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I know customers are counting on me.

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Together, together.

Together.

We power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred Bea and Ruth Ziegler Foundation and the Zeigler 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 and Hi everyone.

Care sings here, Kanimbla is off tonight.

You'll still see some of our stories throughout this broadcast.

But first, Governor elect Jeff Landry selects the new head of the Louisiana State Police.

Longtime trooper Major Robert Hodges will take up the superintendent seat.

He's been with the agency for 28 years and currently oversees the state police region to patrol.

We'll keep you updated on the incoming governor's transition.

And now to Karen story.

Today, I introduce you to my special report, Winds of Change.

A look at Louisiana's emerging wind energy industry in 2020.

Governor John Bel Edwards initiated the Climate Action Plan for Louisiana, establishing a target for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The plan points to wind energy as one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, President Biden's administration is pushing to ramp up offshore wind development to meet its goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.

In my first report, we'll look at why the Gulf of Mexico is one of the top frontiers for wind energy in the nation and how Louisiana is poised to take the lead.

The state has a significant stake in the federal waterways, plus state owned coastal waters available for wind farm leases.

The Biden administration opened the first ever leases for offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.

In August, Louisiana leased its first offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Mexico, signaling a demand for skilled workers.

Nunez Community College and Chalmette is answering the call with a new wind turbine curriculum available soon to students.

Here's more.

Louisiana companies helped build the first commercial offshore wind farm BLOCK Island near Rhode Island.

And now Louisiana wants to bring that work home.

Staking its claim on the potential windfall of this renewable energy industry by capitalizing on the winds and waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Estimates are that wind leases in the Gulf of Mexico have the potential to power 1.3 million homes.

That's more than half the number of households in Louisiana.

With the first wind farm lease in the Gulf of Mexico, near Lake Charles and more planned.

The demand for skilled workers is growing.

Nunez Community College in Chalmette is taking the lead in wind turbine training with a new curriculum.

It's one of the first in the state.

We partnered with Energy Innovation out of Norway, who have helped us develop our curriculum.

We actually just sent two of our professors to Norway this month to begin their basic safety training.

Nunez Community College is establishing the Sustainable Energy Career Academy to train an offshore renewable energy workforce.

This curriculum is certified by the Global Wind Organization, which is a international certifying body.

So the great part about this is this program teaches students the basics of offshore safety.

It teaches them how to fix and repair the cell towers and the blades so that way they can go offshore and work both in our waters and in international waters.

Louisiana has a built in workforce ready to reskill and scale up for renewable energy jobs.

Given its vast experience in offshore oil and gas BLOCK Island, where the first five turbines in the US went up was largely built by Louisiana companies, we have the expertise to install stuff on the seafloor and people need it and we're able to share that with the U.S., which is nice.

Ginny Netherton is with the Southeastern Wind Coalition, a nonprofit that works to advance wind energy development.

So we're really seeing the birth of a new industry in the US.

I would say we're probably 5 to 7 years behind Europe who has a more significant supply chain.

We currently have seven operational turbines in US waters.

There are the five at BLOCK Island and two in Virginia.

RW, An international renewable energy company, holds the first when lease in the Gulf of Mexico in federal waters south of Lake Charles.

One of the issues that we looked at is, I guess, the fair and equitable distribution of fees to the state.

Dr. Steven Barnes is the director of the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

This is a real long term opportunity where we've got to make sure we've got the right policy environment in place.

And so at the federal level, I think we've got to make sure that we put in place mechanisms that help to share some of the benefits in terms of public revenues with the states that are working to support these things.

And I think we need public engagement and public interest to help push that forward.

Louisiana is also one of the first states to develop wind energy close to shores in state owned waters.

The first three nautical miles of open water under its control.

I'd also point out that the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has received funding for a master plan to help guide the development of this process, both in state waters and federal waters.

Much the way our Coastal Master Plan works, which has been such a helpful document for I think everyone in Louisiana will have those same guideposts to look at for offshore wind, which is really exciting.

In August of 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order setting a target for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Renewable energy plays a significant role in reaching that goal for the second term of the governor, John Bel Edwards administration.

We've really been all in on this energy transition.

Brad Lambert is deputy secretary with Louisiana Economic Development.

He served on the Governor's Climate Initiatives Task Force.

And that climate action plan, in my view, has been a differentiator for the state of Louisiana.

We are the only state in the Gulf South with such a plan, and it had 28 high level strategies.

An additional 84 specific action items.

One of those 84 action items was a target for five gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.

So again, we're talking about the next 12 or so years trying to get to the point where either in federal waters, the Outer Continental Shelf or in state waters from coastline to three miles out, that we can begin to generate some renewable energy, a skilled wind energy workforce is essential to reaching Louisiana's five gigawatt offshore wind goal.

Nunez Community College is one of the first community colleges in the nation to offer several global wind organization certifications and degree pathways.

So at their first certification and with like three or four classes, they can work offshore.

And then after their first year, they're going to earn what's called a technical diploma, which gives them all the certification to work offshore.

So with that one year degree, these students will can go work on these offshore turbines making about $56,000 a year, which is great.

That's higher than Louisiana median salary.

So that's really fantastic step.

And then for those students that want to go on to four year, they can finish out an associate's degree in wind turbine technology.

And we're developing relationships with University of New Orleans so our students can go from this program straight into a wind engineering program over there if they want.

Nunez Community College is also part of the Glo Propeller Consortium that includes five universities and major industry players such as RW.

The first Gulf of Mexico wind, leaseholder and Gulf Wind Technologies and Avondale.

Together, they are working to help Louisiana's wind energy industry take flight.

So I think we have a unique opportunity right now in Louisiana to really step out and be the first place to establish ourselves as the onshore base to support that development, establishing manufacturing here and the workforce and expertise to build out and support these things.

Lawmakers, they also have some roles to play as far as incentivizing development, incentivizing Louisiana businesses to pursue this.

And I think that's kind of where the legislature might be able to look next session.

We are approaching the peak of holiday shopping season and a lot of us are shopping online.

But technology experts warn that every deal may not be as good as it seems.

Americans lose billions every year to scams.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission recorded an $8.8 billion loss from fraud alone, up 30% from 2021.

And the problem is getting worse.

Largely due to technological advances like artificial intelligence, A.I.

can be used to mimic websites or a person's voice.

It can also manipulate videos.

Hagai Davis, A technology specialist and the host of the podcast Tech Gumbo, says it's easy to be deceived.

The number of people who are generating videos who are generating fake videos is as prolific worldwide, and it's because it's becoming easier and easier to do.

The the idea that seven years from now, in the year 2030, that you're going to be able to trust anything that you see on the Internet, it's becoming harder and harder to tell.

And that's part of the problem.

These these generative eyes are becoming so good and so powerful.

Davis says deepfakes are an emerging threat, gaining popularity online.

Deepfakes are a video depicting a person whose face or body has been digitally altered to look or sound like someone else.

I am not Morgan Freeman.

And what you see is not real.

Well, at least in contemporary terms, it is not.

In some cases, this technology is used to impersonate a celebrity for comedic purposes.

But Davis says other times the intent can be more malicious, like using a fake image to sell a product that doesn't exist.

I can put a video together or some images and put it up on a website and it makes it look like I have these products and or services for sale at a good price.

It's not just going to the website or going out there on the internet and clicking an image and dropping down on your website.

Now I can generate a video of this product or service.

Websites like Openai provide access to programs like Dolly or Valley, which can create realistic A.I.

images or realistic A.I.

voices, making it harder to discern whether the ad is real or not.

If you see some rough edges and some things that don't flow well together or if the way that the person on the video is talking doesn't sync up very well, and if they're using language that sounds very robotic and it does not, it's not a natural sounding conversation, that's probably a good, good, you know, sign that, oh, maybe this is not a good thing.

But there are other signs to look out for to avoid online scams.

Can you give me an example of what looks authentic but maybe a scam?

The thing is, is they'll take look alike ads and they'll take those ads and they'll post them and they'll make them look pretty.

And they it makes you think that it's a real offer, but you have to look a little bit closer.

Carmen Million is the president of a South central Louisiana Better Business Bureau.

She says aside from actual video imagery, scammers can manipulate website ads to appear like a familiar shopping site or brand.

It's like anything else you have to investigate.

Before you invest, you have to look at these pictures.

You have to study them, especially if they're making an offer.

That sounds too good to be true.

If something seems off about it, look at the address.

Where the link at the top.

The web address.

See if it matches something that is in the picture and if those are not matching or their misspellings.

Those are warning signs.

But if you happen to fall victim to a scam, here's millions advice.

The best place to contact would be the Federal Trade Commission.

They have an Internet scam tracker and they investigate those types of companies.

You can also call the Better Business Bureau to report the scam.

They have a database to prevent future incidences.

2023 was a big year for the Tunica Biloxi tribe of Louisiana.

The tribe's chairman and CEO, Marshall Peri, secured millions in grant money to invest in the tribe's progress.

Though the grant focuses on housing and economic growth, the chairman says the real goal is to create a self-sufficient native community.

Thank you and welcome to the tune of luxury reservation.

It's great to have you.

So 2023 was a pretty eventful year for the Tunica Biloxi tribe.

It was awarded two major grants and one of them was to revitalize a manufacturing building.

And can you tell me a little bit about what that revitalization looks like?

Yeah, the revitalization shall look like is the old garrison plant used to be a oh so so in factory was shut down over 20 years ago.

And we thought it would be a great opportunity to restore it retrofitted and utilize it for advanced manufacturing and textiles.

In another interview that you were in, you mentioned that this was a way to establish economic sovereignty.

Can you first explain what that phrase means?

Economic sovereignty as the ability for it to look well achieved to create entrepreneurs within this nation and its the ability to create jobs, much needed jobs, living wage jobs not only for our tribal citizens, but for the non-tribal citizens elsewhere.

Wow.

So do you think that there's a definite need for that in this community?

Yes.

Not only for this community, I would say all rural America.

All of America.

If you look at over the last 100 years, the topography of job creating, we went from the agriculture era to industrial era, where our Tunica, Biloxi, your in your country of people of color did not have a seat at the table nor their voices heard.

Now, as we into the terror communication role, we not only have a voice at the table, but our seat at the table.

But our voice is not only heard, but is amplified.

So we see this as a huge opportunity, just not about creating jobs, but meaningful jobs.

So really, it's like a financial liberation.

Yes, it is.

How's the project going so far?

It's going great.

We are getting ready to start the restoration part of it, the refurbishing part of it.

And then we are going to go through the retrofitting part.

So we take within 12 to 18 months, we are going to be operating by doing the interim.

We are going to operate the textiles in a smaller facility, the Ace Hardware building, but the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Wow.

4 to 6 weeks.

That is very soon.

Yes.

Are you excited?

I'm extremely excited.

It brings pride to our people to know that we are building a vision from the ground up and together, collectively, we're going to make that vision come to fruition.

So you mentioned economic progress and also creating meaning, meaningful jobs and minimum wage.

So it seems like you want to make this area more affordable and more livable for the community.

And that kind of ties into the next grant that you guys required.

And that one was focusing on housing and creating housing here.

Can you tell me why is there a need for affordable housing in the Tunica Biloxi community?

Why is because it's just it's a need to root out rural America, all of America for affordable housing.

The prices have skyrocketed over the last three years.

We have to give our people an opportunity to become homeowners, not just being stewards or leasing property.

We want them to create their own opportunity and giving them the wherewithal that is needed access to affordable housing this doorstep.

You know, when we look at housing, people think it just housing is a means to secure you from the elements, but into local is way more than that.

So all about moving forward and creating more opportunities for the community.

About how many housing units will this grant afford this grant as afford 1919 homes?

Yes.

Are they going to be single family?

Are they going to be two story?

One story is going to be single as why multifamily dwellings.

All one story and and again, it's just we are truly excited about that opportunity.

You mentioned that all of this has been in the works for a generation.

How do you feel being the chairman at this time?

Whenever you're able to get all of these resources to build the community of humble, yet honored?

Because I see the sacrifices firsthand on what my father and my mother had to go through.

A lot of the ancestors of Tunica, Biloxi, and you can see the pictures that were around us 45, 50 years ago.

This was just we most of we had four or five homes over here.

Now we have over 80 homes.

And we are able once we continue to add on, is going to I no doubt in my mind the vision that we're creating, our access is smaller now and upon us.

What do you think this means for other native nations and Louisiana, what it means for them as empowerment, encouragement in smart because they know to look at Biloxi Nation can do it.

They can as well.

And that's why we're so willing to help out our brothers and sisters throughout Indian country.

And your country consists of 578 tribal nations and we have a relationship with the vast majority of them.

January marks a change in leadership of Louisiana's higher education institutions.

Grambling State University President Rick Gallo becomes president of the University of Louisiana System.

Karen LeBlanc sat down with him to discuss his new role.

I am joined by Grambling State University President Rick Gallo, incoming president of the University of Louisiana System.

We're here in your office at Grambling.

But effective January 1st, you are the next president of the University of Louisiana system.

Congratulations.

So seven years as the president of Grambling State University, as you said, it wasn't in your master plan.

Right.

How did this come about?

Well, it came about by the decision by current system President Jim Henderson to apply for the presidency at Louisiana Tech.

Upon the retirement of President elect guy.

So Dr. Henderson is responsible for sort of putting all of this in motion.

So of course, with with his departure, then that opens up the the system presidency.

Share with us some of those opportunities and some of the challenges that you're going to face.

Well, I think that the biggest challenge right now for all of higher ed is enrollment, both recruiting and retention of existing students.

And I think we've seen this ebb and flow during the COVID 19 pandemic.

And so it taught us a lot about who we are as institutions expose of vulnerabilities that that we all had, whether it was, you know, technology, whether it was, you know, having students who spent some part of their high school time, as well as some who spent time in college learning in a virtual environment how we meet those students where they are, because they're they're not all in the same place.

As we go forward, we'll continue to focus very heavily on, again, not only recruiting new students coming in, but but also focusing on the retention of students that we have.

And if you think about it from a business model standpoint, all of your basic business teachings will tell you that it's it's more cost effective to keep an existing customer than it is to go out and recruit a new customer.

Right?

Our business is education.

But, you know, make no mistake, it is a business.

I mean, we have payroll, we have insurance, we have utilities.

I mean, there are all these things.

So it it is a business enterprise, but our enterprise is education and retention ties in to the financial means for students to stay in school and for their education.

Here at Grambling, I believe you said 90% of the students receive some form of financial assistance.

So you obviously have a lot of experience with this.

What do you intend to do to foster more financial assistance for students in the system?

Well, and, you know, again, this is one of the one of the real advantages, I think, of having a system like the University of Louisiana system and nine schools.

We have a number of schools who have a high number of top students, for instance.

So they are merit based scholarships that we we see at a number of schools.

But we also have got grants that help that are need based aid.

So being able to continue to advocate for full funding of both tops and of GO grants and other assistance, I think is going to be key.

You will now be over nine.

Nine universities and all your years in the legislature, part of which you worked on the redistricting committee, which enabled you to meet one on one with every lawmaker in every district.

I have visited every campus.

I have visited every area that where our schools are located and feel like I've got a really good grasp on the uniqueness, the strengths, and also the weaknesses and opportunities that exist at all of our schools and in all of our areas.

And, you know, I think if I didn't learn anything else in redistricting, it is that you have to find commonalities with with people and how to get along.

So on a personal note, is this bittersweet for you leaving Grambling State?

You have such a personal connection to the university, the community at large.

You'll be moving to Baton Rouge.

How do you feel about that?

Well, I'm trusting God through this whole process.

You know, being president at Grambling was was never on my five year plan either.

And at the time that those conversations started, I was, you know, practicing law and coaching my sons in T-ball.

You know, that was a pretty significant pivot in in my personal and professional life.

And so, you know, I firmly believe that if we trust God to lead us and, you know, you said personal.

So, I mean, for me, you know, my my relationship with God means it all, you know?

And so this is a direction I, you know, feel like he's leading me in.

And so I know that this is something that he will provide for on this new path.

So just as he did here at Grambling.

So and, you know, the one thing that I keep telling all of our, you know, family here at Grambling is that my job performance as system president is directly tied to the continued success of Grambling.

It is going to be incredibly important that we continue the momentum that we have going here at Grambling and to see that success continues.

So I'm still very much invested in in the success of Grambling and now also the other eight schools in the in the system.

Well, congratulations again and thank you for inviting LPI into your offices here at Grambling State University.

And we look forward to seeing your vision in action.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

Well, that's our show for this week.

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

You can catch LBB 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 X and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm care of Saints here.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Every day I go to work for Entergy.

I know customers are counting on me.

So Entergy is investing millions of dollars to keep the lights on and installing new technology to prevent outages before they happen.

Together, together.

Together.

We power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred Bea and Ruth B Zeigler Foundation and the Zeigler 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.