to swim, hang out with her friends, and listen to music. She enjoyed spending time with her friends and family and was a friendly and loving person. She was also trusted by the third victim Kristine Gary Lopez. She also knew several of the other victims. Necole Jean Guillory, 26, was last seen on 08/16/09. Her remains were discovered on 08/19/09 near the westbound I-10 exit in Egan, Louisiana.   She was a resident of Lake Arthur, and according to her family, enjoyed listening to music and loved being outdoors.   Necole's remains were discovered on 08/19/09 by a highway worker mowing grass. She was left between mile markers 72 & 73, near the westbound I-10 Egan exit (between Crowley and Jennings) in Acadia Parish. Mark Dawson, Acadia Parish Coroner, ruled the death of Necole murder by probable asphyxia.    According to Necole's mother, shortly before her daughter's disappearance, she'd asked her what kind of icing she wanted for her birthday cake. Necole replied it didn't matter because she wouldn't see her birthday. Unfortunately, her premonition was correct: her body was found just days before her birthday. She also confided in her Mom that police killed the other young women, and it would only be a matter of time before she ended up dead too. Holy shit! What the hell is going on down there?   Ok, so those are the unfortunate victims in the case. Did a serial killer kill them? In December 2008, Officials formed a multi-agency investigative team (MAIT) of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to solve the killings. At the time, there were seven dead women, and the reward for information leading to the guilty party's arrest was increased from $35,000 to $85,000. From the outset, the task force was searching for a serial killer. "It is the collective opinion of all agencies involved in this investigation," said then Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards, who was flanked by FBI agents, Louisiana State Police, and sheriffs from neighboring parishes at a press conference announcing the task force's inception, "that these murders may have been committed by a common offender."    In 2012 the new Jefferson Davis sheriff claimed they still had no evidence that these deaths were all related or even homicides. Now, he may be technically correct, but most find this incredibly hard to believe, given the evidence and connections. At the time, most people chalked this up to the work of a serial killer preying on sex workers. If you're interested in serial killers, you'll know that this is not unusual. Many serial killers get started by killing sex workers as they are viewed as less important and less likely to be missed. Killers believe they can easily get away with murders of women who partake in this work line because nobody cares about them. As far as suspects go, some were arrested and released, as we've mentioned earlier.     However, one man believes that this was not the work of a serial killer. Writer Ethan Brown spent several years investigating this case and had discovered some interesting things in the process.    Buckle up bitches. This is about to be a crazy ride!   In one article he wrote for medium.com, Brown says, "Over the past two years, I have obtained and reviewed hundreds of pages of task force witness interviews, the homicide case files on several of the victims, the Jeff Davis Parish sheriff's office's and Jeff Davis Parish district attorney's files on all of the victims, federal and state court records, and the complete personnel files of the cops and sheriff's deputies at the center of the case. I have interviewed friends and family of all eight victims, as well as some of the possible suspects.   The details of the Jeff Davis 8 case can be murky; the connections between victims, suspects, and police tangled. My investigation, however, casts serious doubt on the theory that the Jeff Davis 8 is the work of a serial killer."   Brown goes on to say, "One fact is clear: local law enforcement is far too steeped in misconduct and corruption—and this extends to the task force, which is dominated by detectives and deputies from the sheriff's office—to run an investigation with the integrity that the murdered women and their families deserve after nearly a decade in which no one has been brought to justice."   One reason Brown doesn't believe this was the work of a serial killer is the connections between all of the victims. Generally, serial killers kill victims who have no relation to other victims. However, the women themselves all knew one another intimately. Some were related by blood (such as cousins Kristen Gary Lopez and Brittney Gary) or lived together (Gary bunked down with Crystal Benoit in South Jennings just before being killed in 2008). They solicited prostitution at the Boudreaux Inn, a now-shuttered motel in Jennings that, with its sloping blue metal roof and nondescript white façade, could be mistaken for a storage facility. The inn was ideally situated in Jennings's heady drugs and sex trade—just off a 400-mile stretch of Interstate 10 connecting Houston to New Orleans, favored by marijuana and cocaine traffickers and prescription-pill "doctor shoppers"—and cops were there on a near-nightly basis for busts. Loretta Lewis, the first victim, was the subject of several complaints to the police based on her activity at the inn.   Brown also says, "It wasn't simply that they traded their bodies at the same address. According to my reporting, all but one of the victims—Ernestine Patterson—were associated with the same fixture of the Jennings underworld: a 58-year-old oil-rig worker turned strip-club owner named Frankie Richard. "We shared something," he said of the murdered women, his voice so raspy it sounded as though he had been gargling rocks. "When we were at the lowest point of our life, and no one wanted to have anything to do with us, we had something to do with each other. And that means something to me. Them girls were my friends no matter how fucking low my life was. And I was their friend no matter how fuckin' low their life was."   Richard described the city of Jennings when the killings began: "It was wide open… The drugs, the prostitution, the bars, the crooked cops." Since the early 1990s, there have been nearly 20 unsolved homicides, including the slain eight women, in Jefferson Davis Parish, a statistic any competent sheriff's department would regard as both a shallow clearance rate and an astonishingly high murder rate for a small area.   As for suspects, Brown had found several while going through the reports from the task force and interviewing witnesses. In 2007, Frankie Richard himself was briefly charged in the Lopez killing, but those charges were dropped after witnesses provided conflicting statements and an essential piece of physical evidence was mishandled. Richard died in 2020.    Byron Chad Jones and Lawrence Nixon (a cousin of the fifth victim, Laconia Brown) were briefly charged with second-degree murder in the Ernestine Patterson case. But despite several witnesses implicating them, the sheriff's office did not test the alleged crime scene until 15 months after Patterson's murder and found it "failed to demonstrate the presence of blood." That messed-up crime scene work contributed, in part, to the collapse of the case against the two men. According to case files, Jennings street hustlers with connections to Richard were suspected in the deaths of some of the other women.    Brown claims no credible suspects outside the Jennings drug circle have been found, yet the official narrative is still that of a serial killer.    Another strange connection is that the murdered women of the Jeff Davis 8 (aka, the Jennings 8) provided information to law enforcement about other Jeff Davis 8 victims—and then turned up dead themselves. For example, Laconia Brown (the fifth victim) was interrogated about the 2005 killing of Ernestine Patterson (the second victim). Brown, the article author, obtained by a task force report in which one witness claims that Brown, the murder victim, spotted the body of Loretta Lewis (the first victim) floating in the Grand Marais Canal before Jerry Jackson discovered her there in May 2005. In 2006, detectives investigating Lewis's murder interrogated Kristen Gary Lopez (the third victim).   "She knew what was going on," Melissa Daigle, Lopez's mother, told Brown. She trailed off, tearing up at the memory. "They were scared, them girls. I think she knew about it and was too scared to say."   Brown also claims that he discovered that all of the women at one point had been informants for local law enforcement regarding the Jennings drug trade.    When Brown confronted Sheriff Edwards with the allegation that the Jeff Davis 8 were informants, the sheriff stammered a non-denial. "I wouldn't respond," he told me. "If they were informants, I would still continue to protect their anonymity. I don't know that's the truth. I won't comment on it."   Brown writes that at the end of 2008, a Jennings prostitute warned task force investigators that Necole Guillory "might be the next victim."   Guillory was known for her street savviness, and in 2006, when she was 24, she savagely attacked a sex customer with the handle of a sledgehammer.    Brown says of Guillory," I've reviewed the parish district attorney office's case files on Guillory, and in at least six cases, the charges against her ended in a nolle prosequi (a legal term meaning "be unwilling to pursue" on the district attorney's part). Though there is no record of Guillory's cooperation—excluding a theft case in which she agreed to testify against her codefendant—snitches routinely have charges nolle prossed in exchange for their off-the-record cooperation."   "Necole knew a whole lot," said Frankie Richard, "about a whole lot."   Necoles mother Barbara would tell Brown, "She was always paranoid," "It got to the point where she did not want to go anywhere by herself," she said. "I think she could feel that they were closing in on her." With her 27th birthday approaching, Guillory refused even to entertain the idea of celebrating. "I bought some icing and cake for her birthday," Barbara recalled. "She said, 'Momma, it doesn't matter—I'm not gonna be here.'" Guillory also had her four kids placed with relatives. A task force witness supports the claim that in her final days, she "was scared of someone," but she would not say who and that she "knew who killed the girls."   Barbara believes that her daughter was murdered because she witnessed local law enforcement corruption or misconduct or worse. "She used to tell us all the time it was the police killing the girls," Barbara said. "We'd say, 'Necole, a name. Something. Write a letter and leave it somewhere. Let us know. We can help you.' No, momma. It's too far gone. It's too big. I'd rather y'all not know nothing, that way nothing can happen to y'all… She knew, she knew, she knew, and that's why they killed her."   Brown writes that several other families of victims have similar stories.    He says, "Gail Brown, a sister of the fifth victim, Laconia "Muggy" Brown, told me that just before Muggy was killed, she worriedly informed her family that "she was investigating a murder with a cop; the cop wanted to give her $500 to tell what happened." Gail put it as bluntly as Barbara Guillory: "She knew what was going on," she told me, referring to her sister's work as a cooperator. "I think it was a cop that killed my sister."   Taskforce witness interviews corroborate the Brown family accounts; one was noted as saying that "Laconia Brown told her that…three police officers were going to kill her."   According to Brown, the Jennings police force and Jeff Davis sheriff's offices have been plagued by misconduct for years.    Veterans of Jennings' streets trace the unwinding of local law enforcement back to the '70s when they say cops began getting involved in drug trafficking. But this is not merely street gossip. In March 1990, two local men burglarized the sheriff's office, making off with a staggering 300 pounds of marijuana. According to court documents, investigators interviewed one of the burglars. He named a surprising pair of accomplices—Frankie Richard and a man named Ted Gary, who was then chief deputy sheriff. (Officials brought no charges against Richard and Gary.)   From sheriff's using parish funds to purchase personal items illegally, to unlawfully and purposefully stopping cars with out-of-state plates, to improper dealings with inmates, and even the murder of one officer and his wife by another officer, things were getting pretty nuts.    In October 2003, eight female Jennings cops filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court against Jennings police chief Donald "Lucky" DeLouche, a gaggle of male cops, and the City of Jennings, alleging widespread acts of sexual violence and harassment. Among the allegations in the complaint: a captain who shook his penis at female officers, saying, "You know I like to lick pussy, I can numb it all night," and forced oral sex on a female officer, as well as a lieutenant who waved a knife at a female officer, warning, "Girl, I'll cut you." In January 2013, former Jennings police chief Johnny Lassiter was hit with a battery of charges after a Louisiana State Police audit found $4,500 in cash, 1,800 pills, more than 380 grams of cocaine, and several pounds of marijuana missing from the department's evidence room.   In December 2007, Sergeant Jesse Ewing received word that two female inmates at the city jail wanted to talk about the unsolved homicides (at the time totaling four). He was stunned by what he heard: Ewing said both women told him that "higher-ranking officers" had been directly involved in covering up the murders.   Brown claims Ewing had long been wary of his fellow cops, and he feared that the audiotapes would simply vanish, just as drugs and cash had a way of disappearing from evidence. So Ewing handed the interview tapes over to a local private investigator named Kirk Menard, who rushed copies to the FBI's office in nearby Lake Charles.   Brown goes on to write, "Ewing's gambit to grab the attention of the feds backfired. The tapes ended up right back with the sheriff's office–dominated task force, and Ewing's fears of retaliation turned out to be justified. As a result, the parish district attorney charged Ewing with malfeasance in office and sexual misconduct. (One of the female inmates claimed that Ewing touched her inappropriately during the interview. Ewing denies it, and that charge was dismissed.)   Brown says, "Ewing and I sat in his trailer in the Paradise Park development in Jennings in July 2011. He is a short, wide-shouldered man with a cleanly shaved head, a graying goatee, and the bulky frame of a rugby player. Ewing decorated the trailer with little more than a TV set and a couch—a no-frills lifestyle that he blamed on employment troubles since his termination after 20 years on the job. "I felt screwed for doing the right thing," he said."   Although the tapes were never made public, Brown says he had listened to them in their entirety. He claims they provide highly specific information about the murders of two of the prostitutes—Whitnei Dubois and Kristen Gary Lopez—as well as local law enforcement's alleged role in covering up Frankie Richard's role in at least one of the killings.   The first inmate says that a prostitute named Tracee Chaisson had told her that she was there when Richard and his niece Hannah Conner killed Dubois. They'd all been getting high, and when Dubois refused Richard's sexual advances, he "got aggressive, he started fighting with her, and when she started fighting back he got on top of her and started punching her." According to the inmate, Chaisson then said that Hannah held her head back and drowned her.    The two inmates told another story about a truck and a conspiracy between Richard and a top sheriff's office investigator to destroy evidence in the Lopez case.   The second inmate said Richard put Lopez's body "in a barrel," and used a truck to transport it. The truck, she said, was later purchased by "an officer named Mr. Warren, I don't know his exact name, he bought the truck to discard the evidence."   By "Warren," the inmate meant the sheriff's office chief criminal investigator, Warren Gary. The first inmate had also spoken of Lopez's body, a truck, and an officer named Warren.   Public records would seem to corroborate the second witness' account. On March 29, 2007, Warren Gary purchased a 2006 Chevy Silverado truck for $8,748.90 from Connie Siler, a Richard associate who had just been hauled into the sheriff's office for questioning in the case of a bad check. On April 20, Gary resold Siler's Silverado for $15,500, a nearly 50 percent profit in less than one month. (Siler, in turn, used profits from the sale, $3,207.13, to pay the parish district attorney's office for the bad checks she had issued.) Gary's truck purchase was possibly illegal and definitely unethical—the Louisiana Board of Ethics fined him $10,000 in the incident. "What [Gary] did with that was wrong," former sheriff Ricky Edwards told Brown. "Buying from an inmate, that's what was ethically wrong." He insisted, however, that his office "had no clue that [the truck] was even part of evidence [in the Lopez case]. That didn't come out until way after the fact."   Brown says there is some reason to doubt this claim. According to their reports, investigators knew that Siler was one of the last to see Lopez alive. In addition, Paula Guillory, a former detective in the sheriff's office who was later investigated for her ties to the Jennings drug scene, recently spoke to Brown and told him, "We knew that Connie Siler's vehicle was probably involved."   In a town where everyone was related and where the atmosphere had the feeling of a vicious family feud, it was Paula's then-husband Terrie Guillory, the warden at the jail, who brokered the Siler truck deal, according to the ethics board report on Gary. (Note: That he shares a last name with one of the victims is not a coincidence: Necole Guillory was his cousin.)   Because of Warren Gary and Terrie Guillory, two members of law enforcement, the Lopez case lost an essential piece of physical evidence. Because of Terrie Guillory, one suspect found herself with an alibi. And because Conner refused to flip on Richard, and Chaisson had changed her story repeatedly, the charges against all of them were dropped.   Brown writes, "Put simply: The statements from the two female inmates portrayed Richard and his associates working with the sheriff's office to dispose of evidence in the Lopez case. Yet the sergeant who took the statements was forced out of his job, and the allegations were ignored by law enforcement."    A review of hundreds of pages of task force investigative reports by Brown reveals a series of witness interviews where local law enforcement was implicated in the murders. However, these allegations have never been made public.   Danny Barry, a 12-year veteran of the sheriff's office when he died in 2010 at the age of 63, was named a suspect by at least three separate task force witnesses in a single day of interrogations in November 2008. "Deputy Danny Barry would ride around on the south side with his wife," one witness said. "And they would try to pick up girls….[Barry's vehicle was] a small blue sports car…Barry would drop off his wife, Natalie, and she would get the girls. The couple would 'spike' a drink and then take the girls back to the Barrys' house…."   One witness even told investigators that "Danny Barry had a room in his trailer that had chains hanging from the ceiling and that a person could not see in or out of the room." What the fuck?   There was only one task force interview with Barry on February 25, 2009. He wasn't questioned about the abundance of allegations against him, and there hasn't been any substantive follow-up investigation.   Brown goes on to write, "As the murders in the parish crescendoed in 2009, Guillory participated in a raid on Frankie Richard's family home. This was part of a sprawling investigation by the sheriff's office into a drugs and theft ring that Richard, his mother, and Teresa Gary (the mother of the seventh victim, Brittney Gary) were later charged with running, in which guns, jewelry, and rare coins had been pilfered from residences across Jennings. Yet when Guillory turned over evidence, nearly $4,000 was missing. So the theft case collapsed under the weight of serious law enforcement misconduct."   "Guillory denies that she stole or disposed of evidence in the case. She told me that she realized the money was missing when she was cataloguing the evidence from the raid and immediately contacted her superiors. (Warren Gary, the former chief investigator who had purchased the truck allegedly used to dispose of Lopez's body, helped catalogue the evidence, which is another troubling coincidence.) She was sent home from work and, even though she offered to take a polygraph test regarding the missing money, she was promptly fired by Sheriff Edwards. "I never even gave my own side of the story," she told Brown.   Yet again, the charges against Richard were dropped. It was a break that he relishes to this day. "I'm not mad at that," Richard told Brown when he asked him about the missing evidence in his case. "In fact I thank her for doing that. If she had handled her business right, my momma would still be in jail."   Most of the murdered women seemed to know about the other prostitute killings. But at least one victim from the Jeff Davis 8 witnessed a killing at the hands of state and local law enforcement during a drug bust in Jennings that went awry.   During a drug bust brought on by a tip from a snitch, Leonard Crochet, a pill dealer, was shot and killed by Probation and Parole agent John Briggs Becton. Briggs Becton told Crochet to show his hands, and, according to a statement he gave later to investigators, Crochet "then made a sudden movement with his hands toward his belt line." Believing that Crochet was reaching for a weapon, Briggs Becton fired his departmentally issued Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, with a single shot striking Crochet in the chest.    According to a later statement by a fellow Probation and Parole agent at the raid, Briggs Becton approached Crochet's body, muttering, "Oh shit." Briggs Becton called an ambulance to the scene, and the inhabitants at 610 Gallup were taken into custody and transported to the Jennings Police Department for questioning. Police investigators concluded that they were "unable to locate any items near Crochet's location in the residence which could have been construed as a weapon. Further, no persons inside the residence at the time of the shooting, whether law enforcement or civilian, could provide any evidence that Crochet had brandished a weapon." That July, a parish grand jury heard prosecutors make their case that Briggs Becton committed the crime of negligent homicide. However, they came back with a decision of "no true bill"—no probable cause or evidence to show that Briggs Becton had committed a crime.   Could this be the reason the Jennings 8 we're killed? It is one theory suggested by some in the parish. "The victims were being killed because they were present when Leonard Crochet was killed by the police," one witness told task force investigators. "The girls were being killed because they had seen something they were not supposed to see." Even Richard connected the Crochet killing to the murdered women: "Most of them girls was at a raid…when that Crochet boy got killed. Most of the girls that are dead today were there that night."   Brown obtained a witness list from the Louisiana State Police on the incident. He says, "it reads like a who's who of players in the Jeff Davis 8 case, including the third victim Kristen Gary Lopez, Alvin "Bootsy" Lewis (the boyfriend of the fourth victim, Whitnei Duboisi, and the brother-in-law of the first victim, Loretta Lewis), and Harvey "Bird Dog" Burleigh, who later told Dubois' older brother Mike that "I'm close to finding out who killed your sister" and was then found stabbed to death in his Jennings apartment. His murder, too, remains unsolved."   The slaying of witnesses appears to be a pattern in Jefferson Davis Parish. Soon after Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno (the sixth victim) was found in a wooded area in South Jennings in September 2008, a tip was called into the parish district attorney's office from a 43-year-old Lafayette man named Russell Carrier. Carrier said that he had seen three African-American men exiting the woods. Richard associate Eugene "Dog" Ivory, Ervin "Tyson" Mouton (who is named as another possible suspect in the Lopez homicide in the task force documents), and Ricardo "Tiger" Williams. On October 10, 2010, Carrier was struck and killed by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Train in Jennings early in the morning. Police Chief Todd D'Albor said that "for whatever reason," Carrier laid on the tracks and was run over.   God damn, this shit is nuts!    Brown concludes his article with information about one of the leading players in the case, Frankie Richard, whom we've talked about a lot.    Brown writes of Frankie, "Though Richard was well aware that I was deeply investigating the Jeff Davis 8, he never turned me down for an interview and didn't flinch when I confronted him with my reporting—he has a knack for explaining away bad facts and constructing theories on alternative suspects." Deceased deputy Danny Barry is also a favorite. "All these girls or most of these girls was found within a three-mile radius of Danny Barry's house," Richard told Brown. "Since he been dead, nobody died. All these motherfuckers on the sheriff's department are some crooked sons of bitches."   Brown describes one interview with Frankie as follows "On an unusually warm and muggy late spring night in 2012, Richard sat shirtless, exposing his meaty upper body, on a pair of rockers on the front porch of his family home in Jennings. He has expressionless brown eyes, a thick head of black hair streaked with gray, and a salt-and-pepper goatee. He was trying very hard to project the image of a wrongly accused, down-on-his-luck, sobered-up former hustler. "I was a dope addict, a coke head, meth head, alcoholic, no-good sonofabitch," Richard told me. "But I'm determined to get my head on right. I'm one year clean from meth and 100 days clean from alcohol and cocaine after 42 years. That's a long fuckin' time for a motherfucker like me."    Brown continues, "Standing nearby, on the ground below, was an associate of Richard's, a towering African-American man in his 30s wearing baggy jeans and a white T-shirt. At one point, he interrupted the conversation to warn me that the story I'm working on will likely put me in the crosshairs of local law enforcement. "You a bold-ass little man, dog," he said. "Don't get caught in Jeff Davis Parish at night."   Brown continues about Frankie Richard:   "That Richard continues to sit atop what police files and my own reporting suggest is an empire of drugs and prostitution is no spectacular stroke of luck. He is a prized informant who, according to task force documents, has provided a steady stream of intel to investigators. (Richard was debriefed in 2008, which Brown says challenges another official narrative: that no one is talking to the multi-agency investigative team, and that all investigators have is a series of unhelpful dead ends.) He goes on to say, "Criminal activity sanctioned by high-level law enforcement is hardly uncommon; a 2011 FBI report concluded the agency gave its informants permission to break the law at least 5,658 times that year. Richard would push back against the snitch label vigorously. But, in May 2012, Kirk Menard, the private investigator, sent a pair of female witnesses who said they had tips in the killings related to Richard to the task force offices to be interrogated. "Do not worry about Frankie," one high-ranking task force investigator told the stunned women, "because he works for me." According to the witness account, the investigator added that Richard has a task force–issued cellphone. Menard forwarded me an e-mail he sent to the task force outlining his concerns about the interview. Nearly two years later, he has yet to receive a response."   Brown says that the possibility that Richard is just circumstantially connected to all of the eight murdered women has also been undermined again and again. Soon after charges against Richard in the 2007 Lopez slaying were dismissed, he and associate Eugene "Dog" Ivory—who is, according to task force witnesses, a suspect in the murder of Crystal Benoit—beat a rape case in which, according to case files, Richard allegedly told the victim, "If you tell anyone, bitch, you will end up like the others."   Brown also recounts another story relayed to him:    "One night, not long before Richard and I met, Beverly Crochet, the sister of slain drug dealer Leonard Crochet, was leaving Tina's Bar, a South Jennings haunt frequented by the Jeff Davis 8. Tracee Chaisson, the former prostitute who was once charged with being an accessory after the fact of second-degree murder in the slaying of Kristen Lopez, approached her in the parking lot. "When I was walking out with my ride," Crochet told me when we spoke several weeks later on the front porch of her home, which is just down the street from the Richard family home, "she was screaming out the car with some black people, 'You're gonna be number 9.'" Crochet said she reported the incident to the task force. She cleared her throat nervously. "I could tell you more," she said, "but I'm scared. I'm scared for my own life." The Jeff Davis 8 killings, she said, "started right after" her brother Leonard was killed. "Right after. All them girls were in there at one point. They were all in there for two days in and out."   Brown concludes his article by saying The Jeff Davis 8 case is begging for a takeover by the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. They had intervened in a now-notorious New Orleans Police Department case from 2005, where cops shot and killed innocent bystanders on the Danziger Bridge in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Brown claims his investigation raises several genuine questions about the prevailing serial-killer theory of these murders. It also indicates that local law enforcement is a hindrance, not a help, to a resolution being reached. Whatever the truth, these eight women, and their surviving families, deserve a fresh inquiry by an outside investigative body.   Holy shit! What seemed like a pretty clear-cut case on the outside; Serial killer preying on sex workers turned into THAT fucking crazy story. Wow. What do you all think? Fucking nuts, huh! The case remains unsolved, and if the things Brown uncovered are accurate, we will most likely never get to the bottom of this!    Movies:    Top ten drug horror movies, keeping with the drug theme    http://www.theblood-shed.com/top-10-drug-horror-movies/

Chances are, at some point, you've felt the sting of not fitting in. If you're a kid, this can be a big blow to your confidence and spirit. What's a parent to do? If you are Dr. Chris Yandle, you write notes – lots of them. In this episode, Chris shares how his notes to his daughter Addison helped her through a tough year at school. Thanks to social media, his pithy expressions of encouragement, advice, and wisdom (#DadLunchNotes) soon gained a large following – and eventually became a book. Can a few good words help you through the tougher times in your life? If you are lucky enough, they just might.GUEST BIO: Dr. Chris Yandle is the author of Lucky Enough: A Year of a Dad's Daily Notes of Encouragement and Life Lessons to His Daughter, a book in which he shares more than 150 notes he wrote to his daughter Addison during her fourth-grade year. He has continued to write notes to Addison, and his son Jackson, gaining fans around the world through the book and social media. He is a former college athletics administrator and an award-winning public relations professional. He has spent the majority of his career as a communications professional with NCAA Division I college athletics programs – including the University of Miami and Georgia Tech. Earlier this year, this native of South Louisiana became the assistant commissioner for public affairs with the Louisiana Board of Regents.LINKS:Lucky Enough: A Year of a Dad's Daily Notes of Encouragement and Life Lessons to His DaughterChris' website Dr. Chris YandleFollow us on Twitter @speakgoodpodCheck out our blogGot an episode idea?

In a free-market economy, the role of government is often debated. On the one hand, business generally prefers to be left alone by government, interpreting the word “free” in free-market as free from regulation. On the other hand, there are any number of business organizations whose principal functions are to extract as many regulatory and tax advantages as possible for their particular industry.  In response to this lobbying, the Louisiana State government, like any good investor, does its best to diversify. The state has instituted economic development initiatives to attract and grow a wide range of businesses, from film to aerospace. You might remember a few years ago, starting with the re-development period after Hurricane Katrina, there was a big push to create what was called New Orleans' Biomedical District. That economic development has, as of today, reportedly created 34,000 new jobs and had an economic impact of some $3.3 billion. The Biomedical District includes the Veterans Administration Hospital, the University Medical Center, the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.  The New Orleans BioInnovation Center provides office space, laboratories, business support, and even financial investment for biotech startups. They have a 66,000 square-foot building on Canal Street that opened in 2011, and cost $47m to build. This size investment in a “build it and they will come” strategy takes some serious financial and science skill to navigate. Similar state-funded bio innovation initiatives in Baton Rouge and Shreveport failed. To keep the New Orleans enterprise afloat, in 2021 Kris Khalil was named Executive Director of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. In one type of best-case scenario, the object of biomedical innovation is to come up with a medical device that becomes an everyday piece of equipment that sells in the millions. For example, the FitBit and Apple Watch have turned the decidedly un-sexy concept of a heart monitor into a fashion item. In the same way, eyeglasses are technically a medical device. But somehow, Warby Parker and others have turned assisted vision into what is now a fashion accessory. What's next? Which otherwise pedestrian item that we use for medical-assisted-living could become hip and ubiquitous? With the growing number of people walking around with ear-buds blasting sound directly into their ears, could the next medical fashion item become the hearing aid? If you'll excuse the pun, that might not be as crazy as it sounds. Federal legislation called “The Over The Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017” finally went into effect in early 2021. This legislation allows hearing aids to be sold in stores or online, without any consultation, prescription, or referral. As a result, some trend-spotters are predicting major growth in the hearing aid industry. Dina Zeevi is President of the Louisiana Society of Hearing Aid Specialists, and a Board Member and Administrative Secretary of the Louisiana Board of Hearing Aid Dealers. She's also a Hearing Instrument Specialist and the owner of a hearing aid store on the Westbank, called Hear Now. Out to Lunch is recorded over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at our website.  And here's more lunchtime conversation about New Orleans' health and hearing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 Hoover Institution, Stanford University   Momentum is growing for significant increases to teachers' salaries. Can we be certain in the post-COVID world that the plan would lead to positive outcomes? The Hoover Education Success Initiative (HESI) hosts a discussion asking Will Increasing Teacher Pay Harm Students? on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 1PM PT. FEATURED PANELISTS Holly Boffy, District 7 Representative, Louisiana Board of Elementary & Secondary Education: Holly Boffy is serving her third term as a member of BESE.  She is the founder of EdTalents, a human capital development organization, and previously worked for six years at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).  A middle school teacher for over a decade, she was Louisiana's State Teacher of the Year in 2010. Kent McGuire, Program Director, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Education: Kent McGuire leads investments for teaching and learning and open education resources strategies at the Hewlett Foundation.  Previously he served as President and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation and as the Dean of the College of Education at Temple University.  He was Assistant Secretary at the USDOE during the Clinton administration. Eric Hanushek, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution: Eric Hanushek is Chair of the Hoover Education Success Initiative (HESI) and the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.  He pioneered measuring teacher quality on the basis of student achievement and his work on school efficiency is central to debates about school finance adequacy and equity across America today. MODERATED BY Christopher N. Ruszkowski, Hoover Education Success Initiative (HESI): Christopher Ruszkowski is a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he has helped establish HESI.  He served as Secretary of Education for the State of New Mexico under Governor Susana Martinez, Associate Secretary of Education for the State of Delaware under Governor Jack Markell and now serves as CEO of Meeting Street Schools. The Hoover Education Success Initiative (HESI) focuses on providing state leaders with sound research-based recommendations to improve education in America.

Regulation of the Massage Therapy Profession: Performance Audit Services Manager Emily Dixon recaps a new LLA report on the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy's regulation of the massage therapy profession. | https://LLA.La.gov/go/podcast

Regulation of the Massage Therapy Profession: Performance Audit Services Manager Emily Dixon recaps a new LLA report on the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy's regulation of the massage therapy profession. | https://LLA.La.gov/go/podcast

An honor anyone would be proud of, Kira Orange Jones was named one of TIME Magazine's most 100 influential people in 2015 for her work reshaping the school system when she served as Executive Director of Teach For America in New Orleans. She currently serves as a member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, representing District 2. In this episode, Kira dives deep into the lessons she has learned about how to gain technical skills for governing, and how invaluable it is to stay connected to the communities you serve.   "The Leaders' Table" is a podcast by Leadership for Educational Equity.  Go to http://EducationalEquity.org/LeadersTable for an episode transcript and complete show notes.

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Danielle Perrodin, Personal Style & Identity Coach. Her mission is to help women create happier, healthier more beautiful lives. Through integrating the mind, body, and spirit, my clients expedite the time it takes to close the gap between their highest authentic self (who they truly are) and how they appear to the world. She combines her love for fashion and understanding of how the brain works to give her clients unique tools to style their mind and body in order to learn how to Be Her(£) Now! Some of Danielle's talking points: -Positive mindset is important, but emotional processing and spiritual healing is the key to success (Success should be defined on an individual basis) -Importance of showing up authentically to build that Know, Love, Trust relationship in order to build meaningful relationships quickly -Always loved fashion, never thought it could be a career until I hired a business coach -Trained as Integrative Life Coach in using the PunchLine Approach to help my clients gain power and control of their life and create a life they love -In one year, I launched my styling business, and I have been invited to be a Fashion Institute of Louisiana Board member, interviewed for a chapter of a best selling author's new book as an expert stylist, and have a call this week with a NYC fashion designer to work on her new design line called Dressing for the NOW. Guest: Danielle Perrodin, PharmD dperrodin99@gmail.com Www.danielleperrodin.biz Free 3 Day Integrative Closet Edit email series: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5f7e1f1c45521c480b4de9f4 https://www.instagram.com/drdanielleperrodin http://linkedin.com/in/dr-danielle-perrodin-4a8377138 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1120786748051759/?ref=share https://www.facebook.com/Danieperrodin Host - Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA www.pharmacyadvisory.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ @talktoyourpharmacist for Instagram and Facebook @HillBlackburn Twitter

Dr. Allison Smith, Senior Program Administrator at the Louisiana Board of Regents, is our guest for this episode of Prevention Profiles: Take Five. During her interview, Allison talks about the effect of natural disasters on Louisiana campuses, discusses whether COVID has affected college substance misuse rates in the state, highlights a couple of top collegiate recovery programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and much more.

Candice Battiste is the Power Coalition’s North Louisiana Organizer where she is committed to building voices and power in traditionally disenfranchised communities and bringing together groups across the North with a mission to organize in impacted communities, educate and turn out votes, and fight for policies that create a more equitable and just system in Louisiana. She graduated from Haughton High school where she was elected the first black woman student body president in their 100 year history, is an alum of Louisiana State University and earned her law degree from the Southern University Law Center. There, she served as President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and was a recipient of the prestigious Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Fellowship. Upon graduation, Candice helped form the Family Law Unit of Legal Services of North Louisiana. She was the past LA State Director of Project ID, former Shreveport-Bossier Field organizer with the Unanimous Jury Coalition/Yes On 2 campaign, worked for Mayor Adrian Perkins' campaign as his Public Relations and Social Media strategist, serves on the Citizen She Board of Directors, was recently elected to the ACLU of Louisiana Board of Directors, past Vice President of the Women's Democratic Club of Northwest Louisiana, serves on the executive board of the New Leaders Council as the Selections Co-Chair, is on the Downtown Development Authority for Shreveport, and was selected as a United Nations Association Delegate. When Candice is not discussing progressive politics and working to affect positive change, she is with family and friends or can be found traveling to one of Louisiana’s many food and music festivals.

In this episode you'll listen to my conversation with Tony Davis - Executive Director of the Natchitoches Community Alliance Foundation and member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Tony helped lead the effort to launch the local GeauxFAME chapter to start training Advanced Manufacturing Technicians in Natchitoches region.We discuss the near-immediate economic benefits experienced by their region from instituting their unique, market-specific implementation of the FAME program. We also talk about the commitments made and challenges faced by students, employers, and educators - all against the backdrop of the tremendous opportunities afforded by working with FAME - the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education.For more information on the broader, national FAME Program, please click hereandFor more information on the Natchitoches-region GeauxFAME Program, please click herePlease feel free to send me you comments as well as any ideas on how I can improve the Skilled Trades Playbook podcast series on Twitter to @aybcareers or you can email me at jcarosso@AtYourBest.comFor more info about the Skilled Trades Playbook and a full listing of episodes categorized by topic, please click hereTo learn more about the At Your Best Playbook series, please go to www.AtYourBest.com

Dr. Holly Boffy, Vice President and District 7 Member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education ("BESE") sat down with Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette, to talk about the state of education in Louisiana. The most important message Holly wants to share with parents: read to your children, talk to your children, love your children, and get your children ready by engaging their minds! Holly's choice to be an educator was profoundly influenced by her paternal grandparents who taught in East Texas. She still vividly remembers the plaque hanging by the backdoor at her grandparent's home which had been bestowed upon her grandfather posthumously recognizing his achievement in his profession. She wants everyone to understand that the teaching profession is powerful and the best profession a person can choose to make a difference in society. She previously spent 10 years teaching middle school and was named the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year in 2010 while she was an 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Paul Breaux Middle School. She is the founder of Ed Talents, a consulting service that supports school districts in creating an educator talent system to attract, hire, place, develop, leverage, and retain teachers and leaders for student success.  Holly knows that all children can learn and passionately works to create systems that give educators the tools they need to meet students where they are so that academic success may be achieved. The BESE Board has 11 commissioners, eight elected and three appointed by the Governor. The area Holly represents as an elected member, District 7, encompasses all or portions of the southwestern parishes of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, and Vermilion. BESE members are unpaid but receive a per diem to cover expenses incurred in executing their duties. BESE is responsible for setting statewide education policies and determining an equitable funding formula for schools (MFP) which the Legislature can then vote up or down. For more information on BESE, its members, and the Department of Education, visit https://www.louisianabelieves.com. BESE is also responsible for establishing the formula for letter grades given to the approximately 1300 schools in Louisiana, including early education centers for toddlers (ages 1 to 2) that receive state funding. Parents can visit https://louisianaschools.com/ to learn more about their children's school. School success is determined both by student academic achievement and the growth a school is experiencing as it works to improve educational outcomes. The importance of this accountability system, in Holly's eyes, is not so much about the letter grade an individual school receives, but in sharing the success stories identified in schools that are thriving, yet located in a high-poverty school district area. Dialogue among teaching professionals, when given this information, affords the opportunity for all to learn what constitutes best practices in educating our students from all walks of life and then sending the appropriate resources to those schools that are struggling in closing achievement gaps. As a beginning teacher who started out teaching inner-city economically disadvantaged youth in Baton Rouge, Holly quickly realized that the students she was teaching were not being set up for success, nor was she as the teacher. Looking into the eyes of her students, many of whom had parents who had been incarcerated or hadn't finished high school, it was disheartening to accept that there was only so much she could bring to the table as an individual teacher. She became determined to work to bring about improvements to the educational system to give students as many opportunities as possible to be successful in their academic career. Her decision to run for BESE was driven by her desire to lift up all students so that they can achiev...

Episode Notes Anya Groner, a successful writer and teacher, shares her thoughts about the importance of pursuing her passion and maintaining her personal identity while being married to a physician. Anya also reads her essay, "Is There a Doctor in the Marriage?" that was published in the New York Times in 2015. About Anya Anya Groner’s essays, stories, and poems have appeared in journals includingGuernica, The New York Times, Ecotone, The Oxford American, and The Atlantic.  She received her MFA in fiction from the University of Mississippi where she was a John and Renee Grisham Fellow and has since been awarded scholarships and grants from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, the Sewanee Writers Conference, The Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Meridian, a quarterly journal published by the University of Virginia, awarded her the Editor’s Prize for her story “Buster,” which also received a distinguished citation in the Best American Short Stories series. Currently, she is finishing a novel about twin sisters and eco-terrorism set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. An early chapter appears in the Fall/Winter edition of the journal Ninth Letter and a later chapter is available here.  A resident of New Orleans, Groner is the chair of the creative writing department at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and is a founding member of New Orleans Writers Workshop. She’s also taught writing at Loyola University New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana, and the University of Mississippi. 

Healthcare in Louisiana is always front and center in the news. Now that medical marijuana is legal and will be available in 10 dispensaries throughout the state, it’s the perfect time to visit with State Senator Fred Mills, the driving force behind the legalization of the medical use of cannabis with a doctor’s “recommendation.” Senator Mills is a dedicated public servant who has represented District 22 covering portions of Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Landry and Vermilion parishes since 2011. Prior to that he represented District 46 of the House of Representatives and served as a member of the St. Martin Parish Council. Mills serves as Chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee along with numerous other committee assignments. He is President and CEO of Farmers Merchants Bank & Trust. A licensed pharmacist, he is the owner of Cashway Pharmacy in Parks, and is well-known for his humorous pharmacy ads depicting the infamous “Taunte Pills.” He is known for taking on tough issues at the legislature as well as for his generous and kind spirit. Medical marijuana has an interesting history. It was first technically legalized in Louisiana in 1978, and again in 1991, authorizing treatment for glaucoma, chemotherapy side effects, and spastic quadriplegia, but rules were never implemented by the Department of Health and Hospitals on how to cultivate and dispense it. The law allowed a doctor to prescribe it, but there was no place to legally fill the prescription. As Executive Director of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacists in the late 1990’s, Mills became interested in the topic as he began to receive many calls about medical marijuana. The issue was tricky: If people could get their hands on it, it was “legal,” but there was no regulated framework for cultivating, distributing and dispensing the product. Patients clamoring for this highly effective method of relieving pain and symptoms were out of luck in Louisiana. As a state senator, Mills once again began hearing from people statewide about the need for legalizing medical marijuana; and in 2014, the political climate nationwide was becoming more accepting of legalization for medicinal purposes. With persistence, Sen. Mills was finally able to gain passage of legislation legalizing medical marijuana with the passage of Act 261 in 2015. The legislature selected the agriculture centers at LSU and Southern University to be the only legal growers in the state. Both schools have entered into contracts with private companies to ensure compliance with government-mandated production standards. One plant can generate 120 doses of oil for delivery to patients. Grown in a pod type of sterile environment, the marijuana will be tested by our State Department of Agriculture and should be available in November 2018. After 40 years of anticipation, medical marijuana will finally be available. Only ten dispensaries are authorized to operate throughout the state, a compromise reached so that state law enforcement can adequately monitor the product. Under the law, a licensed physician will “recommend” the marijuana so that the patient can use it for management of symptoms. While there is a celebration about the advent of legal medical marijuana, concerns still exist as Marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug which is illegal under federal law. Mills explained the irony is that the federal government has its own patent on marijuana. Schedule 1 is the “worst” type of listing as this is the same category as heroin which has no medicinal purpose. It is not anticipated, however, that there will be any federal prosecutions of persons utilizing the drug for chronic conditions. Other complications from medical marijuana use may arise when a patient may test positive in a work-related drug test. Mill surmised that employers will probably handle this issue on a case by case basis taking into account the legal use of the product with a doctor “recommendation.”

Michael Bloomberg has bought the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, spending more than $1 Million to elect pro Common Core Candidates. One question is, "Why?" A better question is, "Why would Louisiana let him?"

It’s our ebola episode. You know, I think that’s description enough. This show’s links: Fazal Khan’s profile and his writing Our U.S. News rankings episode, Heart of Darkness More on the debate about state courts’ following federal circuit courts (relevant to the gay marriage rulings) that arose during our episodes with Michael Dorf and with Steve Vladeck: (1) a post by Michael Dorf, (2) a post by Steve Vladeck, and (3) a post by Christian Turner About Ebola virus diseased and about Ebola in the United States The CDC’s information page on Ebola transmission and Review of Human-to-Human Transmission of Ebola Virus Michael Dorf, Is There Any Risk of Ebola Transmission from an Asymptomatic Person? EM Leroy et al., Human Asymptomatic Ebola Infection and Strong Inflammatory Response Gostin, Hodge, and Burris, Is the United States Prepared for Ebola Tavernise, Shear, and Cooper (for the NY Times), Seeking Unity, U.S. Revises Ebola Monitoring Rules Laura Donohue, Biodefense and Constitutional Constraints (an excellent history of US and UK quarantine law) Josh Hicks, A Brief History of Quarantines in the United States (a very short timeline in the Washington Post) and Peter Tyson, A Short History of Quarantine (a more detailed and global timeline) Jacobson v. Massachusetts; see also James Colgrove and Ronald Bayer, Manifold Restraints: Liberty, Public Health, and the Legacy of Jacobson v Massachusetts Tara Ragone, State Quarantines: Balancing Public Health with Liberty Interests (a very helpful blog post discussing issues and authorities relevant to the Kaci Hickox case) Jared Cole (for the Congressional Research Service), Federal and State Quarantine and Isolation Authority Gostin, Burris, and Lazzarini, The Law and the Public's Health: A Study of Infectious Disease Law in the United States About Philadelphia’s Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 The text of the Public Health Service Act (containing the authority for federal quarantine and isolation) Jew Ho v. Williamson Norimitsu Onishi (for the NY Times), Quarantine for Ebola Lifted in Liberia Slum Michael Dorf, Containing Ebola: Quarantine and the Constitution Arjun Jaikumar, Red Flags in Quarantine: The Questionable Constitutionality of Federal Quarantine After NFIB v. Sebelius Mark Rothstein, From SARS to Ebola: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Modern Quarantine Morgan’s Steamship Co. v. Louisiana Board of Health (upholding the constitutionality of state quarantine) CDC, Interim U.S. Guidance for Monitoring and Movement of Persons with Potential Ebola Virus Exposure See section 604 of the The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act Fazal Khan, Ensuring Government Accountability During Public Health Emergencies City of Newark v. J.S. (analyzing the Due Process and statutory rights of a “non-compliant,” TB-infected, homeless man) Greene v. Edwards (awarding a state writ of habeas corpus in a TB isolation case) About the 2007 tuberculosis scare caused by the travel of Andrew Speaker Fidler, Gostin, and Markel, Through the Quarantine Looking Glass: Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and Public Health Governance, Law, and Ethics (also discussing the Andrew Speaker incident) Compagnie Francaise de Navigation a Vapeur v. Louisiana State Board of Health Wendy Parmet, AIDS and Quarantine: The Revival of an Archaic Doctrine (interesting, among other reasons, for the fact it was written in 1985 in the midst of the relative early days of the AIDS crisis) City of New York v. New Saint Mark’s Baths Randy Shilts, And the Band Played On About the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, the Posse Comitatus Act, and the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 Mathews v. Eldridge (and, yes, there are only three factors) Daniel Markovits, Quarantines and Distributive Justice Helene Cooper and Michael Shear, Joint Chiefs Chairman Urges 21-Day Quarantine for Troops Working in Ebola Zone Special Guest: Fazal Khan.