Posts Tagged ‘state’

The Louisiana Department of Education issued a press release today about graduation rates in our state. They report increases in several categories and other accolades given to the state by magazines and other associations. We received an overall grade of C and are first in using technology to augment education.

Louisiana’s overall graduation is around 61%. The national average is about 70% and about 100 Louisiana students drop out of school a day and we’re still ranked 44th overall in education.

It seems that the only place the state is doing well is graduating Hispanics and African-Americans. All statistics for those communities are either equal to or exceed national averages.

It’s always good to see our state improving, but I hope it’s clear to everyone that we still to have a long, long way to go.

Today, CNN covered two major national stories about Louisiana. Neither of them are positive and neither of them are about Baton Rouge.

The first is that Mayor Ray Nagin was quarantined in Shanghai, China on an economic development trip after a fellow passenger on an airplane showed signs of H1N1 swine flu. His wife and a member of his security detail were also quarantined. Read the full story on CNN.com →

The second is about a 17-year-old who allegedly killed his girlfriend’s eight-month-old son. He’s being charged with first-degree murder and aggravated rape and under Louisiana law will be tried as an adult. It’s likely that if convicted he will be sentenced to life without parole. Read the full story on CNN.com →

Louisiana hardly makes national news. My Louisiana Studies teacher in eighth grade noted that Louisiana is often first or last. Usually we make this news when we’re last. Baton Rouge, on the other hand, has been making national news recently because of great things. (For example, see our coverage here and here.)

The 2009 Hurricane Sales Tax Holiday is this Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31. The holiday exempts certain items marked as essential in hurricane preparedness from the 4% state sales tax. The hurricane season begins on July 1, so this is a great time to stock up. The following items are included in the holiday:

• Self-powered light sources, such as flashlights and candles
• Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, and weather-band radios
• Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits
• Gas or diesel fuel tanks
• Batteries: AAA, AA, C, D, 6-volt, or 9-volt (automobile batteries and boat batteries are not eligible)
• Cellular phone batteries and chargers
• Non-electric food storage coolers
• Portable generators
• Storm shutter devices
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Blue ice products

Thanks to @kmcusick for the tip via our tip line.

Chrysler announced today that as a part of its bankruptcy protection and restructuring it would be closing a phenomenal 789 dealerships around the globe. The company said that one of its main sustainability problems is the sheer number of dealerships it has. Apparently, because they built so many of them they have lower average sales than the likes of Honda or Toyota. They are pushing that this would ameliorate their condition.

Luckily for our readers, I scoured the 40 page list of the dealerships. To my count, there are 17 dealerships they are closing in Louisiana. None of them are in Baton Rouge.

You can read more about this story at the Wall Street Journal. Read the listing here.

[Note: You may see other news outlets reporting other numbers of dealerships closures. We contend that those numbers are wrong. We researched the whole document and there are exactly 17.]

The DHH issued a press release this morning declaring seven confirmed cases of influenza A strain H1N1, more commonly known as the swine flu. Five cases were in Lafayette at the Cathedral Carmel School school that was closed early this week. There was also one case in Orleans Parish at the Audubon Charter School and a case in Ascension at Lake Elementary School. Officials said that the latter two schools will remain open because both students have been absent for some time. There are still no confirmed cases in Baton Rouge.

The DHH is continuning to monitor this situation. Governor Bobby Jindal is holding a press conference today at 2:30pm—we’ll update with any new information.

The most shocking news coming from these confirmed cases is that the Ascension case did not have any direct link back to Mexico.

If you’ve been paying attention to the world, by now it’s likely you’ve seen the outbreak and subsequent public hysteria surrounding Influenza A virus subtype H1N1—or, more commonly, swine flu. As readers of our fine hyperlocal blog, you’ve probably also noticed that we’ve been mysteriously quiet about the whole situation. While many traditional news agencies have published dozens of article about swine flu, we’ve only published one. And that article was called “No Confirmed Cases of Swine Flu in Louisiana” and it served only one purpose: to tell you not to panic.

And now, I just wanted to say that until there is a confirmed case of swine flu in Louisiana, you won’t here anything about it from us. Why? Because there’s really no reason to worry or panic until it actually gets here. You can see from the swine flu map that reported cases are still several hundred miles away from our state. Sure, there have been suspected cases of swine flu, but there haven’t been any reported cases yet. The Governor’s press conference yesterday confirmed that he and the DHH are taking preemptive measures to ensure the safety of the public, so the closing of schools has nothing to do with any outbreak. In fact, since the human flu is a derivative of the same strain and we are in flu season, it’s very likely that these suspected cases are just that—suspects.

I really don’t think it’s expedient towards any cause to bring more attention to a matter that’ll likely subside than is necessary. Of course, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be prepared—you most definitely should be. Furthermore, we will update when we actually receive news of a confirmed case. That is all.

Just to be totally clear: There have been no confirmed cases of swine flu H1N1 in Louisiana. The closing of the school in Lafayette this week was a precautionary move only by the DHH and Governor Bobby Jindal. Some of the kids did test positive for the flu, but only for the common A strain.

There is no reason as of this moment to be alarmed about the Swine Flu. The DHH and the Governor are taking precautionary measures to ensure public safety. We’ll keep you informed as the case develops.

The Louisiana State Budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year is, by now, old news. In one of the most controversial moves in his tenure, Governor Bobby Jindal has proposed a cut of $1.3 billion from the previous budget. This is just one of the many unfortunate consequences of the global recession. This post is the beginning of a new, continual series to examine the new budget and put the effects into perspective. This first installment is focused on, ostensibly, the most draconian of all the Governor’s cuts: the arts.

When a tourist comes to this state, they do so to experience our rich culture. It’s definitely su generis to Louisiana and what we pride ourselves in. The arts are just one of the many indelible aspects of our culture and to harm the arts in any way is an egregious act—except during economic downturns. Arguably, this is the only excuse one can imagine to this iniquity. However, is this as appaling as many believe? The answer isn’t as clear as it may seem.

Continue reading “Focus on the Budget: Arts” →