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.

The back and forth over Snap benefits leaves families in limbo ahead of the holidays.

Coming up, I'll sit down with the new voice of Tiger Stadium.

Dixon McMeekin, to talk about taking over in the announcer's booth.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser is pushing back on changes to Louisiana elections and the home of a former livestock auction in Abbeville gets new life as a Cajun music destination.

Let's get started.

Let's do it.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Christina Jensen, and I'm Victor Hollow.

Much more on those top stories in a moment on this week's edition of Louisiana, the State we're In.

But first, we start with a message for our residents who might be traveling.

If you are planning a flight any time soon, you'll want to keep a close eye on the schedule.

The FAA has scaled back flights at 40 major airports because of the federal government shutdown.

Hundreds of flights have already been canceled, and it looks like the issue will worsen over the weekend.

So far, no flights at Louisiana airports have been canceled, but they are warning that connecting flights, especially in the major connecting hubs like Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, could be affected.

More changes are coming to the Stop Food Assistance Program.

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the benefits.

However, the Justice Department has appealed that ruling.

The ongoing confusion is causing extra stress for families who are now turning to food banks for support as the holidays approach.

Across Louisiana.

The line for food stretches longer.

Every week.

Thousands of cars, thousands of families all waiting for the same thing.

A simple box of food.

Oh, what?

This is Baton Rouge.

But similar scenes are unfolding across the state.

Thousands of families and seniors are now turning to food banks and community groups for help feeding Louisiana.

The statewide network of food banks says in the state, more than 800,000 people live with food insecurity, and hundreds of thousands rely on the state's food bank network for help.

That number is now growing.

While resources shrink.

I mean, we as a country are suffering for all due to the economy.

Joyce Hawkins is one of many waiting outside the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging.

A lifeline for seniors across the parish.

Our seniors live on a fixed income.

Most of our seniors receive anywhere from 15 to $50 a month in Snap benefits, which is detrimental to them.

So is critically important that whatever that the government is doing, that we make sure that we keep our eyes on the prize, which is our golden seniors, and we make sure that they receive the services that they need and that they can depend on us in times of need.

What was once a program serving a few hundred meals a day now reaches thousands, and the need continues to rise.

They end up having to choose food or medicine.

So we wanted to make sure they didn't have to make that choice to do more.

Inside this warehouse, the challenge is clear demand is climbing.

While federal support that once helped bridge the gap has dropped roughly 40% statewide.

When did the food bank start seeing a rise in demand?

I think we started to see it up as we came to the beginning of the fall, actually about a 20 to 25% increase.

And we often see a slight increase around this time of year as we come into the holidays.

But there has been a more drastic increase.

And then I think what the government shut down, unfortunately, and also the cuts to Snap and Snap education families are feeling it a lot more now.

It certainly worries me.

You know, it's never good to stay in these kinds of stressors in our communities.

The new president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Elizabeth Phifer, says Governor Landry has stepped in with a short term solution.

But she says that relief still leaves many Louisianans behind.

We are incredibly thankful for the governor and the legislature for stepping in to cover the most vulnerable populations, which include the elderly, disabled and households with children.

I mean, this is fantastic.

We want to ensure that these populations that need food on a daily basis have it.

However, there still remains a gap of recipients that receive Snap that are not covered, in this latest resolution.

So we're still advocating for them.

We feel like those are the ones that will probably be coming to the food bank and to pantries as well.

On the front lines are volunteers working faster than ever to meet growing demand?

I think just given out, given what's going on right now in Louisiana and Baton Rouge in the country.

Yes, I've seen it, I seen that I think there's more of a demand.

Hopefully the donations keep coming and people realize what's going on right now and everything.

I hope in general things get better.

The need isn't limited to one city.

It's stretching from one corner of the state to the other.

Rural parishes where access to grocery stores and social services is limited are being hit the hardest.

Our phones are ringing, that's for sure.

Our partners are calling us with more questions and even, because the governor and the federal government have said, go to your food banks.

That's where you should be getting extra food.

People are calling to say, what can I have?

What can I get?

And so we're doing the best we can to respond to those calls, to make sure people understand what is available here or at their local pantry.

Back in Baton Rouge, the line for food continues for the woman in her car.

Help today means food on the table tomorrow.

But for the volunteers, it means hope during uncertainty and for Louisiana's food banks, it's a race to keep families fed.

One box at a time.

We want to make sure that every child, every elderly person, everybody has a nutritious meal, you know, multiple times a day.

However, the thing that gives me hope is that I know our community will come together.

They'll be able to support each other.

All right, Victor, let's take a look at what's trending this week.

Big news.

LSU names a new president to replace William Tate, who left the university back in May.

McNeese State President Wade Ruess will take over as president.

However, some people aren't so happy about that.

They've raised concerns about his credentials.

Another big change along with this hired because now LSU is reinstating the split leadership structure, naming James Dalton from Alabama as vice president of the LSU system and chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus.

He will now be in charge of research and academics, big news, and also going over to southern law.

Some good news for that.

University leaders breaking ground on a new $2 million law clinic that will give students that real world experience that they so need, and that the clinic is also going to have interview rooms, practice labs, and even a mock courtroom.

So southern.

It's such a great reputation for the law program there.

The building is expected to open next summer.

The expansion shows the Law Center's commitment to grow its clinical program.

That should be excellent news for those students.

I'm excited I will.

Louisiana locked in its reputation as a destination for foodies this week of course, we did write the Michelin Guide awarded its first ever honorees in the American South, including our great state, Louisiana.

Three New Orleans restaurants were awarded with Michelin stars admirals winning two stars for its take on Creole cuisine.

Saint Germain and Zazu each earned one star.

We don't need Michelin to tell us we got good news.

We already know that several other restaurants were awarded the recommended designation, including LSU's Peyton Pie and Baton Rouge, and also the Saint Francisville Inn.

Anonymous inspectors go to each restaurant.

They rate them on five criteria like quality of ingredients, mastery of flavor, cooking techniques, and consistency.

Congratulations to all of those who received that.

A big congratulations!

Will a nationwide penny shortage now impacting prices at some major businesses?

Victor.

The U.S.

mint stopped making pennies earlier this year, as you may remember, but really didn't give much guidance as to how retailers should handle the change.

You get what I did there.

I see what you do there.

Yeah, some like Rouses Markets and McDonald's will begin rounding cash purchases to the nearest nickel.

Now customers another encouraged to pay with cards or pay apps on their phones instead of cash.

And I got to say, I think the whole household as a problem.

We've got a box of pennies in the closet.

It's time to get the kids, get the pennies back out and get them in circulation.

I got to go.

I love it.

Yeah, we will do what we can to help out with that situation.

Let's talk about some sports now.

But vocals in the sports.

State Representative Dixon Mike Macon has a passion for Louisiana and his role in government, but also has a passion for his college, LSU.

He's keeping tradition alive in his new role as the new PR voice of Tiger Stadium and the mayor of its assembly center.

He has deep ties to the university and knows he has big shoes to fill.

Taking over for longtime stadium announcer Dan Burnett.

We recently visited inside his new office at Tiger Stadium to talk about his new vocal journey.

It's Saturday night and here come your party.

Tigers of LSU.

Dixon McMeekin has grown up an LSU Tiger.

His parents met at LSU.

His dad, Wally, an SEC champion Tiger baseball player.

For Dixon, his path to becoming the new stadium voice of LSU football and basketball is driven by family and his passion for the Tigers.

Yeah, what an honor.

Baton Rouge guy grew up here.

You know, my mom and dad came to LSU.

I'm a three time graduate, was here for eight years.

And Deacon Dan, as we call him all those years and born a big fan of his and all the work he's done throughout the years just to be up for it, be a finalist was what an honor.

And now to be the chosen one, to be the voice of a new generation.

Pretty awesome.

McMeekin started narrating back in elementary school for class plays and activities, never knowing it would lead to this opportunity.

His relationship with longtime PA announcer Dan Birney led him to pay attention to what was being said in arena during basketball games at the PMA, and it wasn't hard for McMeekin to picture himself as one day being the man on the mic.

You know, you never you never think about that, you know, come to the games knowing Deacon Dan, I go to the all the basketball games.

My mom's a huge basketball fan.

So growing up the Mac, right.

We went to all the basketball games.

And then of course, dad at baseball.

Bill Frank has been on that broadcast as well for a long time.

But you never think you're going to do it.

But I was prepared for it if it ever came up.

In high school, I started doing announcing in in college, kept that going in and around town, just like you.

We've done a lot of events together, and when you're on the mic, you become comfortable.

You're able to pronunciation, do the words and all that, because I would tune in to Dan and what he was saying, and I picked up on some of those little things that he did, and now I'm trying to do that the best I can, so it's a natural fit.

Mom was from Memphis, dad's from Monroe.

I have more of a Delta booming voice.

Deacon Dan was that bayou voice that he had, so I'm a little louder.

We're getting used to it in every game.

We're trying to get better for the Tiger fans.

Barry on the carry.

First down for the Tigers for 38 years, born was The voice inside of Tiger Stadium and 36 years in the PMA.

McMeekin says he listened and learned, and after he got the job, went to lunch.

The born where he had to ask one very important question and he's running now in that lunch.

And I specifically asked him, chance of rain.

Never what you want me to do with it.

And I love that he told me it's not a me thing.

It's not a you thing.

That's an LSU football tradition thing.

Keep it going.

Humidity 56% chance of rain.

Never.

No chance of rain.

Never.

Dan said it took him about ten years before you even said it.

He wasn't planning on that being a thing, but when he said it, it caught on.

So, you know, I've done four games.

Do I have a kid for it?

No, I don't have a catchphrase yet, but will I ever I don't know, but if something happens, the fans will let me know.

I promise you, my tailgate guys are all out there.

My cousins, my friends.

So they'll let me know something hits and then we'll keep it going.

This is a long term venture for Macon, who said before trying for and accepting the job, he made sure his wife, best Catholic, who was also a news reporter and anchor in Baton Rouge, was good with him, spending Saturday nights on a mic in a booth instead of with her in the stands.

She gave her blessing.

And now a lifelong tiger is beginning this new journey at a place he's always called home.

Yeah, I get to, you know, sit back and relax and sit here in my office on Saturdays.

Now look at the 102,000 friends I have.

It's pretty awesome.

You just you can't describe it until you're in the arena.

That is, the concrete coliseum of Tiger Stadium is just fantastic, but it's awesome.

What an experience.

And I truly just don't want to let people down.

Such a passion that I have a gift.

To be loud is a gift to be able to do it properly, to watch the game and get that information to the fans.

So yeah, I'll do it as long as LSU will have me here and I'm excited for that opportunity.

Good night Tiger fans.

Drive home safely and as always, go Tiger.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser is raising concerns about changes to Louisiana's primary elections and the impact of federal policies on the state's tourism industry.

I sat down with the lieutenant governor for a look at how he's taking on members of his own party.

Well, joining us now is Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Great to be with you.

Let's talk about changes coming to Louisiana's primary system.

It's, something that, is going to hit people next year.

You know, the recent poll out shows that 30 something percent of people don't even realize it's been changed.

And, it's, it's going to cost a lot of money, and, there's going to be some confusion of who can vote, who can't vote.

And so, I've been on a mission to change it back to open primary, not only here in Louisiana, but across the country.

If you look at Congress, it's so dysfunctional.

Can you explain to the viewers the difference between an open and closed primary with an open primary for many years in Louisiana, it's where you go into the poll and you vote for who you think's the best candidate, regardless of their party.

Democrat.

Independent.

Republican.

Closed primary.

If you're a Democrat, you vote for the Democrat.

If you're a Republican, you can only vote for the Republican.

The no party could either or.

And, and then once the Republican candidate is selected, either in the first or second primary thing to the Democrat, they would meet in the general election.

So you could have two extra elections cost in the state of Louisiana, millions of dollars.

And that money could be better used for education, health care, fixing our roads.

Can you talk more about the confusion to voters?

People ask me, am I going to be able to vote next year?

Because and I ask you, I well, I was independent, but now they move me into no party.

What does that mean?

Do I get to vote?

And, you know, some people don't think they get to vote.

So I think whoever's running in that close primary needs to make it perfectly clear that the independent voters can vote in either or.

And so, there's going to be some confusion.

What is the path forward after this next election?

You know, a lot of people say, and it's no secret that this close, Pam primary was done because of Bill Cassidy's votes, against the president and then impeachment and it was, was, was done to take him out.

Whether that happens and not Will we'll see.

If that's the only reason it was done, then maybe the legislature and the governor will support going back to open primary after this next election, which I hope we will do.

Because, it's for the greater good of our state and for this country.

You've got some Democrats and Republicans that could come together and solve a lot of the problems, both on a local level and on a federal level.

If we had open primary, why have you decided to speak out against this?

Well, because I saw the the the open primary makes us have to get along and talk.

You can't just have the cheap rhetoric on one side or the other.

You gotta actually come up with some solutions of solving problems where if it's a closed primary, you can tout the far left, the far right rhetoric.

You get into the general election, you're going to win because it's a Republican or a Democrat district or state.

And you don't really have to have solutions to solving problems.

Could speaking out hurt you politically, or are you just not worried about that?

But I've always been one to speak my mind.

And look, when I ran for office, I didn't need a job.

I love what I do, and I'll probably get involved in a lot of things that isn't in my job description like this.

But I feel like if you feel if you if you feel you're doing the right thing, you can do no wrong.

And people can respectfully disagree with me.

But I think it's important to speak out and tell them why I believe this.

Support.

Everyone is welcome.

We can have different opinions on different issues, but we can work together for the greater good.

And I think we need to get back to that.

You're passionate, I like that.

Well, let's talk tourism at one point.

You asked the president to apologize to Canadians.

Is our tourism still impacted by those statements and what has happened with our relationship with Canada?

Canadians book trips a year and a half, two years out.

So a lot of those people have book trips.

They're still coming.

Several have canceled.

But until the president's either out of office or apologizes, they're not sending people back to anywhere in the United States.

And even the airline up there told us they had to pull their advertisement.

They're still flying to the cities, but they can't advertise because of the backlash from the citizens.

So I think if obviously it'll get better with time, but I think it's going to have a lasting impact for a while.

We had 30 for the events in Lafayette last.

I was going to ask about that.

We had, 30, elected officials up there that when I went to the Congress last year, said they were coming down and canceled several apologized, but they just couldn't do it.

Not if they wanted a political career.

And then several of the bus tours canceled.

We've had musicians cancel, so, it's affecting us and Canadians is our biggest international market.

So I think it's, I think it's going to be a while for those numbers come back.

And what's interesting, in conjunction with this, Louisiana was recently ranked as a top tourism state.

And I saw that you, spoke with the USA today about this.

Can you talk a little bit more about like, we've got so many passion and great partners around this state and everywhere I go.

People love Louisiana.

And it's not just our efforts in tourism.

My food, I'm music got culture, but it's the people we treat strangers like family.

And you leave Louisiana with a friend for life, and you keep coming back for more.

So the great tourism numbers, the great things we're able to promote, goes to the people.

Louisiana, because of the way we treat people to be, named the state of the year and then have a New Orleans is the best food city.

And then, of course, a new initiative with the train to Mississippi and Alabama, to be a new attraction.

That's going to be huge for our future in tourism.

And it's a great industry that keeps growing.

Thank you so much for meeting with us.

I know you're busy, man.

You got a lot on your plate, but I really appreciate it.

Glad to be with you.

All right, so you ready to hit the road?

I'm ready.

Let's do some traveling along Bayou Vermilion and Abbeville.

An old wooden barn once echoed with cattle calls and auctioneers.

Today, those same rafters carry the sound of Cajun settlement song.

The Rishard Sale Barn is a relic of the region's cowboy past.

And now promotes and preserves rural and French culture and music.

PBS's Karen LeBlanc is on the road filming LP's new travel show, LA 64, which premieres next year.

In this sneak peek, she introduces us to Johnny and Kathy Rashad, who have transformed a working stockyard into a stage for Cajun legends and Grammy nominated musicians.

And, and and and, Johnny Rashad is a third generation cattleman.

The last of the Marsh Cowboys in Vermilion Parish from the age of seven.

He attended livestock auctions in this family owned barn.

Every Tuesday we had to sale, throughout my lifetime.

The people my age are the last Marsh cowboys.

Back when I was younger, they had 2000 their cattle.

Now they have 50 or 60 here.

It's changed quite a bit.

Today, Cajun tunes replaced cowbells in an arena, a pitch perfect acoustics originally designed to project the voice of livestock auctioneers.

Johnny and his wife Kathy transformed the barn into a live music venue and established a nonprofit organization, Le Bayou Legend Air.

Now I want to hear that, and we need to think through.

So it promotes the the French rural culture of a main parish, the cowboy culture.

And, just all around the preservation.

When we put this building on the historical registry, in 1996, it was because we could see the vanishing of these kinds of buildings.

You know, many stockyards now are made out of metal, and they are a whole different realm.

The Richard Sale Barn sits along the Vermilion Bayou and stands as one of the few remaining wooden stockades, earning its status as a National historic Building.

We were talking off camera and you said the fact that when you first applied to the National Historic Register, they were like, it's a barn.

Yeah, but you made a very valid point.

And it's like, it's not just a barn.

It was like a social hub.

They played a really important role.

It did.

It did.

There were two reasons people got together during the week.

They would go to church to socialize.

And you remember that roads were not very good, you know, so they would go to church and then they would come to the sale on Tuesday was a it was a market, you know, and, on the Vermilion Bayou because that was the best mode of transportation.

You know, at the time, all of his French speaking friends would sit on one side of the stockyard and Americans would sit on the other side.

So, the French speaking people got the better seats.

Oh, well, they had insider access.

Exactly, exactly.

Yeah.

So if you didn't speak French, you were less American.

And you had to sit on the other side.

Did they get the better deals, too?

No, no, everybody got to be fair.

Everybody got a square deal.

Today, every seat in the barn is a prime spot to listen to live music with a symbiotic connection on stage that commands undivided attention.

It's what draws Cajun music legends, including Zachary Richard and Grammy nominated musicians, many influenced by the music of Bobby Charles.

Abbeville native son, known as the poet laureate of swamp pop.

It's hard not to feel his spirit here.

He was one of the early architects of rock and roll.

He's one of the greatest songwriters, and people who are in the songwriting know that he's really part of the holy grail of wonderful songwriters in American music history, and he really changed the world with songs like See You Later, Alligator and Walk in New Orleans, and later with his work with the band.

And, we definitely feel his presence here.

South Louisiana just bubbles with so much art, culture, music, heritage.

And it's a place where down the road, up the Bayou Vermilion from your home, you can actually not only channel your heroes, but you can perform with your heroes.

Richard Sale Barn holds concerts in the spring and fall, promoting and preserving the region's Cajun musical heritage.

Our farmers Sign the Wall is a rite of passage, a sort of public autograph book.

Relics of a Bygone era fill the front room reminders of when Vermilion Parish was the largest livestock producer and when marsh cowboys roamed herding cattle in the shinier ridges, bayous and isolated grasslands.

Concert posters hang alongside Johnny's handmade saddle, a craft he has since retired to focus on.

The bayou, legendary with his wife Kathy.

What do you think your granddad and your dad would think about what you've done with the place?

I think it would freak out, but they'd be really happy that it's being used and being especially the culture.

I think they'd both be happy that that, we're trying to preserve what they started.

Shop.

Stay.

The floor.

With there.

May 6th.

Oh.

Oh, one thing we love about the state.

There are gems like that throughout Louisiana, and we look forward to visiting them with Karen when she takes you along.

Ellie, 64, starting next year right here on LP.

Yeah, definitely can't wait to watch that series.

Well, that is our show for this week.

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

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, when you have a moment like us on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Christina Jensen and I'm Victor Howell.

Until next time.

That's the state where it.

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.