Entergy is proud to support programing on LPB and Greener practices that preserve Louisiana.

The goal of our environmental and sustainability initiatives really is to ensure that our kids and future generations can be left with a cleaner planet.

Additional support provided by the Fred Bea and Ruth Zigler Foundation and the Zigler Art Museum located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you.

If not now, when?

That's the question that everyone needs to be asking.

If not now, when?

New Baton Rouge Bridge plans hit a pothole.

In the last month or so, airfares nationwide have increased over 20%.

Experts bracing for a tumultuous travel season.

A quiet New Orleans is a weird New Orleans for everyone.

Festivals making a comeback.

The best way to love anybody or a community is to serve them.

This week's LPB, Louisiana Young Hero.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Kara St Cyr.

And I'm Andre Moreau.

As this session of the state capital reaches its midpoint, the House voted in favor of a 1500 dollar teacher pay raise and $750 raise for school support staff.

Extra money was also set aside for college faculty to receive raises as well.

The $38.6 billion budget passed through the House with very little resistance.

But not all of the governor's suggestions made it through this vote.

The House removed a proposal to give firefighters and police pay raises.

Plus, a House Appropriations Committee diverted the big money for a new bridge.

More on that in a moment.

Addressing the budget, the governor says overall he's pleased with where things stand so far.

The investments that we're making in education in particular are just really significant.

And I think that they reflect what has been a priority for the state of Louisiana for a long time.

But to an even greater degree, we're focusing on eliminate arbitrary early childhood education, K-through-12 and higher ed all at the same time.

And I'm very proud of that.

There's still a possibility that teachers could get an even higher raise if the revenue estimating conference rules and enough money is available.

That raise could bump to $2,000 instead of the 1500.

In other news, travel will look very different this summer.

A district judge in Florida ruled that the travel mask mandate was unlawful.

In the hours following that ruling, most airlines and airports removed all mandates meaning you don't have to wear a face covering and public transportation anymore.

Now, that ruling is being challenged.

We're going to have more on the travel changes still ahead.

But now we're going to catch you up on other news headlines from around the state.

A statewide LSU relief center survey this week finds 47% Louisianans who filed a homeowner's flood or rental insurance claim in the last two years are dissatisfied with how their insurance company handled their claim.

It means of the 750,000 claims filed for hurricanes Laura Delta and Ida, that about 375,000 Louisiana families are unhappy with the handling of the claim.

The survey says insurance companies use shady delay and denial tactics, and the legislature and insurance commissioner let them get away with it.

Alone.

Corporation says it has safely concluded its response to a fire and leak that sent a huge cloud of chlorine from its chemical plant in Plaquemine and Iberville.

Parish.

Allen says monitoring confirms there was no risk of onsite or offsite exposure.

But Iberville Parish reports.

23 people went to the hospital.

Most of them the next day There wasn't much debate during a legislative vote to keep transgender athletes in Louisiana from competing on college and K-through-12 women's and girls sports teams.

The state Senate measure goes next to the state House.

The governor vetoed similar legislation last year, saying it was mean spirited and said this week that such a law was unnecessary.

A state Senate committee voted down legislation to abolish the death penalty in the state.

Senator Katrina Jackson sponsored the bill, saying the state shouldn't have the power to take a life.

And there was no way of knowing how many innocent people have been executed.

Legislation to expand patient access to medical marijuana moved from committee to the full House this week.

Lawmakers say current law allowing only ten licenses for regional marijuana pharmacies can be a hardship on patients who have to travel.

The bill also adds fuel Monroe to the list of schools that can do research on medical marijuana.

Three years after an arsonist torched three small black churches in Saint Landry Parish.

Rebuilding is well underway.

Reverend Gerald Toussaint of Mount Pleasant Baptist.

Just months now from reopening says we began in a dark moment, but it's getting brighter and brighter every day.

Registration is underway for a new program to help low and moderate income.

Lake Charles, families repair to20 hurricane damage.

The program uses grant money and it's capped at $60,000 per home.

So the expectation is that the $11.3 million available will be gone quickly.

Registration runs through May 25th.

Also, the deal is what was known as lease circle in New Orleans, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee once stood on Thursday was officially renamed Harmony Circle.

And at the Saint Landry Parish Courthouse in Opelousas came the vote to remove a 102 year old Confederate monument from the courthouse grounds a ten to three vote followed a sometimes emotional debate.

Even though Baton Rouge traffic ranked fourth worst in the nation after megacities.

New York, L.A. and Miami.

You knew the governor's business plan for a new bridge would be a tough sell.

Lawmakers this week voted against half a billion dollars proposed for the bridge and instead want to put that money into a trust that can be divided among other projects.

But Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne emphasized this week, without the huge investment for the bridge with the one time money that already exists, the whole project could be in jeopardy.

If not now, when?

That's the question that everyone needs to be asking.

If not now, when That question posed by Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne to the Baton Rouge Press Club this week has been asked in earnest for well over a decade now.

When will Baton Rouge have another bridge over the Mississippi River?

There are not many of these massive engineering and architectural feats spans of concrete and steel linking one side of the river and Louisiana with the other.

The first constructed was a Huey P Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish in 1935 and a cost of $13 million.

The most recent, the sleek John Jay Audubon Bridge cost $409 million and links the parishes a Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana miles long traffic backups on both sides of Interstate ten in Baton Rouge and both sides of the river are common and that time wasted waiting in traffic is a heavy burden on individuals sitting in their cars and on commerce and industry and the delivery of goods and services.

Question needs to be posed to the hundred and 43 members of the legislature, particularly to those members whose districts and communities will be touched directly by the construction of a bridge that now has only been a dream, particularly to those eight senators, six representatives that represent East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension and Livingston.

The Legislature needs to commit a some certain to this project in the funds bill that has been presented to the Legislature and gives an opportunity to use one time money for this important one time purpose.

Why?

$500 million, which is what the administration has recommended that was not just an arbitrary number pulled out of the sky, although it certainly seems that way in a round number like that half a billion dollars, but the present day earmarked or present day estimated costs for construction of the bridge and the improvements to the roadways that will lead to the bridge is at least $2.5 billion.

As we know, those numbers are going up daily, and we're certainly experiencing that already when it comes to our capital outlay projects and other infrastructure needs, because bids are coming in way higher than was anticipated.

With the supply shortage that is there and the increased costs that we're feeling all over the country.

The projected cost of a bridge today is about $2.5 billion.

The 500 million represents about a 20% contribution.

In essence, it would be a pledge not in the legal sense, but certainly in the policy sense to say that the state is willing to commit 20% of the present day price tag.

This is going to enable DOT to use these funds as hard evidence of the state's commitment.

It enhances the department's chances of meaningfully competing for competitive grants that are going to be plentiful as a result of the recent bipartisan infrastructure bill and many other parts that probably are going to become available it enables the department to proceed with credibility as it seeks third party developers to enter into public private partnerships to make the bridge a reality.

It provides those precious dollars that can help minimize the inevitable tolls that will be a part of the project of this magnitude.

And that's an important component of the amount of money that the state contributes on the front end.

On the back end, it will reduce the amount of tolls that will have to be imposed in order to make the project a reality and as we know, the we often hear talk about comparing Louisiana to Texas and to Florida, states that have no income tax.

As a practical matter, those states are heavy into tolls and anyone who travels in those states recognizes that that's a way that those projects have been funded in those states.

And we have not been a heavy toll state through the years.

But a project of this magnitude is going to require that level of contribution.

But obviously, we want to keep it as minimal minimum as possible.

Dardenne says public meetings will begin in days to look over the ten sites already identified as possibilities.

In less than two months, three locations will be short listed as required by law.

To proceed with environmental studies.

To those legislators who say stashing away half a billion dollars is too much money to just sit idle and that the money could be used elsewhere A number of bipartisan editorials say those lawmakers are driven by greed and should listen to Dardenne's business advice instead of their own short sighted political instincts.

We can't afford the luxury of waiting right now.

You don't wait until you have the site in order to trigger your funding components.

Because you have to have the money in place to begin the environmental review and to do the begin the process of identifying the development team that is going to be put together to act once the site is ultimately selected.

And it's not an excuse to say it's too much money to sit idle.

This money is not going to sit idle.

Obviously, there will be interest accruing on the money that is not spent on in the short term.

And more importantly, it will be used as a sum certain by the Department of Transportation and Development to say to the federal government, as we apply for these competitive grants, here is a local match that the state is putting up in order to secure those federal grants.

These are going to be highly competitive grants, as you can imagine, even though the amount of money that is poured into this state and poured into every state from Washington in the wake of the pandemic, these are going to be competitive grants and states will be competing against each other.

Local governments will be competing against each other.

And it's critical that Louisiana be poised to have the requisite match necessary to draw down money in these competitive grants.

This is going to be an attractive project.

It is going to be one that makes sense for anybody who's traveled on our interstate.

And that's a lot of people, not just in Louisiana.

So we have a good story to tell, but we have to make certain that there's a some certain there to to deal with it.

Dardenne says a final site could be chosen in 2024 with construction of the bridge to begin in 2025.

2022 is expected to be one of the most expensive years on record for travel.

Yes it certainly as you know gas prices are up and so is the price of plane tickets.

But Andre other travel problems are also expected to happen.

Airline managers like Keith Allen in Lake Charles say shortages will create travel chaos For most airports, travel numbers have rebounded.

That's what Heath Allen, the executive director of the Lake Charles Regional Airport, says.

We're fully expecting a strong, strong demand this summer.

We're already seeing it today.

Since the fall.

Allen says his airport is seeing tight levels of traffic, which is happening all over the country.

But the number of people trickling back into airports is causing somewhat of a headache for airlines and travelers alike, which is culminating into what experts are calling a summer of chaos.

Through the pandemic, though, we have been short staffed.

We've had several positions open for several months.

We've seen a little bit a little bit of an improvement in that and again, we're only talking one or two positions because we're a small organization.

But we have and we have found it more difficult during the pandemic to hire.

Airlines are also having trouble staffing planes.

When you think about flight attendants, pilots, or is there is this huge shortage right now, as well as mechanics and other support staff, but right now, pilots and we're already starting to see that here in this market where they've had to cut flights, not necessarily because they wanted to, but because they simply didn't have the pilots or the crew to fly the aircraft.

So and you see that happening across the nation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation released an air travel consumer report showing that flight cancelations had grown this year.

In January, marketing carriers canceled 6.3% of scheduled flights compared to the 2.4% in December.

2021 and the 3.1% pre-pandemic United Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Allegiant had the highest rate of cancelations.

And we've seen it with United pretty much across the board every day of the week.

And they've told us it is directly related to to staffing.

And that's that's a nationwide issue and if you want to move out further than that, it will be a worldwide issue once international travel comes back fully.

In addition to possible flight delays, you'll also be looking at higher tickets and general airfares up 36% from last year.

You'll see the uptick in Louisiana as well.

In the last month or so.

Airfares nationwide have increased over 20%.

With the latest statistics that I saw.

All of that is virtually all of that is due to the increased increase in the price of fuel.

You've seen a lot of more airlines, obviously, outside of labor fuel cost or their number one expense.

So every little increase in fuel multiplied across the fleet obviously is is a huge number.

At the end of the day.

Price hikes cancelations and delays will inevitably be a part of their summer vacation plans.

All experts agree.

But you can beat the odds somewhat if you're proactive book flights as early as possible, fly midweek and choose your airline wisely.

If you plan on traveling internationally, it'll be even more difficult to fly.

Experts say organizing tickets and ride share ahead of time will save you the headache.

New Orleans first musical festival season in two years is under way now.

The French Quarter Festival parade got things started yesterday and hundreds of thousands of people will make it a big party all weekend long.

And there is land yet this season with a new feature film and album release happening that's why I'm so thrilled to say hello to guitarist Ian Neville of the Neville Family and Martin Shore, Grammy nominated music producer and film director of Take Me to the River New Orleans and guys, I want to hear about the the film and the the album and how it came together and why it added such spice to this festival.

Season.

Well, it came together to really document the rich musical history, legacy history of New Orleans and New Orleans.

Music, and it's one of America and the world's most precious cultural jewels.

It represents the state of Louisiana and New Orleans being sort of the the hub of the of the of the wheel.

But it's it's really all about getting people to visit Louisiana and getting people to visit New Orleans to experience the culture, the music personally and festivals are a great way to do it.

And do you think, being from Louisiana, that we sometimes take this for granted, maybe not the musicians, but just the average Louisiana that we have this?

Yeah, I think so.

And musicians do to some degree, which is we all experienced over these last couple of years you know, quiet.

New Orleans is a weird New Orleans for everyone.

And to have us to be back to our normal, normal activities side of the of the region is just great for everyone.

I feel like we weren't having a good weekend.

Well, what's terrific is that this begins this French Quarter fest begins one after another.

Jazz fest right after.

And so you just you're just going right into what does feel normal for the Crescent City.

Yeah, right down the line, like you said, French Quarter Fest.

This weekend, Jazz Fest.

And we got Essence, we got Bayou Bugaloo La Satchmo Fest Beignet fest, the sounds of the cocktail.

And it's our full, full lineup you know, and I used to that.

It's just great to have it back.

We get some visitors down here, help us all out.

It may be a nice time.

Yeah.

You're out there on a beautiful day.

It's been a little windy, but what's the vibe that you're feeling also with the French Quarter Fest just underway now.

And the energy of how it's supposed to feel down here?

Is all in the air.

There's like a brass band down the street.

There's, you know, some stray, stray weirdness going on.

And the French Quarter should always have that music.

You smell food all over.

It's just feels like a nice day to be out in the quarter.

With tourism being such a huge industry in New Orleans, this is a good time.

Couldn't come at a better time for this to be happening right now.

The film drops out.

The film drops on Friday be playing theaters all around Louisiana.

Here in New Orleans, it's at the Broad Theater and at the Grand in Lafayette.

On the 22nd look for your local listings.

The record drops on April 29th.

Yes.

And you know, we're just waiting for everybody to come visit us down here.

I know I'll be out in the quarter listening in some of the bands that are featured in the film and on the record, that's where I'll be remember and New Orleans dot com for all your information and Take Me to the River dot org is embedded in that website.

Excellent.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for being with us.

Appreciate it.

All you and head over to New Orleans dot com where you will find all the information you need where it says the best is yet to come.

That's the headline of their Web site.

Our next young hero is truly an inspiration.

She suffered through hardships difficult enough to break anyone, but she didn't let that happen.

Instead, she used her past as a motivation to build a stronger and better future for her and her peers.

Tonight, I want you to meet 18 year old Olivia Stringham.

When Olivia Stringham was 11 years old, she lost an integral part of her family.

Her mother, she did struggle with an alcohol addiction.

And ultimately, she died from alcohol poisoning.

And so the next morning, she was.

She was already gone.

So that was ultimately the her her battles Tony Stringham fought against alcoholism for about two years and eventually died on April 24th in 2015.

It was tough for sure.

You know, Um, losing someone, you know, so close in your life so unexpectedly, I mean, it can rock anybody's world.

And so it was definitely tough.

But, um, you know, I really leaned into my family.

But that's not all Olivia remembers of her mom.

Stringham was an amazing mother whose life revolved around her children.

And despite her struggle with inner demons, she would have given anything for her family.

Olivia holds on to that.

And in a way, it gives her peace, but also motivation.

But I know for sure, you know, like my mom, she struggled with.

Obviously, if you have any type of addiction, you struggle with some sort of mental health or mental illness.

And so I think that was one of the big reasons, too, that I did want to get into my mental wellness awareness and advocating for people who struggle with that.

Because sometimes I think maybe it's not always talked about like there's a stigma around it.

Stringham devotion to her family was infectious.

So much so that Olivia developed an affinity for service, helping everyone understand mental health and understand the resources became her mission.

She worked with the Teen Advisory Committee to create Wellness Wednesdays and both keto and bowser pair schools.

So we're hoping that, you know, if kids have morning announcements or assemblies that they can, you know, it'll be brought up in that and then maybe during lunch hours, if there's a middle central point that students hang out around, if we could just have a table set up or you know, maybe have a service dog on campus.

Wellness Wednesdays is just one of her many accomplishments.

Olivia clocked in over 800 hours of community service volunteering on the weekends.

She works at Lighthouse Mission Thrift Store in Vivian, Louisiana, where she's from.

The store runs on donations and sells clothing for extremely low prices.

The closest clothing department other than boutiques and Walmart would be in Shreveport.

And so we, the owner, really wanted to come up with a way for the community to have access to clothes and not break the bank.

Working there taught her how to be a small part of a team, how to make a difference, do the little things.

The best way to love anybody or a community is to serve them And so that's kind of at the core of who I am.

That's how I describe myself.

And I think the lighthouse had a huge part in developing that philosophy in me.

When high school is over, Olivia plans on studying bioengineering and from eight of the colleges she's been accepted to.

It won't be hard to pursue her dreams.

I definitely did not expect to get into two Ivy League schools.

Like, I mean, just the sheer amount of qualified applicants is insane.

Like, I know Harvard had 60,000 applicants and Yale had 50,000.

And I mean, you know, every single one of those students is qualified.

It just comes down to who do they, you know, who can they invite into their class?

Who do they need?

What do they want?

But which college will she choose?

That's a surprise.

I've got it down to two I am gonna either go to Yale or Harvard.

So I brought I brought my Harvard hoodie so that people back home watching this would not jump to any conclusions just to let them know that I am still picking between these two.

And I haven't told anyone.

The only people who know are two teachers in my family.

So even the principal, I was like, I'm not even going to tell you.

So you're going to be just as surprised as everybody But whatever her choice, Olivia's future is surely a bright one.

Stringham is going to announce her decision on Wednesday at North Caddo Magnet High School.

The best of luck to her LPB's Louisiana Young Heroes program is presented this year with the generous support of Amerihealth Caritas Louisiana, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Community Coffee, the US Army Baton Rouge recruiting battalion, Demco and Hotel Indigo and everyone.

That is our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything, LPB any time wherever you are with our LPB PBS app.

You can catch LPBN News and Public Affairs shows as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please, like so on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

For everyone here at Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

I'm Andre Moreau.

I'm Kara St Cyr Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Entergy is proud to support programing on LPB greener practices that preserve Louisiana.

The goal of our environmental and sustainability initiatives really is to ensure that our kids and future generations can be left with a cleaner planet.

Additional support provided by the Fred Bea and Ruth B Zigler Foundation and the Zigler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you.