Louisiana
HEART OF LOUISIANA: Winter Birds
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – For some nature lovers, an early morning walk with temperatures near freezing is the perfect time for spotting birds. You can hear all kinds of bird sounds coming from the trees and underbrush.
Jerhemy Lonzo, a long-time bird enthusiast, points to the top of a nearby tree. He tells me, “hearing the sounds is one of the most important things. If you listen to the bird, you can pinpoint it and try to find out where it is and when you see it like you hit the lottery,” Lonzo says.
Lonzo enjoys birdwatching and parks throughout the New Orleans area. Today he joins the Orleans Audubon Society for a walk through Joe Brown Park and the Audubon Nature Center in the eastern part of the city.
“There are three goldfinch right there,” said Joelle Finley.
Finley of the Audubon Society helped organize the Joe Brown Bird walk.
“I like wintertime because we have a completely different set of birds. They come down from the north and they winter like the American goldfinch. They’re only here in our winter months,” Finley said.
The problem I have is that I can hear the birds all around me sometimes, but where are they? It’s so hard to see them sometimes.
“Well, you have to kind of home in on where you’re hearing the bird. That gives you a key as to where the bird’s located. So if you know that you’re hearing something from this big oak tree behind us, then you’re gonna walk over to the oak and you’re gonna start looking,” said Finley.
And you have to be quick with a camera. Just about the time I spot a bird and then get the camera pointed in the right direction. The bird flies away. The Audubon Society hosts workshops and field trips like this one to help newbies locate and identify birds. And spotting different types of birds is what brought bird enthusiast Kris Hansen from Chicago to New Orleans.
“So in Chicago at this time of year, you get some waterfowl and some swans, but most of the things that are fun have come down here for the winter. So I followed them,” said Hansen.
“I’m taking this detour to see if we could get purple finches down here,” John Wise said.
Wise of Metairie says he is a lifelong bird watcher.
“The canals around here, you can find all kinds of birds. It’s probably one of the wilder spots in an urban environment,” said Wise.
But Wise has noticed changes in local bird populations.
“One of the things you can notice, over a 10 year, 15 year period, is you can observe the decline in diversity of species in this area. And this is one of the richest areas in North America, at least in the United States,” Wise said.
Serious bird watchers will photograph and log all of the species they spot in the wild. Those lists can run into the thousands. And they also can enjoy a few hours of wandering through the trees, surrounded by the chirping sounds of birds.
More information about bird watching and the Orleans Audubon Society can be found on Heart of Louisiana’s website.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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WATCH: Louisiana baseball HC, players talk series win vs No. 20 Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL baseball’s HC Matt Deggs, pitcher Ty Roman and infielder Owen Galt following its 2-1 series win vs Coastal Carolina.
For the second day in a row, Louisiana baseball has its back against the wall in the NCAA Tournament Starkville Regional.
The No. 25 Ragin’ Cajuns (40-24) secured their 40th win of the season and kept their postseason dreams alive by beating Lipscomb 10-4 in an elimination game on Saturday, May 30. Now, the pressure is back on for seventh-year coach Matt Deggs and his squad as they face No. 24 Cincinnati (38-21) in another win-or-go-home matchup on Sunday, May 31 in Starkville, Mississippi.
Against the Bisons, UL used four pitchers, and in total has used seven of its arms so far in tournament play. One of the Cajuns’ fresh arms heading into the matchup against the Bearcats is senior Andrew Herrmann. The lefty made his latest appearance during the Cajuns’ Sun Belt Conference tournament run on May 24.
While the Cajuns come into the match with some momentum, Cincinnati enters the match with a chip on its shoulder after losing its first game of the tournament on Saturday against regional host Mississippi State.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on ESPN+
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. Cincinnati will be available live on ESPN+ streaming for the first game of Day 3 of the Starkville Regional. Jack Kizer and Jack DeLongchamps will provide commentary from Dudy Noble Field.
What time does Louisiana baseball play Cincinnati?
Date: Sunday, May 31
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Dude Noble Field, Starkville, Mississippi
The Louisiana vs. Cincinnati game starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
Starkville Regionals schedule
Friday, May 29
- Game 1: Mississippi State 10, Lipscomb 1
- Game 2: Cincinnati 12, Louisiana 2
Saturday, May 30
- Game 3: Lipscomb 4, Louisiana, 10
- Game 4: Mississippi State vs Cincinnati, 8 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 31
- Game 5: Louisiana vs Cincinnati, 2 p.m. CT
- Game 6: Winner G5 vs Mississippi State, 7 p.m. CT
Monday, June 1
- Game 7: If necessary, TBD
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act has been signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry.
This comes after HB 636, authored by Rep. Vanessa LaFleur (D-Baton Rouge), was signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on May 19.
The measure redefines hazing, mandates annual prevention training, and strengthens penalties for student organizations involved in hazing.
The legislation is named after a Southern University student who was killed in 2025 after being punched in the chest with boxing gloves during an unsanctioned, off-campus fraternity hazing ritual.
The law will go into effect on August 1.
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