Louisiana
HEART OF LOUISIANA: Jim Bowie
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – It was on a sandbar not far from this spot on the Mississippi River near Vidalia, Louisiana, where frontiersman Jim Bowie made a name for himself and his knife. Born in Kentucky, Bowie grew up in Louisiana’s Catahoula Parish.
“I actually probably live within ten or twelve miles of where Bowie lived in Catahoula Parish,” said Stanley Nelson.
Nelson is editor of the Concordia Sentinel newspaper, and has written a few stories about Jim Bowie’s exploits in the area.
“Back in those days, uh, there was a lot of fraudulent land dealing going on and the Bowie brothers were involved in a whole lot of that,” Nelson said.
Jim Bowie was also a slave trader.
“He was a fighter. He didn’t take insults very easily. There was a feud involving a sheriff from Alexandria. Bowie was involved in one party and the sheriff had his men and the other,” said Nelson.
It was an 1827 duel that turned into a deadly brawl on the sandbar.
“Is a bona fide Bowie knife because we know that the Bowie brothers had this made. This bloody affair today, we’d say that it went viral. And so people across the nation of reading about how he’s in this, this fight, uh, outnumbered. He’s shot, he’s stabbed, but he’s still able to, uh, to hold his own,” said Bruce Winders.
With the sudden popularity of the knife, Bowie’s brother Rezin has more knives made.
“This was made on a plantation that the Bowies had in Rapids Parish. This knife was commissioned by Rezin Bowie by, uh, a jeweler named Searles in, uh, baton rouge. And this is what many people think a Bowie knife looks like when they hear the word Bowie knife,” Winders said.
Winders is a historian at the Alamo in San Antonio, where Bowie moved and got married after leaving Louisiana. He’s part of a force of about 200 Texans, who are grossly outnumbered, but refuse to surrender to the Mexican army.
How hard is it to separate fact from legend with somebody like Jim Bowie?
“The legend is what most people know about James Bowie. He may be so sick that he was unconscious or he’s possibly even dead at the time of the battle. Mexicans will say he’s in his bed, he didn’t put up much of a fight. Legend, you know, can’t stand for that. And so he whips out his knife, he’s slashing, he’s firing with his pistols, but you know, that’s where the backed in the, in the legend come together,” said Winders.
Jim Bowie’s story is forever enshrined at the Alamo where he died. But his fame and legend began years earlier in a knife fight on a Louisiana sandbar.
More information on Jim Bowie and his celebrated knife can be found on Heart of Louisiana’s website.
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Louisiana
Louisiana has the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the nation. See the parish data.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with an estimated 333,830 new cases and 36,320 deaths projected for 2026 for the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
In the U.S., there are approximately 116 new prostate cancer cases per 100,000 people annually. Louisiana has the highest prostate cancer incidence rate in the country at 147.2 cases per 100,000 — a rate that has been steadily rising since 2014, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.
New prostate cancer drug can extend life expectancy by 8 months, Baton Rouge doctor says
These parishes had the highest rates, in cases per 100,000, of prostate cancer from 2018 to 2022, in descending order:
- West Feliciana Parish with 218.6 cases per 100,000;
- Iberville Parish with 182.3 cases per 100,000;
- Bienville Parish with 179.7 cases per 100,000;
- West Baton Rouge Parish with 179.4 cases per 100,000;
- Vermillion Parish with 176.5 cases per 100,000;
- Iberia Parish with 173.8 cases per 100,000;
- East Baton Rouge Parish with 173.6 cases per 100,000;
- East Carroll Parish with 172.9 cases per 100,000;
- East Feliciana Parish with 166.3 cases per 100,000;
- Tangipahoa Parish with 166.2 cases per 100,000;
- St. Martin Parish with 166 cases per 100,000;
- Jackson Parish with 165.3 cases per 100,000;
- and Lincoln Parish with 165.1 cases per 100,000.
These parishes had the lowest rates, in cases per 100,000, of prostate cancer from 2018 to 2022, in ascending order:
- Cameron Parish with 101 cases per 100,000;
- Evangeline Parish with 102.7 cases per 100,000;
- Union Parish with 106.9 cases per 100,000;
- Winn Parish with 108.2 cases per 100,000;
- Vernon Parish with 109.4 cases per 100,000;
- Grant Parish with 109.7 cases per 100,000;
- Franklin and La Salle parishes with 111 cases per 100,000;
- St. Bernard Parish with 113.9 cases per 100,000;
- Tensas Parish with 115.2 cases per 100,000;
- Terrebonne Parish with 117.5 cases per 100,000;
- Washington Parish with 121.1 cases per 100,000;
- Livingston Parish with 122.8 cases per 100,000;
- Sabine Parish with 122.9 cases per 100,000;
- Bossier Parish with 123.7 cases per 100,000;
- and La Fourche Parish with 124.8 cases per 100,000.
Data represents an annual average for all stages of prostate cancer.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Marcavia Shavers posts 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead ULM Warhawks women’s basketball past Louisiana 79-63 in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
ULM (15-15, 7-11 Sun Belt) took control early, outscoring Louisiana 17-7 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 41-21 by halftime. The Warhawks never trailed and led by as many as 28 points in the second quarter.
Shavers anchored the inside for ULM, finishing 9-of-15 from the field with 13 rebounds. Jazmine Jackson added 17 points off the bench, knocking down four 3-pointers, while J’Mani Ingram scored 16 points and dished out six assists.
ULM shot 46.9% from the field and held a 42-27 advantage on the boards. The Warhawks also converted Louisiana turnovers into 29 points and scored 26 second-chance points.
Louisiana (5-26, 2-16 Sun Belt) was led by Mikaylah Manley with 18 points and Imani Daniel with 17 points and seven rebounds. Amijah Price chipped in 12 points.
After struggling early, Louisiana shot better in the second half, scoring 42 points after the break. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
ULM advances in the Sun Belt tournament, while Louisiana closes its season with the loss.
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BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.
Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.
According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.
A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.
“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.
Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.
“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.
Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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