Louisiana
LDWF Officials Attend Sneak Peek Tour of Port Wonder Construction Site
“Amazing.” “Innovative.” “Awesome.” Those are some of the words used by visitors to describe the Children’s Museum and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Nature and Science Center at Port Wonder in Lake Charles during a sneak peek media tour Saturday morning with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) executives and city officials.
Construction of the 23,000-square-foot facility along the Lake Charles waterfront beside I-10 on North Lakeshore Drive is ongoing, with an anticipated opening date this summer. Port Wonder will incorporate two distinct elements – the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana, which is relocating to Port Wonder, and a new 5,500-square-foot Nature and Science Center to be operated by LDWF.
“With the completion of Port Wonder rapidly approaching, excitement is building in the community for the day the doors open on this state-of-the-art attraction,” said Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “We are proud of what we are creating on our Lakefront and are thankful for our partnership with LDWF. This is a transformative project that will offer residents and visitors a world-class children’s museum and science and nature center.”
The Nature and Science Center will feature approximately 15,000 gallons of aquaria including aquatic species from the freshwater bayous of Louisiana to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors will be able to interact with different hands-on exhibits to learn more about LDWF’s fisheries programs and the natural resources LDWF is tasked to manage and conserve.
LDWF officials touring the facility Saturday include Secretary Madison D. Sheahan and Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Ryan Montegut. Tours were led by LDWF Biologist Program Manager Danica Williams and LDWF Biologist Manager Heather David.
“Thank you to Mayor Nic Hunter, the Children’s Museum of Lake Charles, and to our Biologists Heather and Danica, for a great tour of the Port Wonder facility,” Sheahan said. “We are proud to partner with the City of Lake Charles in bringing this fun and educational experience to Louisiana and especially to the children, the future hunters and fishers of our state. We look forward to its opening and the ways in which this facility will show visitors all that our Sportsman’s Paradise has to offer.”
The LDWF Nature and Science Center at Port Wonder is funded in part through the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (TIG), with dollars provided to help compensate the public for lost recreational use opportunities due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and associated response activities.
The original plan called for creation of a science center and education complex to be built on LDWF land in Lake Charles. The project expanded to include relocating the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana to create a single site offering enhanced opportunities for the public to play and learn in one centralized location placed near other recreational amenities, such as the Lake Charles waterfront and city parks.
In addition to the indoor attractions, Port Wonder will feature numerous outdoor entertainment options including walking trails, an ADA-compliant fishing pier and seating, a variety of native plants, and covered areas for outdoor events and activities.
For LDWF Nature and Science Center exhibit information contact Heather David at hdavid@wlf.la.gov. For information about the Children’s museum, contact Executive Director Allyson Montgomery at allyson@swlakids.org.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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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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