Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together we power life.

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

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana.

And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you.

Thank you.

What's next for Louisiana's coastline?

After the governor's decision to end one of the state's most ambitious projects?

And it's time for kids to head back to school.

I'll take a look at some things parents need to do to get kids off to a healthy start.

And from increased job demands to financial insecurity, people are feeling the stress.

Let me show you some simple ways to help you cope.

Plus, LSU is digging into its roots with an archeological project at the University original location.

Let's get started.

Let's do it.

Hello everyone.

I'm Karen Loblaw and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Much more on those top stories in a moment.

On this week's edition of Louisiana, the State We're In.

But first, Governor Jeff Landry's administration has pulled the plug on what was set to be Louisiana's largest coastal restoration effort.

The Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion Project.

It aimed to rebuild up to 27,000 acres of wetlands by redirecting the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin.

Tensions are flaring over the project's cancellation, even as leaders look at a scaled down alternative.

Here's more.

There's nothing experimental about this.

You were a complete, uninformed third time idiot.

If you think that's the case and forgot to use the word idiot, Garrus never comes.

SAT down with me.

Yeah, you know my numbers.

I raised money for you, I raised money, I support action, I'm in.

No, no no no, let me finish.

Garret graves has has had made a statement of a bonehead decision.

God, I want to know one question.

Did you come sit down with me and look at all the facts and figures?

I would love to.

I was, I don't know, let's go.

You're right.

Let's rodeo any time.

The verbal clash between chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Gordon Gordy Dove, and former Cpra chairman Garrett Graves over the fate of the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, reveals the project's long standing polarization.

In 2023, Louisiana launched one of the most ambitious coastal restoration efforts in its history.

When the Barataria Sediment Diversion Project broke ground in Plaquemines Parish under former Governor John Bel Edwards.

It was priced at $2.9 billion.

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds picked up most of the project's price tag.

The massive initiative aimed to rebuild disappearing marshland by diverting sediment from the Mississippi River over 50 years.

The Corps of Engineers came in and suspended the permit.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers suspended the permit for for various reasons.

We had to stop the financial bleeding of it.

We did not start.

This project was started in 2023, two months before the governor's election in July 2025.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority announced the cancellation of the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion Project.

News of the project's cancellation comes amid administrative changes within Cpra.

Governor Geoff Landry has appointed Michael Haire as a new executive director of the Cpra.

I think this gets back to a regressive sort of pre-Katrina mindset, where we're going to start doing things more political than we are science based, and I don't think that you will find a coastal scientist, that coastal geomorphologist, anywhere, that would come in and say that you should abandon this project.

Garrett Graves served as chairman of the Cpra from 2008 to 2014.

He led the development of the state's 50 year coastal Master Plan, first released in 2012, and the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion Project.

I think it's really an uninformed decision.

Any project is going to have adverse consequences.

And so I think, you know, one taking a look at the adverse consequences, things like what is this going to do to fisheries.

Those are legitimate concerns.

But also it's important to keep in mind that all those things have been reviewed.

There has been a federal environmental approval that has occurred after years and years, in fact, maybe even decades.

If you look back at the origination decades of reviews here.

And so so those things have been approved.

Secondly, there is a $300 million mitigation fund in there to help address those concerns.

The other thing is, is that the cost of this project has increased significantly.

So I think, I think that the state has an obligation to go back and look at it and figure out, are there ways to curtail these costs, to bring it back down to something that's reasonable?

I think that's an appropriate thing to do, but to totally abandon the project?

I don't think that it really is taking into consideration and legal consequences, financial consequences, and most importantly, what it's going to do to the state from the start.

The sediment diversion project faced significant legal and permitting challenges.

Critics warned that the Mississippi River water was polluted, and that pumping river water into the basin could threaten oyster beds, shrimp habitats, and even the local bottlenose dolphin population.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, a former parish president of Plaquemines Parish where there is widespread opposition to the project, has been an outspoken critic.

It was probably the biggest fraud that was being pulled over eyes in Louisiana.

And if you go back now and check who got rich off of the 7 million we've already spent, it's obvious this was being rammed down the throat.

And they keep saying, well, the experts say, well, the experts at say are the experts that made money off it.

In a statement, the Cpra said the project is, quote, no longer viable due to multiple factors including cost permitting, concern and ongoing litigation.

Today, it's 3.1 billion and you have not bought everyone out yet because you only have 278 million to buy people out.

You got you got to buy out 800 pieces of property.

And that doesn't include Jefferson.

That does include Lafayette.

That doesn't include Grand Isle, because the people on the Bay, you're going to have all this water coming to you.

And how much with the state be on the hook for?

What a state would be off just to start with, is hundreds of millions of dollars over a period of time.

We have an engineering report that says 1.7 billion to keep it dredged, because that's under state law.

You have to keep all the bayous, the canals.

All that's got to be dredged as part of the termination process.

The Cpra reduced the canceled project's budget from 2.26 billion to 618.52 million, reflecting the funds already disbursed.

Now, some warn the state is on the hook to pay back the federal funds and will lose out on the remainder of the allocated Deepwater Horizon funds.

We going to redistribute 2.3 billion.

And you heard me say all the projects we're going to do, we're doing it with that money, but can we keep the money even though it was allocated for the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion project?

Yes, that's our money.

As an alternative to the canceled Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion Project.

Cpra is reviving the Louisiana Coastal Area medium diversion at Myrtle Grove, a smaller wetlands building project.

From hashtags to headlines, here's what's trending this week.

House speaker Mike Johnson made the cover of time magazine.

Yes, and the article, titled The Survivors, highlights Johnson's rise from relative obscurity to one of the most powerful positions in Washington.

Yes, it also talks about Johnson's ability to navigate the political challenges and a president who frequently pushes back against members of his own party when they don't meet his demands.

And it's so interesting because he's gone from sort of like under the radar politician to this massive power broker.

Yeah, he sure did.

And the article also addresses criticisms that Johnson has handed too much of Congress's authority to the executive branch.

Well, we have to read that one.

Well, Lafayette is getting recognized on social media for its food.

No surprise really.

It's not really in the TikTok food influencer Mr. Time.

Time.

Named it one of the top three food cities in the country.

Yeah, something we already know.

During his tour across Louisiana, he stopped in several cities before his followers and encouraged them to check out Lafayette.

It's great to see Lafayette recognized for our homegrown food.

That's right, I love that.

Now, just a couple of months after the LSU baseball team claimed their eighth national title, the city of Baton Rouge is welcoming yet another champion for the Baton Rouge River, who claim their first title in the Texas Collegiate League.

Yeah, the league is a summer baseball league that gives college athletes a chance to develop their skills during the off season.

Now, the rogue River, founded in 2018 and their roster includes athletes from several Louisiana colleges, out-of-state athletes and even international players.

That's right.

Congratulations for bringing home their first championship trophy.

All right.

Well, kids across Louisiana are heading back to class after their summer break.

Families have a lot to manage, from keeping kids healthy to staying on top of their schoolwork.

I spoke with some experts on tips on how to get kids off to a healthy start.

Take a look.

Seeing as children are about to head back to school this week and next week is they been pretty much separated during the summertime.

They're off at summer camps.

They're not in confined classrooms, and so we're not seeing as many illnesses spreading around things like strep throat, runny noses, viruses and pneumonia.

And when kids are kind of separated over the summer, we're not seeing that spread quite as much.

When school starts next week, we are going to be seeing an uptick in viral illnesses, respiratory illnesses, fever, rashes, strep throat because children are in confined classrooms again.

And it takes a week or two.

But we our offices start getting busy 1 or 2 weeks into school.

Back to school season can be quite stressful for everyone involved.

Parents are busy gathering school supplies and clothes while managing work and daily life.

Meanwhile, students anxiously anticipate the start of a new school year.

Now, as the year approaches, it's important to prioritize children's health and well-being.

Returning students will engage in busy environments like classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds, participating in both learning and social activities.

This increased interaction raises the risk of illness and injury.

Doctor Megan Nuss, a pediatrician at Baton Rouge Clinic, shared several health tips for families to get started.

She emphasizes that preparation begins at home, starting with simple steps like staying current on vaccinations and ensuring children get enough sleep at night.

When you go back to school, make sure kids are washing their hands.

They're not sharing water bottles or sharing utensils.

If your child is feeling ill, more than just a little runny nose.

If they had excessive cough, if they have fever and severe sore throat, we want to make sure that child does not go to school that day and makes an appointment with their doctor, because that is when the child is most infectious.

Especially if a child has fever, we need them to hang back from school for at least 24 hours until their fever free without medicine.

Because we know children are most infectious during that period, and that's how things spread rapidly throughout the classroom.

Doctor Adrienne, a Beverly, a pediatric dentist and owner of Twinkling Smiles of Baton Rouge, explains that some of the biggest dental problems she encounters stems from issues that could easily be prevented.

She shared tips because she also notes that more children need dental care after starting school, mainly because it's a busy time for parents balancing work and school responsible parties, which often results in children not practicing proper oral hygiene.

I think families are very busy.

Parents are a lot of demands pulling them, so they are not asking them as much energy to or health.

Decay is again increasing and we just have to again reinforce that their daily routine, routine and hygiene or health.

Doctor Beverly says brush your teeth.

Wash your hands.

And don't forget the power of to make sure you do a good job.

I always tell kids, just be meticulous about it.

Don't rush the way, because you always want to make sure you do a great job.

Yeah, so you said.

And this is you brush your teeth morning and night?

Yes.

Two minutes.

Yes.

Circular.

How do we do that?

Circular motion, 45 degree angle.

How?

It gets a little technical for kids.

So we say the scrubbing action.

And the main thing is make sure you hit all surfaces, all surface of the teeth.

Focus on a yes.

If it's a side, a top, the bottom and just go all the way around.

But also don't forget your tongue and flossing.

Also an important thing that we reinforce here at Twinkling Smiles is the power of two again, brushing twice a day and two minutes, but also seeing your dentist twice a year.

Now, while the power of two is a helpful tip and should be practiced daily, Doctor Nuss emphasized the power of a fever.

I think the biggest thing for back to school from a pediatrician standpoint, from an infectious disease standpoint is please don't send your kids to school with fever.

I think that is putting a lot of other children at risk.

I know it's a huge hindrance for the parents because we're working and we don't always have that daycare or babysitting back up.

But sending your kids to school when they're really ill puts the rest of the classroom at risk and siblings at risk.

And so it's it's best to call your pediatrician if you had any concerns that your child might be sick at the start of school.

Now, if we follow these tips, our Louisiana students will start their new year off on a healthy note.

May all of our students have a successful year in that.

Doctor's orders.

From living paycheck to paycheck to burn out on the job, financial and work related stress is taking a toll on our mental health.

A recent survey found that 80% of people admitted they've sacrificed their mental health to meet job demands.

I spoke with nurse practitioner Angela Teague, pretty, who focuses on mental health and mental health.

Coach Becky Rogers found some tips on how you can take back control.

Angie talked to me about some of the things that you've been seeing people go through on a day to day basis, just trying to maintain, go through life.

A lot of my patients have, severe anxiety, panic, depression, trauma.

Just from living life.

And, they have to seek out help, to manage the daily stressors.

Are you seeing there being, an uptick in people needing medication or needing to see people like yourself?

Are Becky to just cope?

Are you seeing an uptick?

Yes.

It's been, really horrible for the last couple of years for people.

After Covid, social anxiety rose, generalized anxiety rose, and depression.

And I've been reading articles, and one of the articles that I saw was just rising costs and goods in just everyday things that we need, that the prices are getting more expensive.

And then people are losing their jobs.

Oh, yes.

A lot of people are stressed over, when will the layoff be if their company is down sizing, then we have a lot of parents that are trying to figure out how to afford uniforms or clothing for school.

School supplies, things like that that are extra stressors this time of year.

Absolutely.

And, Becky, I know that you have some statistics.

You know, you're saying that people are even feeling lonelier and they're not even feeling like they've been hurt going through some of the everyday things they go through.

It's true.

And, you know, loneliness leads to depression.

But when you think that over 38% of people feel like there's no one to talk to, they really need to be able to express their concern and their feelings.

Absolutely.

Now, I know that you have both of you have some of the solutions, some of the answers to help people really try to minimize their stress level and cope with day to day life.

Share with us and please some tips so that we can cope.

We all need it.

Well, I like to start with positive, affirmations.

You know, a lot of us use negative self-talk without even realizing it.

Start every day by waking up and being grateful that you were able to wake up and breathe this morning.

I like to do meditation, with visualization.

That kind of helps me first thing in the morning.

And then when you get to work, you know, create a safe work environment where people can be heard and they can be appreciated for the job that they do.

That helps out a lot.

Just confirming that people are worthy.

Absolutely, I love that.

And so later on, we're going to go and do a demonstration on the breathing exercise that you talked about just so people can see.

Now, Becky, what are some tips you have?

Actually the the answer is within them.

So what we talk actually they come up with their own path.

So really I'm just a listener and a facilitator as they set the course a new trajectory for where they want to end up.

Wow.

So just talking it out.

So having an accountability partner, having an Angie, having a Becky to really just talk it out and then you come up with your own solutions.

Every one of my clients has experienced pain and every person I've met has experience pain.

So we're really all in this together.

So if we can just buying connection, we can work through it together and know that yes, that's one thing that's very important.

Meeting the stigma.

I mean like seeking mental health treatment should not there should not be a stigma behind that.

So today we're going to take some time and we're going to breathe.

We're going to meditate.

That's one of the things you said.

You said positive affirmations.

And then even in a work setting, having your boss or your peers say a kind word to you or you know what to say, job well done.

Today's close your eyes and we start out with deep breathing in for five seconds.

And I'm talking about belly breathing.

Okay.

And then hold it for five seconds.

And then slowly exhale for five seconds.

Do that a couple of times until you get your breathing pattern down.

And then visualize your safe space using your all of your senses, your smell, your sight, your, taste buds.

I mean, mine is the beach.

I love the beach.

So I like to hear the waves and smell the smells of the salt water and taste it on my lips and just stay there and continually breathe in from your belly and then hold it for five seconds and then slowly exhale.

It will help calm you down when you use all your senses, you can't panic.

And so many times, people react to stress or anxiety in a fight or flight mode and increased anxiety, increased stress lead to, medical problems.

Wow.

So just taking a minute to really breathe deeply and exhale.

So you're breathing in all the goodness and you're releasing all this stress and you're getting oxygen to your brain.

Your rate is kind of like a reset.

So what else can we do?

Anything else we can do?

Take every day and live it to your fullest.

Incorporate physical exercise that helps release endorphins.

On your days of fun.

Something fun to do.

Get out there and relax and enjoy yourself, you know?

And, Becky, we have one life, you know, and we can't allow stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness to take away from the life we were given.

LSU archeologists are digging into the university's past.

Teams excavated the site of the original LSU campus, known as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy.

They uncovered long buried remnants of the school dating back to the 1860s, offering a rare glimpse into the school's history.

Here's a look at their hands on journey.

A century old fallen oak trees roots reveal a portal to Alice's past, unearthing the artifacts that tell the origin story of Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy.

It was founded in 1859 on this site in the Kazakh National Forest in Pineville.

We didn't really know how much was left of the site because it had been destroyed by fire and then, you know, likely ransacked during reconstruction for supplies for people all around there.

And then it was reused, as a military hospital.

It was reused by the National Guard for training around the turn of the century.

So we didn't really know how much was left.

During the four week dig, the LSU archeology team uncovered a cistern that once held drinking water.

Now filled with debris.

It turned out to be a treasure trove of archeological finds.

We unearthed several very interesting artifacts that we had no idea for on the site.

The main one that is kind of a symbol of that.

That time frame is a stone that was over the interest entrance of the school, and it was inscribed with the saying with the liver tality of the General Government, the and so Perpetua so in Latin that means the Union forever.

As soon as Louisiana seceded from the Civil War, the Board of Trustees requested that that inscription be removed from the stone.

And we found that stone in the sister Canaan Mills is an LSU archeology graduate student leading the project as the subject of his thesis.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time.

So there's more still left in the cistern and on the site itself.

So hopefully another enterprising graduate student can come up with some questions and and continue to research the history of LSU.

Louisiana State Seminary closed during the Civil War.

It's first president, General William Sherman, fought for the Union while the majority of students fought for the Confederacy.

The military school reopened after the Civil War ended in 1869.

The campus burned down.

Years later, the ruins were cleared from the site and dumped into the system, so we presume that this was filled in by the National Guard in the early 1900s.

Sometimes this would actually preserve a lot of things that would not have likely been there still today.

A lot of really elaborately decorated iron and iron, artifacts, a lot of marble, artifacts, some with a lot a big story to them.

LSU archeology students are cleaning and cataloging the fines.

Back at the Baton Rouge campus.

Some of the items will be on exhibit at the LSU Military Museum.

We also got some interior details that we had no idea existed, and we don't have any drawings or any record of what the interior of the building looked like.

So this gives us an idea of how ornate the inside of this building was.

The Louisiana State Seminary site is managed by the USDA Forest Service.

The Casati National Forest, working with LSU, will create signage along the nearby walking trails based on archeological discovery that highlight the historical significance of the site.

So on ink is actually national forest that we know of.

There's at least 5000 archeological sites across 600,000 acres, and they span everything from the Ice Age and the first Americans all the way to huge World War Two camps.

That about up towards of half of the soldiers that went into the European theater came through military camps that were temporarily located on Kazansky National Forest.

So we have the entire history of North America encapsulated in those 600,000 acres of public lands here in Louisiana.

And the LSU seminary side is one of our cornerstone sites.

That's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything LPB anytime, wherever you are with our LPB app.

That's right.

And you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please like us on Facebook and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Karen Lichtblau and I'm Dorothea Wilson.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Support for Louisiana, the state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us.

Because together, we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum.

Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana, and by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and viewers like you.

Thank you.