Luke Britt

Passing something special to the next gen

Rachel Dupree is quite proud of the big gobbler her brother, Johnathon called in for her. Dennis “Skinny” Hallmark passed something along to me that was special. So special in fact that what I learned on that visit to Alabama with him in 1992 ignited a passion I had never felt before or since. He guided me on my first …

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The Slab of Saint-Bélec likely the oldest map ever discovered

Editors note: The Archeologist’s Corner is an occasional feature provided by The Union Museum of History and Art. The articles are curated by museum board member Thomas Fields.We look at the magnificent ruins of Rome and Greece or the grandeur of Machu Pichu or the earthworks at Poverty Point and think that the archeologist has discovered everything. The wonderment is …

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Foster care panic has come to LA

Luke Britt Faced with one revelation after another about tragedies involving children previously known to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, that agency has come up with a knee-jerk response that is simple, obvious and wrong: a worst-in-the-nation mad rush to tear far more children away from their families.As a result, in 2022, the most recent year for …

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Billions of cicadas expected to appear across US in 2024

Experts say the insects may be annoying but pose no threat to humans, pets or gardens Billions of cicadas are expected to emerge in the U.S. this spring. In an event that hasn’t happened since the country purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French and Thomas Jefferson was president, bugs will emerge from the ground and descend on the contiguous …

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DCFS accused in lawsuit of failing to protect abused children

Louisiana’s embattled Department of Children and Family Services took another hit Tuesday when a federal lawsuit was filed against the department and others on behalf of nine children who suffered abuse and psychiatric trauma while under DCFS supervision.The 95-page lawsuit, filed in Louisiana’s Middle District in Baton Rouge, details the abuse suffered by the nine plaintiffs, but also outlines a system …

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Grand jury rejects Holly attempted murder charge

Union Parish football star and LSU running back Trey Holly will not face an attempted murder charge after a grand jury refused to indict him after hearing evidence from the state’s Attorney General’s office.Holly still faces an weapons charge related to Feb. 9 shooting at the Union Villa apartments in Farmerville that left a man and woman with gunshot wounds. …

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Massive storm drops seven inches in three days

A stretch of “road” between Rocky Branch and Point washed out during the storm, but was open again as of Wednesday evening. Power outages, fallen trees, road closers mostly resolved as of late Wednesday The turbulent storm system that barreled through Union Parish this week dropped more than 7 inches of rain, left thousands temporarily without power, closed roads and …

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Landry threatens scholarships over LSU anthem policy

The pregame logistics of LSU’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa have turned into a controversy that reached the governor’s mansion on Tuesday.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted a tweet the morning after LSU’s 94-87 loss to Iowa calling for the Louisiana Board of Regents to create a policy mandating that student-athletes be present for a pregame national anthem or risk losing …

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LA Gaming Board tries to reign in college sports gambling betting

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board signed an order Wednesday banning licensed sportsbooks from offering prop bets on college athletes.The suspension on collegiate athlete prop bets begins Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. ET. The ban comes in time for college football season. The state of Louisiana has 10 Division I football program, including LSU.“It is the intention of the Louisiana Gaming …

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LA population drop is not a good sign

Luke Britt Editor’s note: The following commentary was authored by Allison Plyer and Robert Habans, both with The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana. Plyer is the former chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and Habans is chief economist at The Data Center.Louisiana’s population loss is troubling because it suggests that the cost of living is out of …

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