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 digging out from record-setting snow across much of the state.

We'll see where this ranks in the record books.

A lot of people are cutting back on their alcohol intake.

We'll check out the health benefits of dry January.

Plus restoring Louisiana forest.

One tree at a time.

Karen takes us on a tour highlighting the kids at Long Leaf Finds and documenting the stories of Louisiana and residents own voices.

More on StoryCorps is stopped in the Bayou State.

Come join us.

Let's get started.

Let's do it.

You.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Dorothea Wilson, and I'm Victor.

How Karen is off this week.

We'll get to our snow coverage in just a minute.

But first, President Donald Trump took office this week for his second term, and he's already facing controversy.

He issued dozens of executive orders, rolling back many of former President Biden's initiatives.

One of the most controversial calls for ending the constitutional right of birthright citizenship.

A judge put that order on hold for now.

Other orders further undo protections for vulnerable groups like the LGBT community and reversing diversity initiatives.

Advocacy groups have already filed numerous lawsuits challenging the president's decisions.

President Trump also pardoned nearly 1500 people charged or convicted in connection with the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol back on January 6th of 2021.

Well, back here at home, people are finally starting to fall out after this week's Arctic blast that brought historic snowfall and painfully cold temperatures to much, if not all, in Louisiana.

That's right.

And I spoke with meteorologists from both north and south Louisiana to see if this week's snowfall shed any records on this past Tuesday.

Louisiana became a winter wonderland, as several inches of snow covered the southern half of the state during an unprecedented winter storm.

In New Orleans, snowfall reached ten inches, tying a 130 year old record.

While many other cities in the area experienced similarly rare snowfall levels Houston, Lake Charles, Lafayette, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Gulfport, Pensacola like Charleston, we'll probably never see a map that looks like this again.

Snow covered from Texas to South Carolina.

Truly amazing.

Although snow mostly remained south of Alexandria.

North Louisiana chief Meteorologist Marcus Walter says the northern region of the state faced temperatures significant below freezing.

That will continue through the weekend.

Wind chills made conditions feel like the single digits, raising concerns for individuals, pets, pipes and plants.

Farther north, across the northern portions of the state, just a few flurries fell, so it wasn't as dramatic compared to the southern parts of the state.

For us, cold weather was the larger threat and that was definitely in place over the last few days.

Either way, this was truly an exceptional event for Louisiana.

And experts like meteorologist Scott Pelley say being able to provide snow coverage for his state was among the best things he's done in his career so far.

I think tops the list because of the historical rarity.

The most snow in New Orleans and Baton Rouge since 1895.

In 2016, we had the historical flood, in Lafayette and in Baton Rouge and Denham Springs.

A lot of areas in South Louisiana had 20 to 30 even 40in of rain and historical flooding.

That was such an anomaly, such an a rare event that that that is up there, you know, but flooding and hurricanes are something that I think as Louisiana, we are just more used to those things being possible.

But we we understand flooding.

We like know what flooding is, what it can do and the strengths that it can bring.

We have never seen this, but how does this happen?

How does snow make its way to the South?

Scott describes it as the perfect storm.

So it took two things.

Predominantly, you need a huge, cold, dense air mass.

So perfect storm, if you will, to get the cold air and the winter storm, the actual low pressure system to develop at the same time.

It's just such a unique setup.

Now, both meteorologists agree that the likelihood of this phenomenon happening again is low.

But hey, this is Louisiana and miracles happen every day.

Now to the moment that I'm most excited about Victor is actually what's trending this week now.

People all over Louisiana, including me, took to social media to talk about the historic snowfall.

We don't get things like this down here in the South.

So everybody went a little crazy here.

Remember when New Orleans had the New Orleans brass hockey team?

Well, they're gone, but hockey was back in New Orleans this week because they had ice all down Canal Street.

If you've got the equipment, look like stick skates, Canal Street all down south, play a little ice hockey down there on Canal.

We're going to go I love it.

And guess what other people.

Well they got out their skis and they took to the streets.

And one guy, he said who needs Colorado when you're down Bourbon Street, head down there, hockey down Canal Street, skiing down Bourbon Street.

How about a little.

How about a little music in the snow?

Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw?

Well, she bundled up and gave her performance in the snow outside of her house.

Take a listen.

To doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.

Now it doesn't stop there.

The music doesn't stop.

But guess what?

Some LSU students now, they had a little bit of fun too.

And one guy got on a snowboard.

Looks like so much fun, I think.

I think I would have done that.

And guess what?

Cheers everywhere.

Gus has done it.

Wow.

Incredible scene here.

You would have done that.

I would have been picking you up, trying to get you to the hospital.

Let me make sure you are flat.

You're hurt too much.

Also in Baton Rouge, people rushed to City Park from some winter fun.

Our producers, kids Ben and Ellie.

Well, they got creative sledding down the hills in a cardboard box.

Most of Louisiana don't have sleds, so they got creative with boxes, cool floats, even mattresses.

In my neighborhood, one was being towed in an ice chest.

Hey, you got to do what you gotta do to house.

You gotta love it, a mattress.

Oh, creative.

No.

Guess who else had better find Mike the Tiger?

Now he was running around in his enclosure, and he really looked like he wanted to get on that inner tube over there.

I think I would add a lot of the social videos.

It's their pets having a great time in the snow, there's no doubt about it.

And former pro baseball player and ESPN commentator Ben McDonald, well, he also got in on the fun.

Take a look.

He was doing donuts in his airboat in the snow.

Nothing like gliding on the top and doing some donuts out there kicking it off.

Oh my goodness.

Now listen to this.

Even areas as far south as Grand Isle.

Can you believe it?

They got their fair share of snow.

And here's the family.

They're making snow angels.

And look at their dog cart.

Got in on the fun.

You talked about that earlier?

Yes, indeed.

And hey, don't forget it is the Mardi Gras season.

Even though we just had inches of snow in South Louisiana.

So in true Louisiana fashion, a brass band showed up in the French Quarter, didn't get hit by the hockey puck.

What?

They decided to make a little parade in the snow, playing some music, giving everybody down there a lot of fun.

I mean, you.

With me?

Well, that's typical Louisiana.

The music doesn't stop, but I'm so happy to see everybody just enjoy the snow and hopefully we won't see that again any time soon.

Although it's supposed to get cold in February, I don't know.

It is.

We don't want to be snow, but everybody certainly enjoyed it while they had it here.

Those made out.

That's right.

Well it's a new year kicks off.

Many across Louisiana are embracing Dry January a monthlong challenge to go alcohol free.

That's right Victor.

And people are using this time to reset and improve their health.

Now we talked to health experts about the benefits and checked out some alcohol free mocktails that are growing in popularity.

Alcohol related deaths in Louisiana reached an all time high from 2000 to 2019, according to the center for Disease Control.

Nearly 3000 people in this state die each year due to alcohol consumption, and it wasn't solely due to drinking and driving.

Alcohol use is directly linked to other health complications like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

What the state already struggling with low health rankings, citizens are taking matters into their own hands by participating in initiatives like Dry January, by pledging to remove alcohol from their diets during that month, or simply choosing not to drink anymore at all.

Dry January is a great challenge.

When you give up alcohol for an extended period of time, you're going to see maybe some weight loss.

If you're not replacing the alcohol with something else like sugar, you're going to see your triglycerides can get better.

Your cholesterol, just through overall health, can improve in just that short amount of time.

Savannah Latimer is a registered dietitian at Ochsner a bit, and she says the health benefits of alcohol reduction are priceless.

So much so that she and her staff at auction her have created their own version of Dry January called Eat Fit 40, and we see so much improvement.

Usually participants lose around 4 pounds, which is great for 40 days.

Their triglycerides improve, their blood pressure is improved.

We do these really up close pictures of their faces like it's super up close.

Like you probably would never want anyone to see these pictures, but it's just to compare before and after.

And I see such amazing results.

Like your skin gets clearer, everything just looks brighter, the whiter in your eyes is clear, your like under-eye bags improve, so lots of healthy improvement inside and out.

The program is designed to help people reduce their alcohol consumption for a period of 40 days.

And while many people love the idea that health benefits come with alcohol reduction, being that Louisiana is such a social state, many find it difficult to socialize without alcohol.

Now that's where mocktails come in.

Restaurants like building five have come up with creative ways to help residents achieve their alcohol free goals while still maintaining their social lives.

So, Gordon, you know, I've talked a little bit already and we talked about how there are so many Americans now.

There was a survey done that are leaning away from alcohol.

So you here have a remedy to that.

Talk about it.

Yeah.

So, you know, we have a lot of amazing cocktails.

But from that we can make mocktails for any individual that is unable or doesn't want to have alcohol.

So and I think just for anyone else who has any kind of other dietary restriction, if they can't have gluten or sugar, whatever their allergy is, there should be an option or an availability for them to still enjoy an experience with their friends or loved ones when they come out to eat.

Building five has a wide array of mocktails that will benefit any diet and any social light.

Have you seen any trends with people wanting to drink less alcohol?

Yeah, actually, last week there's been more and more individuals that are looking for that option of something else other than a cocktail, because they still want to go out and have fun with their friends, but either they can't have alcohol or they choose not to, and they don't want to feel left out, so they want that option.

So we see more and more of that.

There's not just, hey, I want a soda or a hey, I want water, but something that still has flavor and has the same experience and depth of flavors as any other cocktail with.

And the benefits so far have been phenomenal since the year 2022.

Dry January has made a significant impact on alcohol consumption across the state, drastically reducing alcohol related deaths and overall health outcomes.

One alcohol free drink at a time.

In central Louisiana, a rare and resilient ecosystem is getting a second chance at survival.

The Cassetti longleaf pine is being restored thanks to efforts by conservationists and local communities.

As Karen lore shows us, the tree species plays a crucial role for wildlife and Louisiana culture.

Standing high above the treetops on this plateau in the Casati National Forest, it's hard to believe that the scene unfolding resides in predominantly sea level Louisiana.

The vast horizon reveals rugged, rocky landscape formed by eroded hills.

It's where artist J.R. Bolen finds inspiration for his longleaf pine paintings.

For me, it, being out on the coast, it's it's very peaceful.

You know, the wind going through the pines is.

It's almost like a beach listening to the waves.

But, when the when the sun hits these pines, it and they change throughout.

The colors change throughout the year.

So you can come to the same place throughout the year, and the pines will be a different color.

That's another beautiful thing about these trees.

They'll look purple and sometimes they look burnt umber.

And then, you know, with the understory, the color of the grasses, sometimes they just all come together depending on the sky color.

It's just it's it's just an endless variety of color palettes to use.

The Longleaf Vista Recreation Area is the gateway to the treetops of the Casati National Forest.

It sits along the Longleaf Trail National Scenic Byway, a 17 mile route through the forest in central Louisiana, showcasing some of the state's most varied terrain.

Elevation here gets up to, in the mid four hundreds, if not the highest point in the state, but it's, probably the most concentrated high points in this state.

I head out on a hike with district Ranger Albert, Brazil along the 1.5 mile interpretive loop trail with rock paved path leading to scenic overlooks of the Pine Ridges.

That's the thing, is, the people, even in this state don't know of the hidden treasures that the hell out here.

I just like for people to be able to know that it's here.

Come visit and look at it.

And and, I feel like almost anybody would enjoy it enough to come back.

I enjoyed it enough to to try to get on here and and work.

And I've been here for seven years now.

The longleaf pine blanketed hills may be hidden in plain sight to many, but known to those willing to do a little research, including this couple visiting from Germany.

We wanted to do some outdoors, and then we looked it up at Google Maps and it came up with a nice opportunity to do a hike here.

And so we decided to do it today.

So I'm catching up with you as you're about to hike the trail.

But so far, what do you think?

Oh it's beautiful.

It's really nice weather.

It's foresty, it's very, very quiet.

So very nice opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

How much of the forest is hike up all.

Well, I'll, of the question asked the forest.

This hike over, because we don't have the extreme terrain that you would like in a mountainous area.

This is about as extreme as it gets right here.

This particular area, the this area here, all these rock walkways are this area was, originally constructed in the late 50s and throughout the 60s, they maintained within the 1970s, the Youth Conservation Corps came on with the Forest Service, and they are the ones that actually made all of these these rocks, these are all local rock and collected out here on site.

I continue my hike in the forest with forest Supervisor Lisa Lewis as we explore the Casati Hills Wilderness Area, spanning over 8000 acres.

And let me show you over here what a young longleaf pine, sapling is going to look like here.

So the longleaf pine or some really, fire adaptive, iconic species here again, you get the idea.

And while they're called longleaf pine, because the needles are quite long, you know, in some cases they could be up to to a foot and a half long.

Actually, the Casati National Forest encompasses 600,000 acres spread across seven parishes in central and northern Louisiana.

It's managed by the U.S. Forest Service and fosters one of the largest concentrations of longleaf pine in the southeastern United States.

The longleaf pine is an iconic species in the southeast, at one time, it spanned over 94 million acres from Virginia all the way down through the southeast, through East Texas.

And now only remnants of that ecosystem remain at about 5 million acres.

But during, the late 1800s, early 1900s, with the arrival of the railroads in this part of Louisiana, sawmills sprang up everywhere.

And, so, these vast virgin longleaf forest were cut over and, basically by the, the mid to late 20s, all this is cut over land.

So this was replanted?

Yes.

Most of this was actually replanted.

A lot of you in the Casati National Forest was replanted in the 30s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

And of course, that was part of the the New Deal program by, President, Roosevelt at the time to try to get the country, you know, out of the Great Depression.

The longleaf pine ecosystem is one of the most diverse in North America, second only in diversity to the Amazon rainforest.

The trees provide habitat for the threatened red woodpecker and other endangered wildlife, including the gopher tortoise and the Louisiana pine snake.

Right here, we're standing in a longleaf pine tree that you can look up, and you can see that there's a cavity.

And this is home to the red woodpecker, which is just recently been down listed from endangered to threatened by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service.

But this is why one of the reasons why this species of pine is so important, it provides a home for these very rare woodpeckers, red cork woodpecker is the only species here in the southeast of woodpecker that will excavate their cavity in a live tree.

The longleaf pine also holds cultural value.

Weavers from the casada tribe come to the forest twice a year to harvest longleaf pine needles to weave baskets, an ancestral tradition that perseveres as an artistic muse, a culture bearer, an economic driver, and an essential ecosystem.

The longleaf pine connects humans and nature in ways both practical and personal.

If you stand still long enough in your remote enough, you can just hear, you know, so little bit of wind blowing.

Just what a beautiful sound that the wind makes through the the tops of these trees.

I mean, that something about the lonely, the ecosystem here and how they're made.

It is just a sound like no other.

If I can't be in the forest, at least I'm painting it.

And then when somebody has this in their home, I want them to be able to look at it and escape.

I don't really want to be thought provoked.

I really want to be able to escape into the forest.

When they look at those images.

A unique project is helping preserve the voices and stories of people across the country.

Now StoryCorps is sharing the rich, diverse histories of the Bayou State.

As Karen shows us, the effort is bringing families together and connecting communities.

When our parents were incarcerated and I say our parents, we have the same mother, different dads, I do want to honor that.

Their, their they were incarcerated in 2005.

I was nine years old.

You were 19.

And can you just tell me about that time in your life?

That was a very surreal time.

I was an adult, but I wasn't really an adult.

And, you know, thinking that you're going to lose your parents, for 7 to 9 years.

Right.

When you're turning 19, you know, you really just kind of have to put on your big girl pants and figure things out and see how you're going to handle this.

So, yeah, I mean, it was a trying time, but I never lost hope or faith that, you know, it would all work out.

Brianna Salado and Lindsey Herrington share their story of a family fractured when their parents went to prison.

It's a healing conversation recorded by the StoryCorps mobile unit during its Baton Rouge visit.

Their story joins more than 365,000 stories, archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.. Storytelling really connects people.

It helps people feel like they're being seen.

It's it's the largest connector.

There are so many people who are truly empathetic to others.

And being able to listen to these stories is just like, wow.

Like, I didn't realize that you would want the same thing as me.

It's just a connector and it's a space of healing.

The StoryCorps mobile unit was traveling throughout Louisiana in its signature Airstream, outfitted with a recording studio for people to tell their stories.

Some recorded conversations end up on NPR's popular StoryCorps podcast.

We lost everything.

Yup.

I was in that scene with trailer for almost three years, and I drove around the neighborhood.

We didn't have no stores, no barbershops, no laundry room.

There's no way for people to go buy a loaf of bread.

StoryCorps is free to participate and open to anyone who wants to share their memories, thoughts, and life events.

Participants can sign up on the StoryCorps website and book a one hour slot for a 40 minute recording.

Interview tips and suggested questions are available for download.

We just wanted to share kind of our story of hope, perseverance, family, and the importance of staying close knit.

And that there is life after life, trauma and tragedy and, and hard things in life.

I'm just happy that we're able to share the story, share hope, and I hope that someone does hear it, and it does impact their lives in a positive way.

David Isay founded StoryCorps in 2003 as a way to record oral histories of his elders.

In 2005, StoryCorps converted an Airstream trailer into a traveling recording studio and launched its first cross-country tour.

Each year, StoryCorps visits cities and towns across the country to record the conversations between people who live there.

I like to tell people, if you're alive, you have a story to share, and it's a way to help your partner feel seen, and your partner will always make you feel the.

But everyone has a story to tell.

And so I like to make sure that that's known.

And most of the time when I have conversations with people, they always say thank you.

They don't realize how much of a life that they've actually lived.

And it encourages them to keep living.

Louisiana's newest city is in the works, but organizers of the city of Saint George are already dealing with growing pains.

The community grew from the desire for a new school district, but leaders say the benefits will be widespread if Saint George has the opportunity to create something different, exciting and effective.

That's going to lift everybody in the parish.

Next week on Louisiana Spotlight, we'll go in-depth on the new city from the formation to the ongoing controversy that airs next Thursday, January 30th at 7:00 PM right here on LPB.

And LPB is having a party to celebrate season three of our outstanding digital series, The Arts Adventure, and you're invited!

Fans can watch the big screen premiere of two new episodes and visit live with Ziggy himself.

Tickets are 850 for adults, and admission is free for kids 12 and under.

For more information, head to ziggy.lpb.org.

Well, that's our show for this week.

Remember you can watch anything LPB any time, 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.

That's right.

And please like us on Facebook and Instagram.

For everyone here at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Dorothea Wilson and on Director Howell.

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 lights.

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.