Louisiana

Faimon Roberts: Liz Murrill and the Case of the Ancient Plank

Published

7 days ago

November 14, 2025

Faimon Roberts: Liz Murrill and the Case of the Ancient Plank

Just where is that damn board?

Nobody knows. It’s a Louisiana mystery. An ancient cypress plank, 20 feet long and six wide, has gone missing. It couldn’t have been an easy heist. The thing is huge, and certainly weighs hundreds of pounds at least.

This wasn’t as simple as slipping into the Louvre and making off with a few jewels.

No, this was a complex operation. It probably took a group. Maybe Danny Ocean was the mastermind.

This whole story just deliciously reeks of Louisiana. An object that started in a swamp, moved to the State Capitol, then out to the suburbs, is now missing and is the focus of the state’s top law enforcement officer. This is truly one for the “Louisiana is different” genre of political tales.

There’s Attorney General Liz Murrill who, like literary gumshoes Sherlock Holmes or Encyclopedia Brown, doesn’t know where the plank is but has fingered a suspect: former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder.

Earlier this week, prosecutors from Murrill’s office persuaded a Baton Rouge grand jury to indict Schexnayder on counts of theft of a rare Louisiana artifact and malfeasance in office.

Murrill’s biggest clue is this: The board was last seen in Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales.

The mystery is just the latest twist in the board’s long and interesting history. It began its life as part of a cypress tree in Lake Maurepas more than 1,000 years ago. That tree was cut down in the 1930s. The board was extracted and, in the 1950s, it was donated the state and was hung for display in the state capitol.

On it were engraved words describing its origin. It is a one-of-a-kind piece.

Sometime in the last two decades, the plank was moved to Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales. Schexnayder said the move came in 2013 and was suggested by then-Speaker of the House Chuck Kleckley, of Lake Charles, because it had been cut from a tree in what was now Schexnayder’s district. Kleckley says he has no memory of making that suggestion and it would have been inappropriate for him to do so.

Murrill may have identified the guilty party, but the board’s whereabouts remain unknown. Schexnayder, who once owned an auto mechanic shop, is no Professor Moriarty. He says he has no idea where it is. Nor does the landlord of his office, who said he didn’t remove it when Schexnayder left.

Now, however, Schexnayder is facing two felony counts.

Murrill sleuthing skills might never been engaged if not for the efforts of Julius Mullins, a retired doctor whose grandfather was the one who donated the piece to the state. Mullins asked Murrill to take the case.

I hope Murrill doesn’t stop now and presses until she has found the board, like some sort of Cajun Miss Marple.

But this is a tough one. She may need outside help. Is Nancy Drew available?

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Louisiana

What is the best elementary school in Louisiana? These 11 rank at top

Published

58 minutes ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

What is the best elementary school in Louisiana? These 11 rank at top

When it comes to primary education, it’s important to choose a school that’s the right fit and offers educational opportunities.

U.S. News & World Report analyzed 103,391 Pre-Kindergarten, elementary and middle schools in order to determine which are the best throughout the U.S.

To do so, U.S. News & World Report assessed schools’ shares of students who were proficient in math and reading scores, and assessed such scores in the context of socioeconomic demographics.

US News & World Report best elementary schools in Louisiana for 2026

U.S. News & World Report analyzed 1,125 elementary schools in Louisiana, and these schools ranked as the 11 best.

1. Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies

Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies in Metairie is ranked as the best elementary school in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. This public elementary school serves Pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade, with a student population of 377 and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. At this school, 98% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 98% scored at or above the proficient level for reading.

2. T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School

T. S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School in Lake Charles is ranked as the second best elementary school in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The student population of this schools is 302, and the school serves grades Kindergarten through fifth, with a student-teacher ratio of 19:1. Here, 92% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 98% scored at or above the proficient level for reading.

3. South Highlands Elementary Magnet School

South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport is the third best elementary school in Louisiana, according to U.S. News & World Report. This school has a student population of 512 with a student-ration of 16:1, serving grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth. Ninety-seven percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level in reading.

4. Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies

Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies in Gretna is a public school that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 366 and a student-teacher ratio of 18:1. Here, 98% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & Word Report.

5. Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies

Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies is a public school in Metairie that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 429 and a student-teacher ratio of 16:1. Ninety-two percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and the same percentage scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

6. Fairfield Magnet School

Fairfield Magnet School is a public school in Shreveport that serves grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth, with a student-teacher ratio of 15:1. The student population at this school is 528, with 93% scoring at or above the proficient level for math and 91% scoring at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

7. Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School

Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School in Baton Rouge is a public school that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. Here, the student population is 468 and the student-teacher ratio is 14:1. At this school, 92% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 90% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

8. Mayfair Laboratory School

Mayfair Laboratory School in Baton Rouge is a public school that has a student population of 504 and a student-teacher population of 11:1. This school serves grades Kindergarten through eighth, with 88% of students scoring at or above the proficient level for math and 87% scoring at or above the proficient level for reading, says U.S. News & World Report.

9. Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies

Ray St. Pierre Academy for Advanced Studies is a public school in Westwego that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a student population of 359 and a student-teacher ratio of 17:1. Here, 87% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and the same percentage scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

10. Phoenix Magnet Elementary School

Phoenix Magnet Elementary School is a public school in Alexandria that serves Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has a student population of 319 and a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. Seventy-seven percent of students at this school scored at or above the proficient level for math and 92% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

11. Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School

Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School is a public school in Shreveport that serves Kindergarten through fifth grade. The student population of this school is 506 and the student-teacher ratio is 16:1. At this school, 88% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 86% scored at or above the proficient level for reading, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com

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Louisiana

Which Louisiana schools would get lower grades under new rating system? Search here.

Published

19 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

Which Louisiana schools would get lower grades under new rating system? Search here.

It’s report card day for Louisiana schools and many have reason to celebrate.

Statewide, 44% of elementary and middle schools and 70% of high schools earned an A or B based on academic results from the 2024-2025 school year, according to state data released Thursday. Collectively, Louisiana’s public schools earned a B, and the statewide performance score grew by nearly one point to 80.9 — the highest it’s been since the current rating system launched over a decade ago.

But for many schools, the good grades won’t last.

Next year, a tougher rating system will kick in. To help prepare schools and the public for the shift, the Louisiana Department of Education released simulated grades this year alongside schools’ official grades. The simulated grades, which carry no weight, show how schools would have fared this year had the new system been in effect. It’s the first public preview of how grades will likely change when the revamped rating system launches in 2026.

For elementary and middle schools, the results would look similar to today: Most would earn the same or better grades, with just 16% getting lower ratings. But for high schools, the difference would be dramatic: 76% would get lower grades under the revised rating system.

The searchable table below shows the actual grade each school and district earned this year, as well as simulated grades based on the revised system.

The next table shows school and district performance scores. The 2024 and 2025 scores are on a 150-point scale, while the simulated scores are on a 100-point scale.

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Louisiana

LDWF Announces $5.2 Million for Conservation Projects through the Louisiana Outdoors Forever Program

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

LDWF Announces .2 Million for Conservation Projects through the Louisiana Outdoors Forever Program

Today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced that the Louisiana Outdoor Forever (LOF) Project Selection Board voted to fund 5 conservation projects in Louisiana based on the review, evaluation, and scoring received from LOF’s Technical Advisory Board. The LOF program will allocate $921,350 and leverage $4.29 million for a total conservation investment of $5.21 million to these projects. The LOF program is administered by the LDWF and helps Louisiana become more competitive in securing grant opportunities.

Projects selected for funding:

Project Name	Project Location	Organization	Funding Amount Requested	Match Funds	Total Project Amount
Bayou L’Ours Phase V Terraces	Golden Meadow, Lafourche Parish, LA; 29°24’44.71″N, 90°8’52.90″W	Ducks Unlimited / Partner with Lafourche Parish	$213,500.00	$3,485,641.00	$3,699,141.00
Enhancing Wood Duck Habitat in Pearl River WMA through Duck Box Installation and Community Ed.	Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) below Indian Village Road on West and Middle Pearl River	Southern Quacker Wildlife Conservation (SQWC) / Partner with LDWF	$8,000.00	$6,000.00	$14,000.00
Enhancing Mottled Duck Breeding Habitat in Southwest Louisiana	Multiple parishes in Southwest Louisiana	Ducks Unlimited / Partner with LDWF	$100,000.00	$200,000.00	$300,000.00
Napoleonville Bayou Access and Emergency Boat Launch Project	Bayou Lafourche – right descending bank; Assumption Parish	Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District	$500,000.00	$500,000.00	$1,000,000.00
Beechwood-Bayou Sara Tunica Hills Protection	Beechwood Tract and Sleepy Hollow Tract in West Feliciana Parish	The Nature Conservancy / partner with LDWF	$99,850.00	$99,850.00	$199,700.00
Total			$921,350.00	$4,291,491.00	$5,212,841.00

The Louisiana Outdoors Forever (LOF) Program was created during the 2022 legislative session with House Bill 762 to provide funding for outdoor conservation projects across the state.

You can also sign up for meeting and Louisiana Outdoors Forever press releases by visiting here and selecting an interest of “Conservation.”

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