Crescent Soil Board Winner Erica Johnson Speaks Out After Controversial Election

For the first time since a highly controversial election stirred widespread public debate, the winning candidate for the Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District Board, Erica Johnson, is speaking out.

The district, established decades ago, held its first election this past Saturday, an event marred by reports of numerous voters being turned away at the polls and subsequent calls for a redo.

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Fire Ant Quarantine: What Every Louisiana Resident Needs to Know

With summer in Louisiana comes hot temps. Really hot temps. And with the hot temperatures comes mowing, grilling, and fire ants.

And fire ants cause more harm and damage than just painful stings. For some reason they are extremely attracted to electricity. When we built our house in North Bossier years ago, we were outside city limits, so we had to have a well. And one soon discovers that fire ants love to find their way into electrical boxes and circuits and cause electrical shorts, or even fires. Hence, another reason for the Federal Fire Ant Quarantine.

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USDA To Survey Cattle Operations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) mailed the July cattle survey to about 18,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories. This is the first July cattle survey mailed to producers since the reinstatement of key reports was announced earlier this year.

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Rising Stars: Saddling Up For Success

This week’s Rising Stars are six junior high athletes who are set to compete at the National Junior High School Rodeo Finals.

Over the course of the season, the athletes have found success from the close connections formed with their horses.

The road to success has not always been easy, but the athletes have broken through the barriers and continue to reach for the stars.

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This Louisiana Program is Training Educators to Build Connections Between Students and Local Food

For Carl Motsenbocker, Farm to School is more than just a program. It's about local food systems and working to teach children and feed children within a local food area.

For more than 20 years, he has recruited LSU students and his own family to help plant gardens in local schools. Back in 2014, he attended a Farm to School conference in Austin, Texas, and realized Louisiana would be a perfect place to implement the Louisiana Harvest of the Month pilot program.

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Drone Advisory Committee Reveals Economic Plan for Unmanned Aircraft

The Louisiana Advanced Aviation and Drone Advisory Committee has outlined a statewide strategic economic plan aimed at preparing for the rapid growth of unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility technologies.

Just a couple of hours before the committee met, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law that will allow law enforcement to deploy "both kinetic and non-kinetic technologies to neutralize unmanned aerial systems operating unlawfully near high-risk areas such as schools, public events and critical infrastructure," the Governor's office wrote.

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Property Owner Of Alleged Cockfighting Location Arrested

The owner of the property that is at the center of a cockfighting investigation in Beauregard Parish has now been arrested, according to the sheriff’s office.

Ricky Lee Ashworth, 70, was booked into the Beauregard Parish Correctional Facility for one count of cockfighting and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals. He was released on bond Wednesday evening.

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USDA Researchers Find Viruses From Miticide Resistant Parasite Mites Are Cause Of Recent Honey Bee Colony Collapses

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) are helping American beekeepers solve the mystery behind a widespread honey bee colony collapse and its debilitating effects on U.S. agriculture. Researchers have submitted a manuscript to a scientific journal for peer review based on our research findings that identified high levels of deformed wing virus A and B and acute bee paralysis in all recently USDA-sampled bees.

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Michael Polozola:Nurturing Fruits, Pecans For Louisiana Homeowners And Industry

On a gray February day as he drove through a nursery in Forest Hill, Michael Polozola stopped his truck to pick up a special passenger: a dog named Oliver.

Polozola, the LSU AgCenter’s fruit and nut specialist, spends a lot of time at the nurseries of central Louisiana. He has befriended the nursery dogs — including Oliver, a lab mix who eagerly awaits his rides in the truck.

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