Author: Emily Gautreaux

Nicholls State University Announces Louisiana Supreme Court Justice as 110th Commencement Keynote Speaker

Nicholls State University has announced that Louisiana Supreme Court Justice John Weimer will be the keynote speaker at the 110th Commencement Ceremony, according to this news release from the school.

Born and raised in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John Weimer returns to Nicholls State University to be the keynote speaker at the 110th Commencement Ceremony after having previously attended the school as a student and later having taught as a professor. Chief Justice Weimer was both an academic honors graduate and Hall of Fame graduate of Nicholls, where he also twice served as student body President.

Prior to his time on the bench, Chief Justice Weimer was also a full-time faculty member at Nicholls, teaching law and ethics classes for 16 years. During his time at the University, he received the Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence, was given the honor of being named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and served as director of the Free Enterprise Week Program at Nicholls.

Chief Justice Weimer left the classroom in 1993 when he was appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court as Judge pro tempore for Division D of the 17th Judicial District Court. In 1995, he was then elected to serve as Judge for Division A of the 17th Judicial District Court, and he was re-elected in 1996 without opposition.

In 1998, Justice Weimer was elected to serve on Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeals, and later Judge Weimer was then honored with the Outstanding Judicial Award from Victims and Citizens Against Crime as well as with the Outstanding Jurist Award from Crimefighters, Inc; both of these statewide organizations are dedicated to victims of crime. Later, in 2006, Justice Weimer was named as one of the leading judges in America by a national publication,The Law Dragon.

Keynote speaker, Justice Weimer, was initially elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court in 2001 when he was elected to serve as Associate Justice for District 6, which is comprised of the following parishes: Assumption, Iberia Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and a portion of the west bank of Jefferson, which includes Grand Isle. Twice, first in 2002 and again in 2012, Justice Weimer was re-elected to a 10-year term without opposition before becoming the 26th Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court on January 1, 2021.

Nicholls’ 110th Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14, consisting of four total ceremonies. Each ceremony will be held at David R. Stopher Gymnasium beginning first with the ceremony for The College of Science and Technology at 9 a.m, followed by The College of Liberal Arts at noon. At 3 p.m. The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute will hold its ceremony, and The College of Business Administration and the College of Nursing will be the last ceremonies of the day, commencing at 6 p.m.

It will be during the Commencement Ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts when the University will award an Associate’s Degree of General Studies posthumously to the family of Kennedi Foret, an honors student studying marine biology who was the victim of a fatal car crash on December 19, 2021.

Additionally, during the ceremony, the University is set to award an Honorary Doctorate of Science to Dr. John Heaton (BS ‘81), the President and Chief Medical Officer of LCMC Health. Dr. Heaton is being honored for being one of the most respectful and well-respected clinicians in the state of Louisiana and for being a passionate advocate for patient safety and quality above all else.

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Benny Cenac Supports The Bayou Community Foundation and the Completion of the First Two Homes in Dulac for Hurricane Ida Victims

The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) and community volunteers recently celebrated the completion of the first two homes built in Dulac, Louisiana through the Foundation’s Hurricane Ida recovery programs, according to The Houma Times.

The dedication ceremony allowed for residents, state and parish leaders, and nonprofit partners to come together and celebrate the building of the first two homes to come out of the BCF’s many partnerships and recovery programs centered around Hurricane Ida. Many sponsors, donors, volunteers, and community partners collaborated to bring these two homes from being nonexistent to ribbon-cutting quality

The team at Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) built both homes in Dulac thanks to a $850,000 grant from BCF’s Bayou Recovery Fund for Hurricane Ida Relief, a $100,000 from long time BCF supporter, Benny Cenac, and other community donations.  Also contributing, was support from the Governor’s Hurricane Ida Relief and Recovery Fund.

What’s remarkable about this project is that the grant funds merely were used to purchase building materials, while the actual construction labor was provided at no cost by MDS volunteers. Outside of MDS, homeowners contributed both insurance costs and FEMA proceeds they received toward construction costs, and appliances were donated by the nonprofit, Rebuilding Together Bayou. All of this community collaboration resulted in the construction and unveiling of two homes for families, such as Abraham and Robin Parfait and their two sons, who lost their home along with all of their belongings after Hurricane Ida’s winds ripped off the roof of their family home.

Money raised for the Bayou Recovery Fund will allow MDS to ultimately construct 10 new houses and complete 40 or more major home repairs in Dulac. This will allow for 50 families to be able to return home after retreating from Hurricane Ida’s ravaging of the area.  “After Hurricane Ida made landfall here on August 29, Bayou Community Foundation recognized that our community’s recovery depended on providing homes for the neediest who lost so much. We are grateful to MDS for sending volunteers to Dulac and working with us to fill this critical housing need,” a statement from Bayou Community Foundation President, Henry Lafont, read.

Looking forward, MDS built the homes to withstand future storms that will hit the area. Ranging from two to three-bedroom homes, these houses are built for storm resilience as part of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes “Strong Homes Initiative.” This initiative provides donated services along with products to upgrade homes to be of the IBHS Fortified hurricane wind standard, meaning that these houses can withstand up to 160 MPH winds and are elevated to well above the FEMA requirements.

At the Dedication Ceremony, it was announced that multiple donations were received. According to a press release from BCF, one major donor to the BCF Bayou Recovery Fund announced a challenge grant designed to continue the funding of home rebuilding and repair work in Dulac this fall. According to The Houma Times, “the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust Fund has committed $500,000 to support the project with the challenge that BCF raise an additional $500,000, providing at least $1 million to fund another building season with MDS beginning in October 2022.”

Benny Cenac’s support of Bayou Community Foundation

 Arlen “Benny” Cenac has been a longtime supporter of the Bayou Community Foundation and the work they do to sustain the communities of Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle. In addition to his most recent donation of $100,000 for recovery efforts made post Hurricane Ida, he also made a sizeable donation during the height of the pandemic to assist businesses dealing with the complications of shut downs and quarantines. In addition to countless other donations and acts of support, Benny Cenac is proud to be a founding member of the Bayou Community Foundation. BCF was founded in 2012 by a group of business leaders and philanthropists who recognized a need for a community foundation to strengthen human services, education/workforce development, and coastal preservation efforts in the local area, and to assist in natural disasters and other emergencies.

If you are interested in supporting Bayou Community Foundation and the Bayou Recovery fund, please visit https://www.bayoucf.org/disaster-recovery/ to make your donation or get involved.

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Simple and Classic Seafood Boil Recipe

In South Louisiana, backyard crawfish or seafood boils are the types of events that you look forward to all year round. Whether it’s the communal eating tradition, methods by which you prepare or ingest the cuisine, or just the flavors of the boiled seafood and vegetables themselves, there’s always something to look forward to. Luckily this recipe for a Creole-Seasoned Seafood Boil from food blog Food52 with supplemental information from Everyday Creole is the perfect resource you need to keep the spirit of a successful Louisiana Seafood Boil alive and well.

 Before beginning the recipe, it should be duly noted that this is by no means a definitive list of ingredients or cooking practices. As anyone who’s ever been at the helm of a boiling stockpot knows, every Louisiana chef and cook has their own method to their particular culinary madness. That being said, the tried-and-true phrase of “fresh is best” should apply in this recipe, as it often does. When procuring seafood, sausages, and vegetables, it’s always a good practice to try and get the freshest, locally sourced ingredients available. This will not only elevate your final dish but also your Creole authenticity.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. You’ll start this recipe by filling your large stockpot to its halfway marker with water. Bring the water to a boil before proceeding.
  2. Once boiling, add in your beer, ¾ cup of Creole Seasoning, ¼ cup of smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon of Concentrated Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil, bay leaves, red potatoes, lemons, and your halved head of garlic. Stir in your ingredients, and bring the stockpot back up to a boil.
  3. In a nearby skillet or saucepan, brown your sausage quarters until they emit their oils and are properly slightly blackened on both sides. Then, add your sausage into the stockpot, stir together the ingredient mixture and sausage, and bring your heat down to medium. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or until your potatoes are slightly tender.  When they are, add in your corn, while continuing to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Add in your shrimp and crab to the stockpot at this point, and continue to cook it all until the seafood is fully cooked. While this happens, melt your butter into a saucepan over medium heat after you dispose of the sausage oil from earlier. Stir in your minced garlic into the nutter, and cook until the butter begins to caramelize. Stir in the brown sugar, lemon pepper seasoning, 2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of Concentrated Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil. Simmer this all on low until you’re ready to serve.
  5. When finished, drain the liquid from the stockpot and serve your seafood boil immediately. Feel free to drizzle the butter sauce atop your boil or use it as a complimentary dip.
  6. Enjoy!

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Georgia Beaches Worth the Trip

With summer just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to start preparing, planning, and maybe packing for your next trip to the beach, the unmistakable, ideal destination of summer. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to travel impeccably far in order to enjoy a beach trip in the continental United States, because thanks to this article from Southern Living detailing the best beaches in the state of Georgia, your next beach excursion is just a drive away! While many Americans think of Florida as one of the premiere beach-supplied states in the country, they often overlook Georgia beaches.  While it  only has 110 miles of shoreline in comparison to Florida’s 1,350 mi., what that figure doesn’t account for is the many patches of marshlands and barrier islands that are found throughout the Peach State.

Southern Living’s article primarily focuses on the four beautiful barrier islands that are nestled atop the Georgia coastline between Savannah, GA, and Jacksonville, FL: St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, and Little St. Simons Island—as well as the mainland city of Historic Brunswick.  These barrier islands offer visitors pristinely kept stretches of marshland that are accompanied by small islands, colloquially known as hammocks. This interspersing of marshland, islands, and beaches creates the effect of appearing as though there is a single, continuous stretch of land that reaches out to the barrier islands, making for a truly unforgettable, breathtaking scene.

In speaking about the beaches to be found on one of the four barrier islands, Golden Isles CVB, a nationally-recognized resort destination aiming to promote the Golden Isles listed above, the Golden Isles press describes them as being “loved by visitors, all of these barrier islands feature stunning beaches on the seaward side, alongside attractions, restaurants, hotels, and more. Each island has its own unique personality, from the laid-back Jekyll Islandto the luxurious Sea Island.”

One of the stand-out hits of Southern Living’s list is the inclusion of the St. Simons Island Beaches and their ability to transport you backward in time in which a pristine coastline was undisturbed and free for you to explore. What sets this beach apart from the others is that the development around the perimeter of the beach is still moderate, making it possible to still explore a lot of the sandy coastline and natural surroundings just as it was many years ago.  Specifically, at the well-reviewed East Beach, the low tide regularly exposes the sand bars and tidal pools along the beach that give a postcard-adjacent aesthetic. The most popular beach among the St. Simons Island beaches is the East Beach, located at the Historic Coast Guard Station.

Outside of the Golden Isles barrier Islands is a beach that is often noted due to its “secretive” or “off-the-beaten-path” status. This is of course Tybee’s Back River Beach, which is hidden away at the end of Highway 80. This beach is often heralded for being a relaxing, quiet, and undisturbed beach that is perfect for families due to its shallow waters and gentle surf. This makes the beach perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming. If you’re feeling up to it, use Tybee’s Back River Beach as a launching point to make your way out to Little Tybee Island, a completely undeveloped neighbor that’s located just across the river.

Generally, as long as you find yourself within the Golden Isles and their encompassing barrier islands, you’re sure to be rewarded with an assortment of activities and beach memories. Due to the temperate climate and scenic backdrops of the destination, there are ample opportunities to enjoy activities along the beachfront and adjacent beach towns during your stay. Put on your sandals and feel free to peruse the quaint beachside shopping boutiquesthat are sprinkled along the Georgia coastline, enjoy some unique and first-class dining experiences with some of the freshest seafood you’ve ever eaten, and even learn about the communities and cultures that came together to make these beaches what they are today by going on a historical tour of the area. No matter what you choose to do or which beach to experience in Georgia, you’re sure to have a great, memorable time.

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Select Acadiana Industries are Reporting Pre-Pandemic Employment Levels

Like the rest of the state, the industries in Louisiana’s Acadiana region were hit particularly hard since the COVID-19 pandemic forced employment rates to plummet, but according to this article from The Daily Advertiser that details how Acadiana’s industries are doing two years later, some are reportedly exceeding their pre-COVID employment levels.

Just before COVID-19 was spread throughout Louisiana, the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area had reported  204,500 total workers in February 2020. One month later in March 2020, employment dropped 1% and then an additional 10.7% in April 2020, which was the lowest mark in employment in the state since January 2000. Even in 2008 during the Great Recession and the recession of the early 2000s, the Lafayette area had never dropped below 190,000 workers. Then, after COVID-19 hit the area, the metro area has 181,400 workers as of April 2020.

In the two years following the pandemic’s onset, the Acadiana region, like the rest of the state and country, had benefited from federal stimulus packages and has seen efforts made in employment recovery. Despite this, challenges still remain as some industries continue to struggle to bounce back and businesses have to begin looking at and adopting new methods to attract workers.  All in all, data was recently released by the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that four distinct areas in the Lafayette Metro Area are above their pre-pandemic employment levels.

Ava Cates, Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, said the following on the encouraging data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “these numbers show strong, stable growth after a tough couple of years dealing with COVID-19. They show Louisianans are getting back to work in record numbers. If Louisianans are known for one thing it’s their resiliency and that’s what’s clear here.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks all non-farming employment data into 11 total industries:

  • Construction
  • Education & Health services
  • Financial Activities
  • Government
  • Information
  • Leisure & Hospitality
  • Manufacturing
  • Mining & Logging
  • Other Services
  • Professional & Business Services
  • Trade (including transportation & utilities)

According to the 2022-released data, the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area has pre-pandemic employment levels in the industries of Construction; Information; Leisure & Hospitality; and Education & Health Services. Despite the fact that the article attributes these rising employment levels to the fact that the area has transitioned away from being solely reliant on oil and gas, the numbers are encouraging.

This is because the local economic development leaders have heavily focused on the Information and Education & Health Services sectors in the last several years. For instance, the information industry, which includes fields such as data processing and telecommunications, had a reported 2,200 jobs in the metro area in March 2020. One month later, the information industry lost 200 jobs, which is approximately 9% by April 2020. Afterward, the employment levels stayed fairly even until March 2021; now it’s reported that between March 2021 and February 2022, the industry has gained 500 jobs, giving the Information sector a net positive gain of 300 jobs since the pandemic began.

A similar trend can be seen in the Education & Health Services sector, which also saw a new positive gain of 300 jobs since the pandemic began. Similarly, the Leisure & Hospitality sector was among those hit particularly hard in the early months of the pandemic. From just March 2020 to April 2020 alone, the industry went from 20,900 jobs to 13,000 jobs, detailing a loss of 37.8%. Now, as of the February 2022 sata, the industry is up to 21,600 jobs, a net gain of approximately 700 since the pandemic started.

Encouraging data such as the employment level increases in the sectors listed above are needed in times like these.Troy Wayman, president and CEO of One Acadiana commented on these early encouraging statistics by saying, “the Lafayette MSA is still in recovery mode following the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19, with total MSA employment numbers still 2.9% lower than pre-COVID employment. Fortunately, IT, education, healthcare, and hospitality employment numbers are up from February 2020, with hospitality seeing modest job growth at 1.9%, according to the latest data, which covers February of this year.”

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Chattanooga’s Rock City Celebrates 90-year Anniversary

Located atop the Lookout Mountain ridge of Georgia, just six miles from downtown Chattanooga Tennessee is Rock City, a cavalcade of natural wonder and historic stability, and thanks to this praising tribute in honor of Rock City celebrating its 90th anniversary from Southern Living, there’s never been a better time to discover this marvel of Southern majesty.

Initially founded by Garnet and Frieda Carter in 1932 as a German folklore-inspired neighborhood called “Fairyland” that would attract visitors with its mini-golf course, award-winning gardens, and incredible views have only gained rampant popularity across the decades to become one of the most-visited destinations in the Southern United States, with an average of 500,000 annual visitors.

Rock City officially celebrates its 90–year anniversary in May 2022, but the city has (expectedly) been hosting various festivities since the beginning of the year and even before that. For instance, in preparation of the nonagintennial (90th) anniversary, Rock City had partnered with the Tennessee Titans to paint the infamous Rock City barns to promote both the celebration and the team’s approaching season, and the Nashville-based visual artist “doughjoe”painted three additional barn billboards outside of the city to help promote. With such high-profile promotions, the 90thanniversary is filled with activities to ring in a new era for Rock City, and they promise a lot of fun, community engagement, and unforgettable experiences.

That being said, there’s literally never been a better time to make your way out to Tennessee, if you’ve never come face-to-face with the many features that Rock City has to offer. One such experience that you should seek out is the chance to see seven states in magnificent panoramic view while you’re 1700 feet above sea level in full display of breath-taking sweeping views of the Tennessee Valley from the restaurant patio of Cliff Terrace, or the See Seven States Flag Court. The Flag Court is a monumental tribute to the separate diary entries of a Union officer and Confederate nurse, who each noted that the human eye can visibly see Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia from the vantage point above High Falls.

If you’re a thrill-seeker, then you should consider crossing the Swing-A-Long Bridge, an impressive 180-foot expanse that takes you from Point A to Point B like never before. Additionally, this exhilarating bridge walk offers you a vantage point of the Chattanooga Valley like no other, making it the perfect spot to capture a photo that you’ll surely never forget. Though, if you’re less interested in dazzling heights and find yourself to be more interested in the German folklore-inspired origins of Rock City’s founding, then you should plan to visit the Fairyland Caverns.

As previously noted, Frieda Utermoehien Carter had a particular affinity for European folklore and fairytales from her homeland, so her husband and Rock City co-founder Garnet Carter, hired Atlanta-based sculptor Jeddee Sanders to create real-life scenes from some of the most famous fairy tales in the world. Take a magical trek through the Fairyland Caverns, where these scenes were preserved in 1947 and you’ll also be able to meet some of Rock City’s infamous gnomes who are spread throughout the cave.

Another Rock City destination indebted to its founder’s love of fairy tales is Mother Goose Village, another sculpture collection that was completed by Sanders in 1964 within Fairyland Caverns. This location serves as an impeccably impressive, storybook-inspired landscape filled with scenes from classic nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty, the Three Little Pigs, and Little Boy Blue. You’re sure to be in awe of and impressed by the hand-made dioramas of childhood come alive.

Rock City’s 90th anniversary isn’t only a time to celebrate its history but also its future. This is because Doug Chapin, a past employee of Rock City, will be taking over as the attraction’s fifth-generation CEO, after E.Y. Cfapin III, Garnet Carter’s nephew, took over in the 1950’s. Chapin commented on his vision for Rock City in saying, “we have always had a focus on hospitality, as well as on conservation. In the last 90 years, we have protected the geological wonders of Rock City Gardens for everyone’s enjoyment, and for future generations of the next 90 years.”

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