Louisiana

Common Louisiana jobs are causing sleep problems. This new center wants to help

Published

1 year ago

September 28, 2024

Common Louisiana jobs are causing sleep problems. This new center wants to help

Sleep is a basic human need and critical to both physical and mental health, yet almost half of Louisiana residents report not getting enough of it.

According to America’s Health Rankings, an annual report by the United Health Foundation, 39.8% of Louisiana residents reported sleeping fewer than seven hours in a 24-hour period, the minimum recommended amount for maintaining one’s physical health.

While a significant percentage of Americans struggle with sleep disorders, Louisiana’s percentage is far above the national average. Much of that can be attributed to the kind of jobs most prevalent in Louisiana, according to Dr. Phillip Conner, whose sleep disorder clinic opened its new Lafayette location this week.

Read more: Childhood trauma can affect lifelong health, and Acadiana agencies are working to provide help

About 250,000 workers are currently employed in the energy sector, according to recent state estimates.

Long, irregular hours spent working in the oil field, on offshore rigs or casino floors don’t lend themselves to developing healthy, consistent sleep patterns.

“The guys – and ladies — that work offshore, work in the industry, they have to constantly shift their circadian rhythms back and forth, and it’s very difficult for them to stay on a normal pattern,” Conner said. “And it has impacts in terms of sleep and long-term health.”

Conner’s clinic, the Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana, has maintained a location in Lake Charles for 25 years. With local casinos and the oil and gas industry as major employers, southwest Louisiana’s shift workers are prone to bad or insufficient sleep. Looking at the local demographics in southcentral Louisiana, Conner and his team concluded the same would likely be true for this region.

“We saw the population footprint from here down to Morgan City, and we recognized that there’s an enormous health burden related to sleep related disorders,” Conner said.

Shift worker syndrome, as sleep disorder associated with irregular work hours is referred to clinically, isn’t the only cause of bad sleep prevalent in South Louisiana, however.

According to Conner, a vast majority of the center’s patients suffer from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea, which can be caused by a variety of factors including exposure to pollution, smoking, and excess weight or drinking, is also a common health concern. The disorder, in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, can have serious long-term health consequences such as high blood pressure and heart problems, diabetes and liver disease.

Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders, is prevalent in South Louisiana as well. While Conner said sleep apnea affects more of his male than female patients, the opposite is true for insomnia.

At the sleep center, staff diagnose and treat these common sleep disorders in various ways. Where necessary, a sleep study is performed to diagnose the condition. For that, patients spend the night in one of two rooms at the center set up for that purpose, each featuring a queen-size bed with a plush mattress and ample pillows and blankets.

Throughout the night the patient’s oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing patterns, muscular activity and other indicators are measured to form a diagnosis and design a treatment plan.

For now, Conner will be splitting his time between the Lake Charles and Lafayette centers, along with a monthly pop-up in DeRidder, where he serves local residents and service members from the nearby Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, army base. Sleep disorders are common among veterans, Conner noted, with an estimated 15% of the center’s patients having served in the military.

The center works with the Veterans Administration and accepts TRICARE benefits, the health insurance program for active duty military personnel, along with private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.

“We want to be a full-service provider,” Conner said.

Conner advised anyone experiencing chronic fatigue or feeling like they aren’t able to perform their job or daily tasks at full capacity to consider taking a closer look at their sleep patterns.

“Probably the biggest indicator is how you’re feeling in the daytime,” he said. “If you feel like you’re working under your maximum, you feel like you’re not really getting the most out of your career, and you’re waking up tired and you need a nap when you get home from work, those are oftentimes red flags.”

The center’s Lafayette location officially opened its doors this week and is accepting new patients.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Feb. 28, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

8-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

5-4-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

9-9-1-3-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

04-17-21-27-33

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

08-10-15-21-22-33

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Louisiana

Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack

Published

17 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded a congressional briefing from President Trump’s administration Saturday (Feb. 28), hours after the U.S. military joined Israel in launching airstrikes against Iran.

“When I talked to Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” Schumer said in a statement. “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.

“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.

“The administration must brief Congress — including an immediate all-senators classified briefing — and in public testimony to answer these vital questions. The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act. My prayers are with our brave American servicemembers.”

Meanwhile, reaction to the attack from Louisiana’s congressional delegation appeared to break predictably among party lines.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) posted to X that the attack “is yet another move by President Trump to protect the United States and sends a message to the world: Never doubt America’s resolve or capacity to defend its interests.”

For years, the Iranian Regime has chanted “Death to America,” targeted our troops, weaponized their terrorist proxies, and killed tens of thousands of innocent people, including Americans. Today, President Trump made it clear: their reign of terror is over.
The President has…
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 28, 2026

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) of New Orleans, however, said he was “deeply concerned” about the attack and said, “The American people deserve to understand the objectives, the risks and the path forward.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote, “The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war.”

The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war. We pray for the safety and success of our servicemen and servicewomen.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 28, 2026

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), who is mounting a primary challenge for Cassidy’s U.S. Senate seat, also endorsed Trump’s decision to attack Tehran.

Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and actively plots to kill Americans. President Trump’s decisive strikes send a message that America will not tolerate Iran’s threats to our national security. May God bless our troops and keep them safe as we confront radical… https://t.co/P5IVxiBi2p
— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@RepJuliaLetlow) February 28, 2026

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) also backed Trump’s military action, writing that Iran was “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

Today, Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions. President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder… https://t.co/G5XPELtAmX
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 28, 2026

Democratic Rep. Cleo Field expressed reservations that Trump had not made a case for the attack to Congress or the American people.

This morning, the United States, in coordination with Israel, launched strikes against Iran — a significant military action with serious consequences for our national security.
While I understand the gravity of the threat, the process here cannot be ignored. The War Powers Act…
— Congressman Cleo Fields (@RepFields) February 28, 2026

Republican Sen. John Kennedy had not yet posted reactions to the Iran attack — dubbed by the Pentagon as “Operation Epic Fury” — on social media or sent statements to the news media.

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