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.

Louisiana is aiming for liftoff, with lawmakers considering bills to boost the aerospace industry.

And some Louisianans could be eligible for Canadian citizenship under a new law.

Plus, from Breaux Bridge to the national spotlight we█ll meet one of America's awesome kids and will also introduce you to our next young hero, Andrew Chambers.

Let's get started.

Hi everyone, I'm Jonny Atkinson.

Christina is off today.

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

But first, state lawmakers are looking to boost Louisiana's presence in the aerospace industry.

A bundle of bills could bring high tech jobs and new investments to the state, which already plays a big role in spaceflight.

Christina has more.

4321.

Booster ignition and lift off.

Across Louisiana, lawmakers are debating plans to expand the state's aerospace industry.

The goal attract major companies and position Louisiana to compete with aerospace hubs like Texas and Florida.

That push is now moving through a package of incentive bills in Baton Rouge.

Several measures would expand tax breaks for aerospace companies, along with provisions dealing with liability and public records related to aerospace operations.

That includes House Bill 1088, which would create tax rebates for companies investing at least $1 billion and creating 200 jobs and House Bill 1179, which expands property tax incentives for aerospace manufacturing.

Both measures have cleared the legislature and are now awaiting final action from the governor.

So some of the bills working through the process.

There are a number of them are really a result of the fact that defense and aerospace was named as one of the primary sectors in our recently done strategic plan for Louisiana's economic development.

And when we really started looking at our public policy around that, we realized we were years behind our competing southern states.

State leaders say the push comes as aerospace continues to expand rapidly, driven by private spaceflight and commercial launch programs.

The sector has grown 77% in the last five years.

If you look at private space travel, if you look at private satellites, if you look at private launches, there's an entire industry that has been built in the last really 10 or 15 years at the most.

We want Louisiana to be able to compete for any company working in the space that wants to take advantage of our workforce expertise, our geography, and just our ability to deliver any kind of project at that scale.

While state leaders try to attract aerospace companies to Louisiana, universities like southern say they are already building the workforce those companies would need inside Southern University's College of Sciences and Engineering, that workforce pipeline starts in the classroom.

We have programs in mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering and electrical and computer engineering, but we also have very strong relationships with our industry partners.

The skills that students acquire in their engineering programs translate into those industries.

Students also train using advanced technology, including a 4D immersive simulation system that replicates environments similar to space missions.

That training links them to federal aerospace programs.

Through partnerships with NASA and Boeing.

Southern was the first HBCU that was a participant in the NASA Boeing Mentor-Protege program, we honed our skills in supporting contracting services for the federal government.

What I truly appreciate about these opportunities is that when institutions are looking at ways to how to diversify their revenue, it's very important that we look at ways that we can provide services to federal agencies, to companies.

The crew of Artemis two, now bound for the moon.

Humanity's next great voyage begins.

Students at Southern University are already contributing to NASA's Artemis program.

Southern played a key role in Boeing's work on the earlier Artemis one program, performing wiring work for the rocket.

That connection extends to NASA's Michoud assembly facility in New Orleans, where major Artemis components are built and shipped, and one student just recently helped with the Artemis mission.

Yes.

So Jeremy Plater, he sent us an email and reminded us that he was a part of the original cohort of students that worked on the Mentor-Protege program with the Artemis one program.

He continued that to work with Boeing on Artemis two.

We were just recently notified that we have at least three students who will be going to work for Boeing over the summer as part of their summer internship program, and they'll be working on Artemis three.

So we're really creating a very strong talent development pipeline for students to have hands on access to cutting edge, innovative technologies that's transforming humanity and their front and center part of it.

For students, that work isn█t abstract.

It's a direct pathway from the classroom into missions beyond Earth.

It gives you a sense of what you can accomplish if you stick to what you're doing.

It just shows that anybody can do anything, especially coming from Southern University, from the state capital to Southern University█s labs.

Louisiana is building its place in the future of aerospace integrity.

Three miles in altitude, Let's take a look at what's going on in this week in the world of sports correspondent.

Victor Howell joins us now with the latest update.

What's new Victor?

How are you Johnny?

Good to see you.

Nice.

Thanks for giving me a seat with a view.

I like it here to talk about some sports.

Yeah, we still have once again, a lot of things to talk about this week.

We going to hand out some bouquets to some of our state teams.

And let's start at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, home of the LSU Lady Tigers softball team.

The Lady Tigers earned the number 16 seed overall in the NCAA tournament, hosted a regional last weekend.

Sunday, they were in the championship game against Virginia Tech, who had to beat LSU twice to win it.

Hokies were up two nothing early, but in the third, Jalia Lassiter tattooed this solo Homer to start a four run rally.

Then Maci Bergeron█s single scored two more and then in the fifth, maybe what turned out to be the catch of the year for LSU.

Watch Alix Franklin in right field as she reminds all of Tiger Nation.

You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall.

Look at the catch banging off the wall.

What a catch for someone playing outfield this season.

For her first time, LSU went on to get the win 7 to 2 to clinch the regional.

They now advanced to face Alabama this weekend in Tuscaloosa.

I'm so proud of the entire group.

I'm proud of their growth.

I'm proud of the senior leadership.

I've been a part of a few of these, fortunately, and every time our seniors have decided that it's time to go, those have been the ones that go the best.

And this senior class has just been incredible this weekend.

They've been incredible down the stretch.

Hey, congrats also to Southeastern Lady Lions and the McNeese Cowgirls.

They both made the regional rounds.

Unfortunately last weekend both teams came up short.

Southeastern lost in Tuscaloosa while McNeese came up short in the College Station Regional.

Hey, speaking of southeastern and McNeese, those two baseball teams met in the Hammond Regional in the Southland Conference tournament.

The Lions were the number one seed, but the Cowboys proved to be the better team over the weekend.

McNeese, the number five seed heading in, but they beat the Lions in the final game 8 to 5 to win the regional.

Southeastern, who won the regular season title, saw its season come to an end.

The Cowboys will play for the conference title this weekend against Lamar, so good luck to McNeese.

And hey, let's say good luck to the Bengals from LSU.

Eunice.

The LSUE baseball team made its way to Grand Junction, Colorado this week, getting ready for the JuCo College World Series.

They will play their first game Saturday morning at 10:00 against Miami Dade.

And finally, this has been a week of graduation celebrations around the state.

And at LSU, there were a couple of standout graduates who walked the stage up in the Maravich Assembly Center.

First of all, former Lady Tiger Flau█jae Johnson, who's in the middle of her rookie season in the WNBA.

She left the team, came back to Baton Rouge to get her degree at the PMAC.

And then the very next night, she was back with her team, trading her cap and gown and back in her uniform for the Seattle Storm, where she scored 14 points.

Oh, and then there was this headline at graduation.

Shaquille, “I hate Charles Barkley” O'Neal.

That's right.

The big Aristotle, Shaquille O'Neal walking the line and receiving his master's degree from LSU.

And he reminded everybody that LSU still stands for from when he was there.

Love Shaq University.

You got to love having a friend that you can say I hate.

I hate Charles Barkley to do that and have some fun.

And by the way, two stories that develop late this week the LSU baseball team, the defending national champs, their season's over.

They lost in Hoover, Alabama at the SEC Tournament to Auburn.

And then Wednesday night, some breaking news where Lane Kiffin announced he's hired a new member of his coaching staff, former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.

He is back with the LSU Football Tigers.

Johnny.

He is going to take over with assisting with recruiting and also defensive play.

Remember, he had the best college football team ever when they won the national championship.

LSU let them go.

They finished paying off his contract.

Let's bring him back.

So he knows Lane very well.

He knows LSU very well.

It's a big hire for Lane Kiffin but Ed Orgeron is back.

And he's a great recruiter.

Big time recruiter.

That's what he's known for for sure.

Good news.

Thank you.

You bet.

Well a new push tied to centuries old history could open the door for some Louisiana Cajuns to claim Canadian citizenship.

Christina Jensen spoke to an immigration attorney to explain.

Joining me now is Yamina and, sorry, a Canadian immigration lawyer and founder of Ansari Immigration Law.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Yamina.

Thanks so much for having me, Christina.

So I want to talk about Cajuns in Louisiana who may now qualify for Canadian citizenship.

Can you explain?

So on December 15th, 2025, there were major changes to Canada's Citizenship Act.

And now, folks that have a distant Canadian ancestor can actually claim Canadian citizenship.

Obviously, a lot of Cajuns can trace their ancestry back up to Acadia in Canada.

And unfortunately, through the tragic events of Le Grand Mal, they were displaced.

But now, if these folks want to come back home to Canada due to the changes in Bill C-3 that is available to them, can you talk a little bit more about those changes in that bill?

So unfortunately, due to many of the changes that have happened in the Canadian Citizenship Act over the years, a lot of folks were deprived of their right to Canadian citizenship, and C3 essentially aimed to restore Canadian citizenship to those individuals.

So today, this is the law for any individual born before December 15th, 2025, as long as they can claim their ancestry off to a Canadian ancestor, they can apply for Canadian citizenship and then a Canadian passport.

So say, for example, an individual had is descended from Le Fida or had a Canadian ancestor back from the 1700s.

As long as they can show that they are related to that person, they can apply for Canadian citizenship for people born after December 15th, 2025.

So all of the beautiful babies that have been formed in the last few months, the law will be different and there will be a substantial connection test.

But for the rest of us, as long as we have a decent Canadian ancestor, even if it's your great great great great great grandfather, you are now eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

How do you go about claiming citizenship?

The most important aspect of this analysis is actually the documentation, because there is no other basis for the individual claiming citizenship.

So it's not a humanitarian application.

It's not on the basis of you need, protection in Canada.

It's not an economic application based on the financial or skills contribution you will need to Canada.

So it is really hindering on that documentation.

And obviously if you're going back up to the 1700s, that documentation can be really challenging to acquire.

The gold standard for Immigration Canada is birth certificates back into going up to the 1700s.

Usually we don't have birth certificates.

Usually what we have are baptismal records, because generally in those days the church was actually responsible for keeping track of births and deaths.

So for folks who are unable to acquire birth records, baptismal certificates is what they should be aiming for.

If they're unable to acquire baptismal certificates.

There are other secondary source materials, for example, marriage records, death records, census records, but that is really the key is establishing that unbroken line that you are connected to a Canadian individual.

Are you seeing more folks from Louisiana try to retain your services to become a citizen?

I've been getting a lot of inquiries.

So so far, office has received over 100 inquiries from folks, from Louisiana who are Cajun and requesting more information.

So we are providing, information pamphlets.

We are also hosting webinars to inform people about whether or not they're eligible for this new program.

I saw that there was a website where folks can learn more if they live in Louisiana.

Do you have any advice for them?

Yeah.

So the Government of Canada has set up a website.

I do find that website is a little bit confusing, and it can make it seem like many folks are not eligible.

So I would really ask people focus on the main law, which is if you're born before December 15th, 2025, as long as you can demonstrate you have a common ancestor, you can claim.

The other thing that I really caution people to watch out for are adoptions.

So unfortunately, there's still discrimination that is present in the Canadian citizenship system.

So there is a distinction made between folks that were biologically connected to a Canadian and folks who have been adopting to the family.

I would also caution folks to be aware of revocations.

A revocation is a situation in which an individual proactively revokes their Canadian citizenship.

Now, this is kind of a nuanced area of law.

So a lot of my American clients, for example, their ancestors have a US naturalization certificate.

And on the certificate it says that that individual renounces all other allegiances under immigration law that technically does not count as a revocation or revocation would be that an individual proactively applied to Canada to say they no longer wanted to be Canadian, and it's very rare for people to do that.

Before we let you go, is there anything else you would like to add regarding this subject?

So I am a prolific Reddit user.

I am often on there and I would really caution folks, but the advice that they receive on third party websites such as Reddit, such as Google, because I see a lot of people with a lot of confidence stating their opinion on these websites, saying, don't apply for this, your application is not going to be accepted.

You don't have the right records.

And oftentimes the information being provided is simply wrong and incorrect and untrue.

Right?

Anybody can go on Reddit and comment on your case.

As you know, advice is worth what you pay for it.

And if you're paying nothing for advice, there's a good chance the advice is wrong.

Well, this was a very insightful conversation.

Thank you so much for joining us all the way from Canada.

Thank you.

Yumina.

Thanks for having me.

Moving on to some good news now.

A ten year old from Breaux Bridge is being honored by the state legislature for helping shine the spotlight on Louisiana.

Lawmakers passed a resolution commending Jacob for being selected as one of America's awesome kids.

I met up with Jacob to see just what makes him so awesome.

In honor of America's 250th birthday, special kids have been carefully chosen from all around the country.

One little boy in Louisiana is being named one of America's awesome kids.

Who is he?

How did you get this honor?

Let's go find out.

Jacob is a ten year old boy growing up in the town of Breaux Bridge, and a few months ago, he heard a surprising announcement while eating lunch in the school cafeteria.

They said, Sorry for the interruption.

But one of our students in fourth grade, has made it to be the representation for Louisiana as America█s Awesome Kid.

That's right.

Jacob was chosen to represent Louisiana, he was being honored by public television stations around America for just, well, for just being the most awesome.

How did you get selected for America's Awesome Kid?

We made us a video with like some clips of me like or what I do you get you have a whole video of yourself, like doing, like the natural lifestyle you do.

Jacob's just ten years old.

He rides horses, plays football, and he goes to Saint Martin's Steam Academy.

Steam stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Jacob's mother, Malette, teaches at the Academy, and she appreciates the value this honor brings to the school, the entire state, and to Jacob himself.

I actually think it's going to give him a lot of exposure.

It definitely built his confidence.

Jacob's father also knew the importance of being named one of America's awesome kids, and what this honor means to Jacob.

Jacob was ecstatic about it.

He he couldn't wait.

He would always say, hey, dad, did we get the results yet?

And he's just he's just so ecstatic about representing Louisiana.

It█s awesome.

And I'm proud of him.

Because he's a well deserving child to have this honor.

And the PBS video Jacob takes viewers on a tour of the swamps, pointing out the plant life and insects and the unique animal life.

He gives a firsthand look of Louisiana to people from around the world.

What kind of things make Breaux Bridge different?

We like to celebrate Cajun culture, and we we boil crawfish, we throw Mardi Gras parades, we throw parties, block parties.

We do a lot of parties and celebrate a lot of things.

Jacob was one of just 25 kids selected from around the country.

Why do you think Jacob was named America's awesome kid?

He's one of the greatest kids.

He helps everyone.

If, like you█re sad, he he asks what's wrong.

And then, he, and then he tries to figure it out, and then he helps you become happy.

He treats me like like his own little brother.

He helps me up when I fall.

He don't laugh when I fall.

And he always works hard to help me.

So how did you hear about this competition?

I found the application on social media.

Maddy Pierce is the theater teacher at Saint Martins, and she helped prepare the submission video for Jacob.

I know that Jacob is into obscure things like bull whipping and trail riding that a lot of kids aren't into today.

And so that's why I thought he would be, you know, a perfect candidate for it.

Children from around the country submitted videos showing their community involvement, their special talents and cultural traditions, and their local pride.

And Jacob's submission caught the eye of America's awesome kids.

After Jacob was selected, LPB worked with a national production team to produce a special video about Jacob's unique life in Louisiana.

Video cameras follow Jacob around his home and his school, and witnessed some of his horse riding and bull whipping hobbies.

Melissa Tolson of LPB worked on the submission video and worked with producers in Boston, preparing the final version of that video.

The whole purpose was to show and highlight awesome children from around the country and to show the diversity and how every child is just so very, very unique.

It█s just a great, beautiful picture of how awesome America's kids really are.

Jacobs story highlights some of Louisiana's longstanding customs and traditions, from the music and the food, to the culture of raising and riding horses, to the well-established tradition of bull whipping in front of a nationwide audience.

I feel like I made a name for myself very young, I'm very happy and proud, that I'm able to become the America's awesome kid.

So see for yourself 25 incredible kids from across the nation as they show off their amazing hometowns, their special talents, and their big dreams and celebration of America's 250th birthday.

America's Awesome Kids!

Yay!

And speaking of awesome kids, this week's young hero stands out among his peers.

Andrew Chambers struggles with diabetes, but instead of viewing it as a challenge, he sees the disease as a tool to grow.

Here's his story.

Andrew Chambers of New Iberia.

He cannot do anything without knowing all about it.

He's extremely passionate about whatever he does.

A 150% is not as much as he does.

He is like 200%.

He's all in.

No matter what it is, whether it's school, whether it's football, whether it's teen court, he's all in.

Giving 200% is all the more incredible because 2026 Louisiana young hero Andrew Chambers lives every day with diabetes.

Andrew was a year old when he was diagnosed.

He had a birthday party and he got his birthday cake, and that threw his numbers extremely high.

He was then sent to Lafayette to women's and children.

I can remember asking, well, what happens?

You know, when he sleeps?

The same thing that happens when he's awake.

He has to be monitored.

Eating is is still the biggest struggle that Andrew has.

Not academics, not commitment.

Not running.

Eating food has always been our issues.

He's made a comment and this isn't his quote, but he's made a comment that you can't choose what makes you strong.

And that's something that he'll kind of say every once in a while.

And it has it has made him extremely strong.

Instead of seeing diabetes as a hurdle to overcome, Andrew views it as a tool to help himself grow.

Diabetes has.

It's definitely a part of who I am because of how much I have to deal with it.

There's if I could always choose again and say what I want to live with or without it, I'd probably still choose to live with it because it's taught me so much cause and effect.

It's taught me grit and definitely determination, and I don't.

I still want it.

My life.

Now, that's not to say if there's a cure for it.

Now that I've learned everything it's taught me, I wouldn't, you know, try to get rid of it.

But it's sad to have.

But everyone has their problems, and I'm just happy I was able to learn from mine.

Andrew uses those skills to help others through the New Iberia Teen Court, where he serves as a defense attorney.

People will come in and it'll be young people who just maybe get in a fight, and it's like a second chance they'll come in.

The defense.

So I'll explain their side.

Oh, I get to talk to them personally before it starts, and I'll ask why they did this.

And they'll usually tell me their story, and then I'll be able to go in front of people, explain why they did this.

Because someone always does something for a reason.

Teen court has taught me that there's not just one side to a story.

His ability to make connections and advocate for others is why the director of the Teen Court is excited to have Andrew on her team.

Andrew is a born leader.

He's very compassionate with his defenders, shall I say.

And one thing he does, he listens.

He calm them down.

He talks to them, let them know the process.

Hey, this is what's going to happen.

Don't worry about even the parents to have to come.

He reassures them that he got them.

Andrew's leadership goes beyond the classroom and teen court.

He's also a leader on his football team.

When it comes to just character and work ethic, he's pretty much, I'd say, in the top 1% of all the kids I've coached in 34 years.

So I'm really fortunate to have him around because not only is he a great warrior modify our kids, it's a great inspiration for me.

Andrew also shares a love of history with his grandmother.

To celebrate America 250, he took part in reenactments portraying an ancestor who fought for independence.

I could walk around and it was history.

And history is so important because if you learn your mistakes, that's how we learn.

I had to learn about what my ancestors and my ancestors community had to do in order to survive.

Here he was portraying our relative.

And so as a member of the daughters of the American Revolution, I was just, elated that he had the interest and wanted to do this for me.

Andrew's family says his compassion and perseverance guide him through life.

The qualities that Andrew shows me that I am most aware of and proud of is his ability to be just a regular kid, doing things that regular kids do, and knowing that he may not be feeling as well, but he's still going to push through when his mind is made up, he doesn't back down.

He finds a way to get it done, and I might not understand what he's doing or why he's doing it, but I'm very proud of the fact that he he holds on to what he believes in.

Among his many mentors, Andrew credits his family, especially his mother and grandmother, for helping him excel.

They help me strive.

They whenever I'm down, they let me go out and try and I'll come back and ask and they'll help me.

They're just there in the background.

Make sure everything runs smoothly and they do more than I know.

I'm still learning things that they do.

During my childhood, I would be nowhere near the person I am today without them.

I'm Andrew Chambers and I'm a young hero.

LPB█s Louisiana Young Heroes program is presented this year with a generous support of presenting sponsor, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, the title sponsor William J. Dore family and with additional support from Community Coffee, Hotel Indigo and DEMCO And a special thanks to Louisiana propane dealers, LSU football and McDonald's.

And that's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything LPB anytime, wherever you are with our LPB app, and you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, as well as other Louisiana programs that 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 Johnny Atkinson.

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 Visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.