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Gov. John Bel Edwards has sent a letter to Louisiana Education Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley to clarify any confusion parents may have about the reinstated temporary mask mandate for K-12 students. The letter is in direct response to questions raised about exceptions to the mandate and in particular, the letter by the Louisiana attorney general that ignores the dangerous fourth surge of COVID-19 that Louisiana is currently facing with increasingly alarming case counts, hospitalizations and deaths and seeks to undermine public confidence in one of the most effective tools to combat it. At this time, children under age 12 are not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but wearing a mask has proven to be one of the most effective tools we have for slowing the transmission of this virus.

In his letter, Gov. Edwards states:

Although it doesn’t feel like it because it’s still so hot, it’s time to start thinking about your fall garden.

Fall is my favorite time to grow vegetables because all my personal favorites thrive in the cooler weather of fall and winter. It is when many brassica family vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and greens such as collards, mustards and turnips grow.

These vegetables are some of the easiest to grow and the most nutritious you can prepare. This group of vegetables contains high levels of vitamin C, potassium, beta carotene and fiber.

In addition to vegetables in the brassica family, tomatoes, peppers, okra and eggplant can continue through the fall to make another crop before temperatures drop. Artichokes, carrots and spinach can also be grown in the fall and winter. With so many options, it’s time to get busy planning — and planting.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today urged U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to stop the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) from flowing to the Taliban terrorist group.

The Biden administration has been a proponent of the $650 billion allocation of special drawing rights (SDRs), which would send more than $400 million to Afghanistan. The IMF allocation is set for Aug. 23.

The Almond Brothers Lumber Company sawmill in Coushatta, LA is the recipient of the 2020 Sawmill Safety Award in Division I, presented by the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). This is the second time the Coushatta mill has received this respected award, having also earned the achievement in 2014.

SFPA Lumber Manufacturer members are considered for the award based on information submitted regarding occupational injuries and illnesses. The results for 2020 included reports from 43 mills that recorded nearly 14 million employee hours. Safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year. Division I covers facilities that produce less than 50 million board feet of Southern Pine lumber annually.

On August 23, Gov. John Bel Edwards and State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter applauded the U. S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, the first such full approval of its kind. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and easily available all across Louisiana for people ages 12 and older. More than 2.2 million Louisianans have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with nearly 40 percent of Louisiana’s population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to CDC data.

It may seem crazy to be thinking about winter feeding needs in the middle of July but now is the time to begin preparing for it. Cattle producers in Louisiana have experienced a u n i q u e Spring/Summer thus far with ample amounts of rainfall. This is indeed very good news for pastures and hay fields; however, we have been very limited on the amount of hay that has been harvested. Many producers did not get their mowers in the fields until the first part of July when they usually would be on their second or even third cuttings. I have spoken to some hay producers in the SW portion of Louisiana who have not baled the first bale as of the middle of July due to either the fields being too wet or not being able to catch a window of opportunity in the weather.

As we watch Afghanistan again devolve dangerously into a terrorist magnet ruled by the Taliban, we witness once again the timeless and immutable principle of history and nations that strength deters bad actors while weakness begets war.

Yes, Afghanistan has been a 20- year war beginning after 9-11 and yes, the American people no doubt wish to conclude America’s engagement there and our troops, finally, return home. However, the American people also remember why they were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 and recognize strong and effective leadership as well as politically driven tactical and strategic incompetence when they see it. They shudder when they realize their weak and inept national leadership has fallen far below America’s high standard of competence, courage, and commitment to our strategic interests, our values, and the security of our country, and that the trust our international allies have placed in us has been seriously damaged.

Multiple factors are contributing to higher than usual Cleco Power bills, but some of the increases are temporary.

“By early next year, our fuel costs will be lower,” said Shane Hilton, president of Cleco Power. “The higher fuel charges from the February ice storms will roll off of bills in April 2022, and we intend to close Dolet Hills Power Station in Mansfield by the end of the year which will save customers who use 1,000 kWh approximately $9 to $15 per month in fuel costs. These savings will be higher for customers who use more than 1,000 kWh.

“We understand these increases come during the time of the year when customer bills are historically higher because of the hot summer months, but we will work with our customers, large and small, on an individual basis like we always have to assist them in navigating the changes to their bill.”

Factors contributing to higher customer bills include:

2020 Hurricanes

Louisiana Family Forum (LFF) has released its 2021 Legislative Scorecard, which serves as a tool for assessing lawmakers on key votes during the 2021 Regular and Veto Override sessions of the Louisiana Legislature.

“LFF selected votes reflecting a variety of issues such as protecting election integrity, limiting government growth, gambling expansion, and civil liberties. This guide provides a snapshot of how lawmakers voted this year,” said Gene Mills, President of LFF. “This report card is designed to assist the public in evaluating whether lawmakers embraced the principles of life, liberty, and limited government and to encourage conversations with legislators on important traditional values.”

LSU Health Shreveport currently offers the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (COVID-19 booster shot) at all LSUHS vaccination sites, including the North Campus (old Chevyland) located at 2627 Linwood Ave. Individuals that have received their first and second COVID-19 vaccines from locations other than LSU Health Shreveport should pre-register at https://redcap.link/LSU-PUBLIC-VACCINE-SURVEY prior to receiving the third vaccine at any LSUHS vaccination site. Individuals that received their first or second vaccination at a LSU Health Shreveport site do not need to pre-register.