Author: Emily Gautreaux

Proposals May Give Louisiana a New State Motto and an Additional Song

Two bills that recently passed through Louisiana’s House Judiciary Committee proposed a change to the state’s motto and a new addition to the official state songs, as detailed in an article from The Daily Advertiser.

In early May, State Representative Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, proposed HB 17, which would change the Louisiana state motto from “Union, Justice, Confidence” to “We live and die for those we love.” After much deliberation and well-supported arguments from the congressman, the proposal passed by a vote of 10-2.

Representative Nelson supported his bill by reminding House Judiciary Committee members that the current state motto was never established by a passed statute, thus making it the perfect time to instate a new motto that is “much more indicative of who we are as a people, what we believe and stand for as a people, and what sets us apart from everywhere else,” according to Nelson.

He went on to clarify that forms of the proposed new motto already exist on Louisiana law licenses and the very walls of the State Capitol building. When committee members passed the bill, they added that the new statute would not require any official state flags, buildings, or seals to be corrected as a result of the motto change as the bill would only ensure the new slogan as the official Louisiana motto going forward.

Nelson remarked, “we’re not going to tear up any carpets or tear up any flags. If we were going to build a new state capitol, this motto would be on the building instead. When new flags are bought, they will have the new motto.”

Later during the same Judiciary Committee meeting, Representatives Vincent Pierre, D-Lafayette, and Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, presented HB351, which proposed an additional entry to Louisiana’s official state songs.

As of now, the state currently holds five titles as its official state song: Doralise Fontane’s “Give Me Louisiana,” Jimmie Davis’s “You Are My Sunshine” and “State March Song,” and Frances LeBeau’s  “Gifts of the Earth.”

HB351 passed through the Judiciary Committee, and it proposes the addition of Louisiana musician Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” to the state records. Toussaint originally wrote the song and released it on the album of his of the same name in 1975.

Louisiana Zydeco musician and two-time Grammy Award winner Terrance Simien expressed his support for the inclusion of Toussaint’s song and lasting Louisiana legacy by saying “Allen Toussaint was a true Louisiana legend. I’ve been talking to a lot of people in the music world, and this song would be a great addition to our state songs. Allen was not only a great artist but also a great human being. I just can’t say enough about him and just want to ask you to consider this.”

The case for Allen Toussaint’s inclusion is strong, as the musician is a well-respected Louisiana musician who is a member of not only the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame but the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, andthe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After hearing the strong case for “Southern Nights” and having Judiciary Committee members praise and uphold the Toussaint Legacy, HB351 passed without any objections.

Toussaint, a New Orleans-based musician who played alongside Elvis Costello, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, and Irma Thomas, originally wrote “Southern Nights” while he was in Houma, Louisiana and missing his family in New Orleans. The song’s lyrics give testament to the themes of family and longing that are well-known to the average Louisiana citizen. Furthermore, the images depicted in the song of “weeping willows [crying] for joy” and “precious beauty” noticed in the “southern skies” above are a part of a shared Louisiana imagery that all who call this state their home can relate to.

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Measure to Adopt Year-Round Academic Calendar Clears House Education Committee

A measure that recently cleared the Louisiana House Education Committee without objection aims to alter the academic calendars of select public school districts according to an article from The Advocate.

House Bill 538, which is supported by the Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley, would have six or fewer public school districts change their annual academic calendar to a 12-month model that includes periodic breaks. This model, which has already been adopted by international school districts, would replace the current, traditional 9-month academic calendar that is followed by a summer break.

While the measure passed the House Education Committee without objection, House Bill 538 wasn’t met with a warm reception by all, which is to be expected of any chance to an academic calendar. The proposed change already received vocal opposition from the state’s two teacher unions: the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT). Additionally, a member of the House Education Committee, Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge expressed his concern that the calendar change would disrupt the lives of his constituents and set traditions, thus requiring serious adjustments.

With this level of large systematic change, it’s expected to have some level of “push back,” but as detailed by Superintendent Brumley before the committee, the proposed calendar change is ultimately in service of students and teachers. In addition to this, the proposal is also in response to what has been known as the “summer learning loss” that occurs between once school year’s last day of classes and the next year’s start date.

This time in between school years is approximately two months long for students, and while some may participate in summer school, tutoring, or other academically enriching programs, many simply place academics “on the shelf” until the next school year begins. Dr. Brumley shared this concern with House Committee members by saying, “what we know is that there is summer learning loss, we know that it is real.” Superintendent Brumley reportedly said that students can lose and forget up to 30% of what they had learned in their previous grade during the summer months.

As it’s currently written, the legislation would allow up to six districts to participate in the piloting of the new academic calendar on a volunteer basis, and those public school districts would receive a portion of federal stimulus dollars to assist in the overhaul. The proposal would have students attending classes for 42-43 day segments that are followed by two-week breaks (intersessions). During the intersessions, students would be able to receive enriched learning, tutoring, or other assistance.

The school year would end on June 30 with classes resuming on August 11, allowing students and teachers to have a summer break of approximately five weeks. The shortening of summer breaks is what has caused the most opposition thus far as many teachers and students with many students working throughout the summer to save money for college and many teachers working second jobs.

House Bill 528 will next face discussion in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and if approved it will move on to the state Senate. Though the measure has sparked a lot of discussion, it should be remembered that Louisiana lawdictates that students receive 360 minutes of daily instructional time over 172 instructional days. Those days may be organized and allocated in a variety of ways.

With this said, the centralized aim of this measure is currently presented as an effort to assist schools, leaders, and students- not to merely disrupt their sense of normalcy. Superintendent Brumley reiterated this sentiment by stating, “I am not here to tell you that a balanced calendar is a cure-all, but given where we are in outcomes we should be exploring all options that make a difference in the lives of our students and teachers.”

For more education-related information, click here.

Fried Crispy Chicken Cutlets Recipe

Across the globe the deliciousness that is the crispy texture of a fried chicken thigh is called by many names: schnitzel, Milanese, tenders, but no matter the name, if you prepare, fry, and serve these crispiest chicken cutlets from Smitten Kitchen the right way, you’ll be tempted to give them a new name yourself.

Though the recipe only takes about 45 minutes to an hour to prepare, it’s done with meticulous attention, providing you and your dinner guests with a relatively simple weekday meal that won’t break the bank and may have the potential to beat out the nearest fast-food chicken tender based on texture alone.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ cups of plain breadcrumbs (homemade or panko-style)
  • Oil for frying
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • (Optional) Additional Seasoning such as a spice blend or garlic and/or onion powder

Directions:

  1. Before cooking your chicken remove it from its packaging and pat it dry on all sides with a paper towel. This will remove any unwanted moisture and prep the chicken for efficient breeding. If you’re satisfied with the thickness of your cutlets, you can arrange them on a large kitchen sheet tray and season all sides with salt, pepper, and any additional spices you’d like. If you’d like your cutlets to be thinner before seasoning you may pound them flatter by placing half of the cutlets in a gallon-sized freezer bag and beating it with a kitchen mallet.
  2. Grab a wide, shallow bowl and crack your egg into it, removing any shell pieces as needed. Beat the egg with a forkor whisk until the mixture of egg white and yolk is “very loose.” Fill another wide bowl with your breadcrumbs, and place both bowls beside your sheet tray of chicken.
  3. Taking no more than one piece at a time, dip a chicken cutlet into your beaten egg, let the excess egg drip off, and then dip both sides into the bread crumbs. Press both sides of each cutlet into the crumbs, ensuring that they’re each completely coated, and then repeat this process with all the pieces.
  4. Grab a large frying pan, and pout just under ½ inch of oil into it and heat the oil over medium-high. You’ll know when the oil is ready when a thermometer placed in it reads 350°F or when the oil hisses loudly when a drop of water is flicked into it. Begin by placing your first few breaded cutlets into the oil, keeping them as apart as possible. If they are too crowded at the beginning of the frying process, the temperature will lower significantly and lead to heavier, greasier chicken.
  5. Fry each chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on one side and 3 to 4 minutes on the reverse side or until both sides aregolden brown. Once a cutlet is finished frying, remove it from the oil, let the excess drip off for 10 to 20 seconds and place it on a baking tray atop paper towels or paper bags. If you’re without a baking tray, you can simply put the pieces atop folded paper towels to absorb the excess oil. No matter the cooling surface, you’ll want to season the cutlets with salt on each side while they’re still sizzling hot. This timing is key, as it allows the salt to form tightly to the cutlets once they’re finished frying.
  6. After all your cutlets are cooked, dispose of your frying oil through safe, legal methods and plate the cutlets for serving! You can spruce up this meal by adding some chopped herbs on top, some fresh lemon zest, or you can even make a little dip by combining together a dollop of mayonnaise, a squirt of whole-grain mustard, a dash of hot sauce,a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Notes:

If you prepared too many breaded cutlets or ran out of frying oil, know that uncooked, breaded chicken cutlets can keep in the refrigerator for only up to a day, but fried, cooled cutlets can keep up to three days. To reheat, the best method is by placing the cooked cutlets in a 350°F oven until they’re hot and crispy.

As you can clearly see, the cooking method of these breaded chicken cutlets is meticulous without being overbearing, allowing you to find your own frying rhythm. Don’t be discouraged if your first few pieces dropped into the oil are discarded; it’s all a learning process and often a delicate balance between cooking time and batter texture. Besides, once you try even a lesser-than crispy chicken cutlet, you will hardly be able to wait until your next attempt!

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Louisiana Law Premieres on Animal Planet

A new reality series from Animal Planet called “Louisiana Law” explores the daily lives of the men and women of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries as they enforce the law and protect the natural resources of the state, according to this feature in the Acadiana Advocate.

The show, which premiered in early May 2021, is titled “Louisiana Law,” and it follows the narrative tradition of other shows on the network, namely “Lone Star Law” and “North Woods Law;” though it does so with a cajun approach. The series shot across the state over the past year with locations ranging from the Northern Louisiana-Arkansas border to the Gulf Coast, as the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) ranges 200 miles into the Gulf of Mexico.

The head of the Law Enforcement Division of the LDWF, Col. Chad Hebert, said of the show, “we are super excited to show the world what we do as wildlife agents day in and day out for the state of Louisiana. We are proud of the show and the jobs our agents do to help conserve the wildlife resources for this Sportsman’s Paradise for generations to come. The show will also highlight the many other facets of what it takes to be a wildlife agent for the state.”

The show follows pairs of LDWF agents from the state’s major regions, including Thibodeaux, Lake Charles, Minden, and New Orleans regions in just the first episode of the series. The 41-minute pilot, titled “Monster Crabber” premiered on Sunday, May 9, 2021, and it followed LDWF agents as they patrolled bayous for a crab fisherman accused of stealing dozens of crab traps, tracked down a hunter who crosses state lines with an illegal deer, and saw the agents rescue an injured bald eagle. The TV-14 premiere was generally well-received by both critics and viewers and was talked about on social media with viewers using the hashtag #LouisianaLaw to converse.

For many Louisiana residents, the day-to-day lives of LDWF agents are unknown with many being unaware of the fact that these men and women are on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Agents hold the authority to enforce state and federal criminal laws in addition to all fish and wildlife laws, and as Louisiana’s diverse geography is often known by its nickname as the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” there’s plenty of action to catch when enforcing the latter.

The state of Louisiana is home to over one million alligators, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, black bear, bobcats, deer, over 150 bird species, and an abundance of salt and freshwater fish, all of which are to be protected to the full extent of the law by the LDWF agents. The show tracks the patrol of these agents along with Louisiana’s thick pine forests, humid marshlands, moss-laden swamps, expansive river deltas, and breathtaking bayous as they aim to keep law and order, often alone and miles from backup.

Jack Montoucet, a secretary with the LDWF hoped that viewers would be able to not only be entertained by the program but also educated in saying, “this show is a window into the day-to-day experiences of our dedicated and professional wildlife agents. I am happy and proud that the public will get to see the decisions these men and women have to make daily to maintain our Sportsman’s Paradise.”

“Louisiana Law” is produced for Animal Planet by Warm Springs Productions in Association with Watson Pond Productions, and it can be found on Sunday evenings at 8 pm throughout May 2021 on Animal Planet.

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Southern Day Trips to Take in Summer 2021

If you live in the American South, then you’re familiar with the majesty of the surrounding area, and due to the close proximity of the interesting attractions, you might not always feel inclined to spend multiple nights or days visiting what’s practically in your backyard. If that is true, then consider taking a southern day trip to a spectacular, nearby state, and it’s easy thanks to Southern Living’s list of suggested day trips to take in the Southern United States.

Gatlinburg SkyLift Park; Gatlinburg, Tennessee

While this park isn’t for the faint of heart, it is for those who are unafraid of incredible heights and breath-taking sights. Located in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park that gives you the perfect vantage point from which to see the majesty of the expansive Smoky Mountains. Whether you’re looking down at Crockett Mountainfrom 500 ft. above, taking a breather at the SkyDeck atop the mountain, or braving a stroll down SkyBridge, the longest suspension bridge in the United States, your adventurous side will no doubt be satisfied. After taking the SkyLift to the top of Crockett Mountain or walking down the 680 ft. SkyBridge, you can stop by the SkyCenter to check out the gift shop, grab your professionally-taken photo of you atop the Skylift, or just relax with delicious concessions while looking at the greatest view imaginable.

The United States Naval Academy; Annapolis, Maryland

Since 1845 the United States Naval Academy has been rigorously training officers for the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps in Annapolis Maryland, and the campus is available for public visitation. Once you’re at the academy, there’s plenty of history to uncover about the prestigious entity that is the nation’s Naval and Marine forces. Visitors stopping by on a day trip might be attending a raucous sporting event at the Brigade Sports Complex or the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where recruits are often engaged in a Navy game of football, lacrosse, or hockey. Those more inclined to learn about the history of the United States Navy or its academy might want to take in an exhibit at the Naval Academy Museum, see what academy life is like for a midshipman by booking a guided tour, or pay resorts at the crypt of naval hero John Paul Jones. The Naval Academy is located on the northeastern coast of Annapolis, Maryland, and while many residents have grown up with training officers jogging or marching down the streets of the city’s downtown area, many go their whole lives without visiting the Naval Academy, so book a day trip and learn about the history of the famed branch of the U.S military.

Everglades National Park; Florida Everglades

It’s not every day that you can visit a near-mythological landscape that emcompasses 1.5 million acrees of wetlands.Book a day trip to Southern Florida and see the truly unforgettable sights of Everglades National Park, where anything is possible. One popular entry point to the Everglades is located deep in the heart of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and it has a 2.1 mile-long boardwalk from which you can see the towering sights of the cyprus trees above. Not only are some of the trees 135 ft. in height, but the Sanctuary is the single-largest stand of old-growth cypress trees in the world. While visiting, you can also check out the hundreds of alligators that line the canal banks of the 720,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve. Many want to experience the Everglades first-hand and fast-paced, so if that sounds like you, then you’d be well-off booking an airboat adventure ride at the Sawgrass Recreation Park. Once aboard, you’ll be able to hear authentic, Florida-specific stories and see over 100 mammals and reptiles that have been adopted and rescued over the past few decades.

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LDOE to offer Free Virtual Therapy through Ochsner Health

After teaching during a pandemic and one of the most active hurricane seasons ever recorded, Louisiana teachers will soon receive free mental health virtual therapy visits thanks to a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and Ochsner Heath, according to this press release from the Louisiana Department of Education.

This partnership will offer four free virtual therapy visits to over 160,000 public school educators and support staff across the state, where they can connect with licensed mental and behavioral health providers through a secure virtual platform. The visits will be accessible through participants’ smartphones, tablets, and computers, and they can be booked after individuals browse profiles of healthcare providers and choose a clinician who best supports and serves their particular needs.

The four virtual visits will be available to Louisiana public school teachers and support staff at all K-12th grade school systems and early child care centers that serve children from birth to age four, including all traditional Louisiana public and public charter schools. After the four initial visits are booked and completed, participants can choose to continue their sessions by booking new ones at a discounted rate.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley said of the state’s educators, “Louisiana educators have done hero’s work through a pandemic and one of the most active hurricane seasons on record for our state. They have been there for our children and families during this stressful year, and this partnership with Ochsner is one way we can be there for them.”

According to a survey published in August 2020 by  The Hechinger Report, approximately 40 percent of surveyed Louisiana early childhood educators reported clinically relevant signs of depression, likely caused by not only personal problems but also the uncertainties of the upcoming school year as a result of the Covid-19 landscape.

The initiative to offer virtual mental health services from Ochsner Health to the state’s educators is a part of a three year, a million-dollar initiative that’s funded by the LDOE’s allocated funds from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) to adequately respond to the health needs (both mental and behavioral) experienced as a result of the pandemic.

Governor John Bel Edwards said of the initiative, “It is critically important that the state provide mental and emotional support for our teachers and support staffs who unselfishly give so much of themselves to ensure that education continues for our students during this unprecedented pandemic. The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) is being used to fund the partnership between the Louisiana Department of Education and Ochsner, and I’m grateful that we are able to support our education workforce.”

Qualifying educators and support staff unfamiliar with virtual therapy visits will be surprised by how much they resemble in-person office visits and also be thankful for their convenience. When joining a secure video conference call with their selected, licensed provider, patients will be first asked about the medical history, current symptoms, and goals for therapy. Taking in this information, the provider will assess the situation and then develop and recommend a treatment plan. The visit is a part of Ochsner Health’s Anywhere Care, a private, secure, HIPAA-compliant tool that enables patients to consult online with a provider safely and confidently.

After a whirlwind year of uncertainty, confusion, and unfamiliarity, it’s helpful to know that the state Department of Education is supporting the mental health of its teachers. Ochsner Heath’s Vice President of Telemedicine, April Radford said, “We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to educators – both frontline teachers and administrative staff.”

For more education-related information, click here.