WE SUPPORT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT LOCAL SCHOOLS TO
BUILD A BRIGHTER PATH TO BETTER JOBS AND HELP PREPARE THE NEXT
GENERATION, BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE POWER LIFE.
ENTERGY. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED
BY THE FRED B. AND RUTH ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND THE ZIEGLER 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.
♪♪ ♪♪
BY PUTTING THIS OUT THERE, IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
SCALED AND REPLICATED ACROSS OUR COAST AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. A NEW TOOL FOR LIVING IN
LOUISIANA. I'VE ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR
EDUCATION. AND AT 19, HE'S THE STATE'S
YOUNGEST SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. I KIND OF IMMERSED MYSELF IN
LOUISIANA CULTURE. A NATIVE SON ON HIS MUSICAL
JOURNEY TO THE WORLD STAGE. HELLO, EVERYONE, I'M ANDRÉ
MOREAU. NATASHA WILLIAMS IS OFF TONIGHT.
WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THOSE TOP STORIES IN A MOMENT ON THIS
WEEK'S EDITION OF "SWI," BUT FIRST, GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS
SAYS IT'S MORE LIKELY THAN NOT THAT THE SPILLWAY WILL BE OPEN
BECAUSE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER'S RECORD HIGH WATER
LEVELS, A DECISION TO BE MADE IN THE COMING DAYS.
THE SPILLWAY HAS BEEN OPEN ONLY TWICE BEFORE SINCE IT WAS BUILT
BACK IN 1954. NOW A LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER
STORIES MAKING HEADLINES ACROSS THE STATE.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS IS ASKING THE PRESIDENT FOR A
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION FOLLOWING DEVASTATING TORNADOES.
THE DECLARATION IS FOR LINCOLN, MOREHOUSE, AND UNION PARISHES.
THE LATE APRIL TWISTERS KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND LEFT MORE THAN
$12 MILLION DOLLARS DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IMPACTING LOUISIANA
TECH UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY OF RUSTON.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO TOURED HIGH WIND DAMAGE IN VILLE PLATTE
WHERE AT LEAST 50 HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE DESTROYED.
THIS YEAR'S WIDESPREAD AND LONGLASTING FLOODING HAS MADE IT
LIKELY THAT A BIG, OXYGEN-STARVED DEAD ZONE WILL
FORM OFF THE LOUISIANA COAST THIS SUMMER.
OCEAN SCIENCE LEADERS SAY EARLY COMPUTER MODELS INDICATE A LARGE
TO VERY LARGE YEAR FOR THE AREA WHERE THERE IS TOO LITTLE OXYGEN
TO SUPPORT ALL MARINE LIFE. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF WIDELY
USED FERTILIZERS HAVE RUN FROM FARMLAND INTO WATERWAYS IN THE
31 STATES THAT FEED THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ULTIMATELY
THAT FLOW IS INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.
HIGH WATER IS MEANING AN EARLY SUMMER VACATION FOR SOME
STUDENTS IN ASSUMPTION PARISH. THOSE AT PIERRE PART ELEMENTARY.
SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAYS THIS PAST TUESDAY WAS THEIR LAST SCHOOL
DAY OF THE YEAR. ROUGHLY 550 STUDENTS PRE-K TO
EIGHT GRADE ARE INVOLVED. THE SCHOOL IS IN A LOW-LYING
AREA, WHERE CONTINUED HIGH WATER ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND
ATCHAFALAYA RIVERS HAS CAUSED BACK WATER FLOODING IN THE LAKE
VERRET BASIN. FOR THE SECOND TIME IN RECENT
YEARS, THE COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION AUTHORITY, CPRA,
HAS BEEN NAMED A NATIONAL WINNER FOR BEST RESTORED BEACHES FROM
THE AMERICAN SHORE AND BEACH PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION.
CPRA'S CAMINADA HEADLAND BEACH AND DUNE RESTORATION PROJECT
RESTORED MORE THAN 13 MILES OF BEACH AND DUNE STRETCHING FROM
BELOW PORT FOURCHON IN LAFOURCHE PARISH EASTWARD TO THE END OF
ELMER'S ISLAND IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
CPRA CONTINUES TO HEAD UP THE BIGGEST SINGLE ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION PROJECT THE STATE HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
THE STATE'S CHILD WELFARE AGENCY IS LAUNCHING A NEW RECRUITMENT
CAMPAIGN SEARCHING FOR POTENTIAL FOSTER PARENTS WILLING TO CARE
FOR TEENAGERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILY SERVICES SAYS TEENS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 20% OF THE
CHILDREN UNDER THE STATE'S OVERSIGHT, BUT FEWER THAN 5% OF
NON-RELATIVE FOSTER HOMES ARE TAKING IN TEENAGERS.
THE SESSION IS HEADING INTO THE FINAL COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW AT
THE CAPITOL. HERE'S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS AND ACTION FROM THIS WEEK.
LAWMAKERS THIS WEEK TOOK ANOTHER STEP TOWARD CHIPPING AWAY AT
ABORTION RIGHTS. A STEP CLOSER TO PASSING A BILL
THAT WOULD ASK VOTERS TO REWRITE THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND BAN
ABORTION PROTECTIONS. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IS ONE
OF SEVERAL ANTI-ABORTION MEASURES PROPOSED THIS SESSION.
A BILL IS ALSO NEARING FINAL PASSAGE THAT COULD BAN THE
PROCEDURE AS EARLY AS SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY.
SAYING HE DOESN'T HAVE THE VOTES, A NEW ORLEANS SENATOR
SCRAPPED HIS LATEST BID TO RAISE THE STATE'S MINIMUM WAGE.
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TROY CARTER HAD PROPOSED TO SET OUR MINIMUM
WAGE AT $9 DOLLARS AN HOUR, UP FROM THE $7.25 FEDERAL LEVEL.
SAID CARTER, "SHAME ON US IF WE CONTINUE TO LET THIS BE OUR
LEGACY." IT'S THE FOURTH YEAR OF DEFEAT
FOR AN EFFORT BACKED BY THE GOVERNOR.
A BID TO LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING IN THE STATE EDGED FORWARD.
IT WON THE SUPPORT OF A COMMITTEE FILLED WITH A NUMBER
OF ANTI-GAMBLING LAWMAKERS. MORE HURDLES REMAIN THOUGH ON
THE BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW WAGERING ON COLLEGE AND PRO
SPORTS AT STATE CASINOS AND RACETRACKS.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING AHEAD WITH A PLAN TO UNDO THE
SEVEN-YEAR SALES TAX PASSED LAST YEAR TO STABILIZE STATE
FINANCES. THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE VOTED TO ADVANCE THE BILL TO PHASE OUT THE ALMOST
HALF-PENNY TAX OVER FOUR YEARS OR BY MID-2023.
THE HOUSE AGREED UNANIMOUSLY TO BOOST THE AMOUNT THE STATE PAYS
PARISH SHERIFFS FOR HOUSING STATE INMATES IN LOCAL JAILS.
THE INCREASE WOULD EVENTUALLY COST ABOUT $30 MILLION A YEAR.
IT NOW GOES TO THE SENATE FOR DEBATE.
NO DEBATE AGAIN FOR A PROPOSED GAS TAX HIKE.
BATON ROUGE REPRESENTATIVE STEVE CARTER SHELVED HIS BID TO RAISE
THE STATE GAS TAX TO PAY FOR ROAD PROJECTS, SAYING IT'S TOO
LATE TO WORK HOUSE BILL 542 THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
HE DID ISSUE A CHALLENGE TO THE NEXT GOVERNOR, SAYING AFTER THE
FALL ELECTIONS, THE GOVERNOR SHOULD CALL A SPECIAL SESSION TO
ADDRESS OUR D-RATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
♪♪ ♪♪
LOUISIANA IS THE MOST FLOOD-PRONE STATE IN THE U.S.,
BUT THE STATE IS BEING PROACTIVE TO STAY DRY, AND IT'S DOING THAT
WITH A NEW SET OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE KNOW THE COASTAL MASTER PLAN THAT'S IN PLACE, BUT NOW LA
SAFE, WHICH STANDS FOR LOUISIANA'S STRATEGIC
ADAPTATIONS FOR FUTURE ENVIRONMENTS, GIVES US WHAT'S
BEING CALLED MAYBE A MORE DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH.
PAT FORBES IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT, WHICH OVERSEES THIS, AND MATT SANDERS IS ONE OF
THE LEAD WRITERS, PROGRAM MANAGERS FOR LA SAFE, SO WHAT
ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE? WHAT THE LA SAFE PLAN SAYS IS
THAT WHILE STRUCTURAL PROTECTION MEASURES AND COASTAL RESTORATION
ARE ALL ONGOING AND PLANNED FOR THE COAST, THERE ARE OTHER
THINGS WE CAN DO AND NEED TO DO TO ADAPT TO THIS CONTINUED LAND
LOSS THAT LOUISIANA'S SUFFERING. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD
INFORMATION FROM THE COASTAL MASTER PLAN THAT HELPS US
UNDERSTAND OUR CURRENT RISK AND WHAT WE THINK OUR FUTURE RISK
WILL LOOK LIKE, AND THOSE ARE VITAL TOOL SETS TO THINK ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND WHERE AND HOW WE BUILD NOW
AND INTO THE FUTURE. THIS PLAN IS GIVING A REAL
ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT BEING REAL, AND
THAT'S BEING PART OF OUR NEW REALITY AND OUR FUTURE, AND IT
ALSO COMES ON THE HEELS OF ALMOST 15 YEARS OF REALLY STORMS
HITTING THE STATE IN A WAY WHERE THEY NEVER HAVE BEFORE, FROM
KATRINA, TO OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS, TO THE FLOODS OF 2016.
THE LA SAFE PLAN IS NOT THE FIRST TO ACKNOWLEDGE GLOBAL
CLIMATE CHANGE. CERTAINLY, THAT'S ACKNOWLEDGED
BY THE STATE'S COASTAL MASTER PLAN.
MATT WAS TALKING EARLIER ABOUT HOW WE RELIED ON MODELING FROM
THAT PLAN THAT PREDICTS RELATIVE SEA LEVEL RISE FOR 50 YEARS INTO
THE FUTURE, AND SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT OUR PLAN IS BASED ON,
LOOKING AT THOSE FUTURE RISKS, KNOWING THAT THEY ARE
INCREASING. AND THAT LIFE IS CHANGING, IT
WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS IT WAS. THERE MAY NOT BE AS MUCH LAND
AND THAT THE WATER MIGHT BE HIGHER AROUND IT.
YOU START OUT WITH SIX PARISHES THAT GRANT HAS ALLOWED YOU TO GO
IN AND ADAPT PLANS FOR THOSE PARISHES?
THE PARISHES THEMSELVES WERE ALL PARISHES HEAVILY IMPACTED BY
HURRICANE ISAAC IN 2012, WHICH IS WHERE THE GRANT SOURCE CAME
FROM, BUT WE THINK THAT THEY WERE REALLY GOOD PARISHES FOR US
TO WORK IN. COLLECTIVELY, THEY REPRESENT
ABOUT 8.5% OF ALL PAYOUTS FROM THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
PROGRAM, FROM THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM TO PRESENT DAY.
SO IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO START, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND YOU GET ON
THE GROUND AND YOU TALK TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE SEEN CHANGES
HAPPEN FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR LIVES, IT IS NOT A CONCEPT LOST
ON PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THESE PLACES FOR AS LONG AS
THEY HAVE BEEN. IS THERE ANYWHERE IN THIS
PLAN YOU'RE SUGGESTING TO PEOPLE THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO MOVE IN
THE FUTURE? SURE.
IT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE ARE PLACES ALONG THE COAST THAT THE
50-YEAR RISK IS SO HIGH, THAT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT COMMUNITY IS
GOING TO BE VIABLE. WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE NOW, PAID FOR
THROUGH THIS SAME GRANT, THE RESETTLEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY IN
A SOUTHERN PARISH, AND WE'RE MOVING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ABOUT
40 MILES NORTH TO GET THEM TO A SAFE, HIGH, DRY PLACE.
SO THERE COULD BE OTHERS? WE'RE HOPING BY PUTTING THIS
OUT THERE, THAT IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SCALED AND
REPLICATED ACROSS OUR COAST AND IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE WANT TO CHECK THE
WEBSITE TO SEE ALL ABOUT IT, WHERE DO THEY GO?
LASAFE.LA.GOV. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE. THANK YOU.
WHILE LOUISIANA HAS BEEN PROMISED $1.2 BILLION FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FUND A STATEWIDE PLAN OF FLOOD
MITIGATION PROJECTS, 15 MONTHS HAS PASSED AND IT HASN'T
RECEIVED A DOLLAR. WHY THAT IS IS ONE OF THE TOPICS
COVERED IN THIS MONTH'S "LOUISIANA PUBLIC SQUARE"
EPISODE ABOUT HOW THE STATE IS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE. WE HAVE A SERIES OF
MONITORING STATIONS, ALMOST 400 STATIONS ACROSS THE COAST THAT
ARE MONITORING RATES. WE ALSO HAVE TARGETED RESEARCH
EFFORTS, IF YOU WILL, I KNOW THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
SUBSIDED SUPERSTATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S BEING INSTALLED,
SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK. WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S AN
AREA WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON, AND I MENTION THAT IN MY GREAT
ASSESSMENT, AS WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THE PLANNING THAT THE STATE IS PUTTING TOGETHER NOW TO TRY
TO PRESERVE CULTURES AND HAVE THIS MORE THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO
MIGRATION AND MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE IS -- MAKES A LOT OF SENSE,
BECAUSE THESE EPISODES OF DRAMATIC LAND LOSS, 216 MILES
OVERNIGHT, SQUARE MILES LOST DURING HURRICANE KATRINA, AND
THEN RIGHT AFTER THIS, THOSE STORMS ARE GROWING MORE INTENSE
SINCE 1980. THE LANDFALLING HURRICANES FROM
THE ATLANTIC BASIN HAVE INCREASED IN VIRTUALLY ALL
MEASURES OF INTENSITY. THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING
FOR THE COASTAL MASTER PLAN IS COMING FROM THE OIL AND GAS
INDUSTRY IN SOME FORM, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE BP SETTLEMENT OR
FROM THE SALE OF OFFSHORE LEASES, AND THEN THERE ARE THESE
COASTAL PARISH LAWSUITS AGAINST THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES THAT
COULD PROVIDE NOT A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT
THEY ARE SYMBOLIC IN A SENSE. YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS
THAT WE COULD LOOK TO THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY TO, YOU KNOW,
MAKE RIGHT FOR THE CANAL THEY'VE CARVED IN THE MARSHES OVER TIME
THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SOME ACCOUNTS TO UP TO 70% OF THE
LAND LOSS. SOME 51% OF OUR STATE IS IN A
SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA. THE GEOGRAPHY OF OUR STATE IS IN
A SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA, SO THE COST OF INSURANCE IS GOING
TO DETERMINE WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, IT'S GOING TO DETERMINE WHAT
PEOPLE ARE IN VULNERABLE POSITIONS WHEREVER WE DO HAVE
STORMS AND DISASTERS, AND IT'S CRITICAL TO HOW WE ADDRESS THE
ISSUE, BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIVE IN PLACES THAT
WE KNOW ARE DANGEROUS AND WE DON'T DISCOURAGE THAT AND WE
DON'T MAKE IT POSSIBLE, WE DON'T FACILITATE PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO
LIVE IN SAFER PLACES, THEN WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR HAVING
OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS LIVING IN OUR MOST DANGEROUS
PLACES. THAT FULL PROGRAM, "SINKING
CITIES," AIRS ON SUNDAY AT 11:00 A.M. AND NEXT TUESDAY AT 10:00
P.M. ♪♪
♪♪ THERE'S ONE SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBER IN PARTICULAR IN AVOYELLES PARISH THAT CAN REALLY
RELATE TO STUDENTS AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SCHOOL.
THE REASON STANLEY CELESTINE JR. IS SO IN STEP WITH KIDS IN HIS
DISTRICT, TWO YEARS AGO HE WAS A STUDENT HIMSELF IN BUNKIE.
THEN LAST NOVEMBER, IN A ROUT, HE WON A SEAT ON THE SCHOOL
BOARD. HE'S NOW 19, AND HE FEELS HE'S
IN A GOOD POSITION TO HELP THE PARISH IMPROVE ON ITS "C" GRADE.
NOT YOUR TYPICAL 19-YEAR-OLD. HE SAYS THAT INTEREST WAS
SPARKED WHEN HE WAS STILL IN GRADE SCHOOL.
IN SEVENTH GRADE, MY SEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER KIND OF
INTRODUCED US TO EDUCATION POLICY MAKING, SOME OF THE
INEQUITIES THAT EXIST IN EDUCATION, NOT JUST IN AVOYELLES
PARISH, BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
LATE LAST YEAR HE TOOK THAT PASSION TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
NOW THAT I SERVE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, I'M ABLE TO DO
THAT, BUT IN A MORE OFFICIAL CAPACITY, AND NOW I'M ABLE TO
LEVERAGE THE VOICES AND OPINIONS OF NOT JUST STUDENTS, BUT ALSO
THEIR PARENTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS OF OUR SCHOOL
SYSTEM. IN NOVEMBER, STANLEY
CELESTINE JR. WAS ELECTED TO THE AVOYELLES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD,
GETTING 65% OF THE VOTE. HE'S CURRENTLY THE YOUNGEST
ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IN THE STATE, AND THE YOUNGEST EVER
ELECTED IN AVOYELLES PARISH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPED
ME WITH MY CAMPAIGN WAS MY PRIOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL
SYSTEM, SO SOME PEOPLE, IT'S JUST A NATURAL FIT.
SO YOUR FAMILY, DID YOUR FAMILY HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT YOU
DOING THIS PROCESS? DID YOU SIT DOWN WITH YOUR MOM
AND DAD AND SAY, HEY, I WANT TO RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD, AND THEY
WERE LIKE, WHAT? RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD HAD
BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
MY MOM AND DAD THOUGHT ONCE I WOULD START COLLEGE, YOU KNOW,
PRETTY MUCH THAT THOUGHT WOULD GO AWAY, AND I REMEMBER THE DAY
I QUALIFIED, I THINK I MAYBE TOLD ONE OF THEM, AND SO THEY
HADN'T HAD TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER, BUT ONCE I DID
IT, THEY WERE IN SUPPORT. CELESTINE SAYS HE'S PREPARED
TO SERVE. EVEN WHEN I WAS IN HIGH
SCHOOL, I FOUND OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH MY LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARD, ATTEND MEETINGS, VOICE MY CONCERNS ABOUT ISSUES, AND
REALLY REPRESENT A STUDENT VOICE.
MY CAMPAIGN SLOGAN WAS "STAN FOR KIDS."
NOW AS AN OFFICIAL VOICE FOR KIDS, HE'S JUMPED RIGHT IN AND
IS MOVING AHEAD WITH MANY OF THE ISSUES HE RAN ON, THINGS HE SAYS
PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS TOLD HIM NEED IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR
CHILDREN'S SCHOOL. MY FOUR-YEAR PLAN IS JUST TO
ENSURE THAT STUDENTS' VOICE IS EMBEDDED INTO NOT JUST OUR LOCAL
SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO ON THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AS WELL, TO
ENSURE THAT WE ARE A THRIVING SCHOOL SYSTEM, NOT JUST
FINANCIALLY, BUT ALSO IN JUST THE PERCEPTION OF OUR SCHOOL
SYSTEM, AND JUST REALLY CREATING A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS
INNOVATIVE AND THAT IS PUSHING THE EDGE IN TERMS OF THE
OFFERINGS AND PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE TO STUDENTS, THAT WILL
ALLOW THEM TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS A "C" GRADE.
UP FROM A "D" GRADE, SO YOU'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS, I GUESS, IN
RECENT YEARS, BUT WHAT WILL YOU DO TO MOVE THE NEEDLE?
I MEAN, TO GET THE HELP TO BECOME A "B" SCHOOL AND
HOPEFULLY, ULTIMATELY, AN "A" SCHOOL?
FIRST THING, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IS REALLY GETTING AN
UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SCHOOLS ARE MEASURED WITH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
SCORES AND THE FORMULA THAT IS USED.
AND ONCE YOU'RE ABLE TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING, YOU ARE ABLE TO
LOOK AT DIFFERENT AREAS THAT FACTORED INTO THAT PERFORMANCE.
FOR ME, IT'S TAKING A LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT FACTORS
AND IDENTIFYING AREAS WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IT
ALSO REVOLVES AROUND SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS, MAKING SURE THAT
THEY HAVE MEANINGFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND
ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE
CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING AS A SYSTEM AND INCLUDING THEM IN
THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. CELESTINE SAYS HE EXPECTS HE
AND THE OTHER SIX BOARD MEMBERS TO BE CHALLENGED.
AS A BOARD, BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE, NOT JUST WITH OUR
CONSTITUENTS, BUT ALSO -- NOT JUST THE CONSTITUENTS THAT
ELECTED US, BUT ALSO BY STUDENTS.
WE ARE HERE TO SERVICE THEM, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THERE'S
ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT JUST AT THE BOARD LEVEL, BUT ALSO THE
DISTRICT LEVEL, AND ALSO AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND HIS SCHOOL BOARD JOB ISN'T THE ONLY THING HE'S
TACKLING, HE'S ALSO IN COLLEGE, COMMITTED TO MAKING THE SCHOOLS
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE STATE. MAKING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM MORE
INNOVATIVE, JUST PROVIDING LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU, NATASHA WILLIAMS,
FOR THAT REPORT. THE AVOYELLES PARISH SCHOOL
BOARD RECENTLY APPROVED A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK IN HOPES OF
ATTRACTING MORE CERTIFIED TEACHERS.
TEACHERS IN AVOYELLES ARE CURRENTLY THE LOWEST-PAID
EDUCATORS IN THE ENTIRE STATE. ♪♪
♪♪ WHEN YOU THINK OF THE BLUES,
NAMES LIKE B.B. KING AND BUDDY GUY COME TO MIND, AND ANOTHER
PELICAN STATE BLUES MAN, CHRIS THOMAS KING.
CHRIS GREW UP IN HIS DAD'S JUKE JOINT TABBY'S BLUES BOX IN BATON
ROUGE. IT WAS AT TABBY'S WHERE HIS OWN
UNIQUE STYLE OF THE BLUES GUITAR QUICKLY GARNERED NATIONAL
ATTENTION. WE HAVE THIS REPORT NOW FROM
WILL LURKER. ♪♪
♪♪ MY NAME IS CHRIS THOMAS KING.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED BY TABBY'S BLUES BOX.
FIRST JOB, I THINK, AS A TEEN, AND THAT TOOK ME -- I MOVED TO
EUROPE, MADE MY WAY BACK TO NEW ORLEANS, AND EVERY SINCE I MADE
MY WAY BACK, KIND OF IMMERSED MYSELF IN LOUISIANA CULTURE.
CHRIS THOMAS KING, A LOUISIANA NATIVE BLUES ARTIST
MOST KNOWN FOR HIS MUSICAL AND ACTING WORK ON FILMS "RAY" AND
"O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU." INTRODUCED TO THE BLUES AT A
YOUNG AGE BY HIS FATHER, WHO ALREADY ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL
REPUTATION AS A BLUES LEGEND. TOGETHER, THEY EMBRACED THE
BLUES AND THEIR WORLD-RENOWNED JUKE JOINT CALLED TABBY'S BLUES
BOX. MY DAD WAS SPECIAL.
HE HAD QUALITIES I COULD NEVER DREAM OF INHERITING.
HE JUST HAD A GIFT, YOU KNOW, FOR ENGAGING PEOPLE.
HE JUST LEFT AN IMPRESSION ON THEM.
WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THOSE DAYS, COMING TO AGE IN TABBY'S BLUES
BOX, WHICH OPENED IN 1979, I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD
NOW, BECAUSE THE THINGS I LEARNED THERE AND THINGS THAT
WAS KIND OF -- I WENT THROUGH THIS, I COULDN'T GET IN ANY BOOK
OR ANY SECONDHAND WAY, SO I GOT A LINEAGE, YOU KNOW, TO THE
ROOTS OF THE BLUES AND THE ROOTS OF LOUISIANA MUSIC.
KING BECAME A NATIONALLY RENOWNED FIGURE AFTER FOLK
LORISTS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE DISCOVERED HIM IN
1979. HE SUBSEQUENTLY WENT ON TO
RELEASE SEVERAL ALBUMS. BEGAN ENCOURAGING ME AND
WRITING TO OTHER FOLK LORISTS AND STUFF THAT THIS GUY, YOU
KNOW, LIKE LED BILLY, MUDDY WATERS AND OTHER PEOPLE,
REPRESENT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT.
AND IT TURNS OUT, LOOKING BACK, I WAS THE LAST, YOU KNOW,
FOLK/BLUES ARTIST TO BE DISCOVERED BY A FOLK LORIST IN
THE 21st CENTURY. I'M KIND OF LIKE THE END OF A
LONG TRADITION. MANY AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT
THE GENRE OF BLUES ORIGINATED IN MISSISSIPPI, BUT KING FIRMLY
ADVOCATES THAT IT ORIGINALLY CAME FROM LOUISIANA.
IT'S A CREOLE TERM, THE WORD "BLUES" COMES FROM OLD
PROTESTANT WORDS LIKE "BLUES LAWS," NO DANCING, NO MIXED
DANCING, ALL THESE MORAL RULES, AND BECAUSE LOUISIANA CULTURE
WAS BEFORE THE AMERICANS CAME, CREOLE CULTURE THAT, YOU KNOW,
WAS MORE WIDE OPEN THAN THE BRITISH COLONIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE BLUES CAME OUT OF, PUSHING BACK AGAINST
BLUE LAWS AND THESE RIGID TYRANNIES OF WHAT YOU CAN AND
CAN'T DO. IT WAS A MUSIC THAT KIND OF
EXPRESSED ITSELF. DESPITE HIS UPBRINGING IN
TRADITIONAL CLASSIC BLUES, KING WANTED TO EXPAND UPON FROM THE
CONVENTIONS OF HIS ELDERS BY INCORPORATING MODERN MUSICAL
ELEMENTS INTO HIS MUSIC, SUCH AS THE DRUM MACHINE.
LIKE MOST YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU GROW UP IN A CERTAIN CULTURE,
BUT YOU'RE MORE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S OUT THERE, OUT IN THE BIG
WIDE WORLD, AS OPPOSED TO THIS FARM YOU'RE GROWING UP ON OR
THIS FAMILY STORE. WE HAD A FAMILY JUKE JOINT, AND
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE WIDER WORLD.
♪♪ ♪♪
I MADE MY FIRST HIP HOP/BLUES STATEMENT, "21st CENTURY BLUES
FROM THE HOOD" IN '93. THAT WAS THE FIRST RAP BLUES
STATEMENT. KING'S FIRST VENTURE INTO THE
HIP HOP WORLD WAS WELL RECEIVED OVERSEAS, BUT AMERICAN AUDIENCES
FOUND A DIFFICULTY IN EMBRACING HIS NEW MUSICAL STYLE.
MY MUSIC LATELY, I'VE BEEN RUNNING UP AGAINST THESE -- I
CALL THEM BLUES MAFIA PEOPLE, WHO WANT TO MAINTAIN AND
CONTINUE THESE TROPES FROM THE PAST.
♪♪ KING'S MOST RECENT BATTLE
WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY COMES WITH THE RECORDING ACADEMY'S
GRAMMY AWARDS, WHICH RECENTLY REMOVED HIS NEWEST ALBUM, "HOTEL
VOODOO" FROM CONSIDERATION FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM.
THE ACADEMY'S REASON WAS DUE TO AN UNAUTHENTIC BLUES SOUND.
IT'S ABSURD. IF WE ALL HAVE TO PAINT WITH THE
SAME BRUSH AND PAINT THE SAME PICTURE AND PLAY THE SAME NOTES,
THEN WHAT'S THE POINT IN THAT? ♪ MUDDY WATERS COME WASH MY
BLUES AWAY ♪ KING IS CURRENTLY WRITING A
MEMOIR ON THE HISTORY OF THE BLUES TITLED "THE BLUES."
IT'S A MEMOIR, BUT A BROADER HISTORY OF THE MUSIC, AND AS FAR
AS I DON'T KNOW, IT'S THE FIRST BLUES HISTORY BOOK WRITTEN BY AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN. AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM,
YOU KNOW, I USED TO BE ANGRY AT PEOPLE FOR NOT KNOWING THE
AUTHENTIC STORY OR THE AUTHENTIC HISTORY, BUT THEN AGAIN, IF YOU
DON'T TELL PEOPLE YOUR STORY, IF YOU DON'T PUT YOUR STORY OUT
THERE, HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO KNOW?
THAT WAS WILL LURKER REPORTING.
THIS MONTH IN LOS ANGELES, KING OPENED IN THE STAGE PLAY
"LACKAWANNA BLUES." PREMIERING ON LPB AND PBS JUNE
6th, THE ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY, IS A BATTLE OF WORLD WAR II
THAT'S RELATIVELY UNEXPLORED. THE BROADCAST OF “SEIZE AND
SECURE: THE BATTLE FOR LA FIERE," WILL SHED LIGHT ON IT
AND ITS IMPORTANCE ON SECURING A CRITICAL ROUTE INLAND FOR ALLIED
FORCES INVADING FRANCE ON THAT DAY IN 1944.
THE FIGHT FOR THE LA FIERE CAUSEWAY AND BRIDGE IS REGARDED
AS ONE OF THE BLOODIEST SMALL-ARMS BATTLES IN U.S.
MILITARY HISTORY, FOUGHT LARGELY BY PARATROOPERS AND GLIDERMEN
FROM THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION. IF YOU ASK AMERICAN TROOPS
WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE BATTLE OF LA FIERE, JUNE 7th IS THE ONE
THAT BURNED INTO THEIR BRAIN. A TURNING POINT IN WORLD WAR
II. AS FORCES LANDED ON THE BEACHES
OF NORMANDY, OFTEN OVERLOOKED BATTLES FOUGHT BY UNSUNG HEROES
THAT DROPPED IN ADVANCE BEHIND ENEMY LINES LAID THE GROUNDWORK
FOR VICTORY. THE FIGHT AT LA FIERE BRIDGE
IS LARGELY UNKNOWN. THE AVERAGE INFORMED PERSON HAS
NEVER HEARD OF THIS BATTLE. THIS ISN'T JUST A GREAT
MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. ARMY, IT'S A MOMENT, I
THINK, SHOULD MAKE ALL AMERICANS PROUD.
LA FIERE IS A BATTLE FOR THE AGES.
IT WAS ONE OF THE BLOODIEST SMALL-UNIT ACTIONS OF THE WAR.
MORE HAND-TO-HAND, MORE ONE-ON-ONE.
FOUGHT OVER A SMALL BRIDGE ON A CRITICAL ARTERY FOR ALLIED
FORCES. HOW COME HE DIDN'T KILL US
ALL IS HARD TO EXPLAIN. FAILURE COULD HAVE CHANGED
THE OUTCOME OF THE INVASION. GENERAL RIDGEWAY SHOWED UP
AND SAID LINDQUIST, I WANT THAT BRIDGE, AND I WANT IT NOW.
NO BETTER PLACE TO DIE. WE STAY.
AND WE STAYED. VICTORY OR DEFEAT IN NORMANDY
WOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE VALOR OF MEN LIKE THOSE WHOSE MISSION
IT WAS TO SEIZE AND SECURE LA FIERE.
THIS DOCUMENTARY, PRODUCED BY LPB IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE
NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM, WILL PREMIERE ON PBS STATIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LPB WILL FEATURE IT AT 8:00 P.M.
ON JUNE 6th, WHICH IS THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY.
THAT'S OUR SHOW EVERYONE, AND I'M ANDRÉ MOREAU, UNTIL NEXT
TIME, THAT'S THE STATE WE'RE IN. SUPPORT FROM --
WE SUPPORT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT LOCAL SCHOOLS TO
BUILD A BRIGHTER PATH TO BETTER JOBS AND HELP PREPARE THE NEXT
GENERATION, BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE POWER LIFE.
ENTERGY. 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 AN
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
AND THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC
BROADCASTING WITH SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.