Louisiana

Louisiana Teen’s Stroke-Detecting Invention Recognized in National STEM Contest

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

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Ever since 14-year-old Naya Ellis can remember, science has been her favorite subject and she has wanted to help others by working in the medical field. She recalls taking care of her mother when she was about 7 years old, helping change her bandages during her battle with breast cancer. Now, the ninth-grader has combined her love of science and her desire to support others by designing a watch that detects signs of a stroke in adults. She was named a champion in the National STEM Challenge for her invention last month.

Naya, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School in New Orleans, was inspired to create the watch through a program called STEM NOLA, where K-12 students learn and participate in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math projects. The organization offers an eight-month-long STEM fellowship to low-income high school students of color who show an interest in solving real-world problems and gives them training, career and networking opportunities.

She signed up for the fellowship because she wanted to keep herself busy. Little did she know the opportunities the program would allow her.

The organization also hosts STEM Saturday, a free weekend program where K-12 students can create inventions. When Naya attended her first STEM Saturday in October, she thought designing a watch that detects seizures would be a great idea. But the following weekend — the last weekend to complete her project — she changed her plan entirely and instead created a watch for stroke detection, since her grandmother had suffered a stroke. She named her invention WingItt, a fitting title for an idea that sprouted at the last second.

The watch works by detecting nerve impulses and heartbeats. Naya says that many stroke victims may develop noticeable signs such as a droopy face or strange taste in their mouth, but she wanted to create something that can detect internal symptoms. As she researched, she found that strokes were more common in people 55 and older than in younger people, so she wanted to cater to this demographic. As she works out the kinks in her prototype, she wants to ensure that it is detecting only strokes and not picking up on other issues, such as those involving the heart.

A huge priority for Naya is making sure her watch is affordable for older adults who may not have the money for expensive technology, like iPhones and Apple Watches, that have health-monitoring features.

“I want to do something I’m interested in, that will also change the world,” she says.

Naya’s invention could well be on its way to doing just that, as she is one of 126 students out of over 2,500 nationwide to be selected as champions in the National STEM Challenge. The competition for grades 6 to 12, presented by the U.S. Department of Education and EXPLR, will host its inaugural festival next month in Washington, D.C., where the champions will showcase their creations. The students are also receiving two months of coding training and four months of master classes with STEM experts like astronauts and sports statisticians.

“I never thought that I would win,” Naya says. She says she looks forward to presenting her watch and seeing the other inventions at the festival.

Naya thinks younger students who may have an interest in science should give STEM a try because it has given her experiences she never thought she would have. She says students in her area specifically should give STEM NOLA a chance because it has allowed her to go to new places and learn new things.

As a freshman, Naya still has plenty of time to do more in the world of STEM. Her other plans include playing softball and getting a college scholarship, and longer-term, becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist.

“I love the fact that you’re bringing new life into the world, that’s the coolest thing ever to me. I’m a woman helping women. It can’t get any better than that!”
Disclosure: The Walton Family Foundation and Overdeck Family Foundation provide financial support to the National STEM Challenge and The 74.

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Louisiana

Obituary for Barry Glen Zimmerman at Southern Funeral Home Winnfield

Published

2 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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Obituary for Barry Glen Zimmerman at Southern Funeral Home Winnfield

Mr. Barry Glen Zimmerman, lovingly known by many as BZ, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Winnfield, Louisiana on October 25, 2025. He was 69 years old. Born in Winnfield, Barry lived a life defined by love, strength, and quiet resilience. In 1988, he suffered a life-changing accident that

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Oct. 25, 2025

Published

21 hours ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 25, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-12-22-39-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

9-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

3-5-6-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

5-9-5-0-5

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

06-10-16-22-31

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

16-18-26-34-37-41

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

Louisiana lands a rare earth milestone

Published

3 days ago

October 24, 2025

Press Room

iStock

The nation’s first U.S. heavy rare earth separation facility is coming to Louisiana.

Louisiana Economic Development officials this morning announced a $277 million investment by Aclara Resources Inc. to build the facility at the Port of Vinton in Calcasieu Parish.

LED characterizes the deal as one that will “establish Louisiana as a leader in sustainable rare earth production and strengthen the nation’s advanced technology supply chain.” With the new facility comes an anticipated 140 new direct new jobs.

LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the investment “underscores the importance of development-ready sites and strong local partnerships that give global companies the confidence to choose Louisiana,” also noting that it reinforces the central role Louisiana plays in energy and defense security.

Bloomberg reports that Aclara, in which the Hochschild Group owns a majority stake, has a $1 billion-plus plan to mine rare earths in Latin America and develop processing facilities.

The Louisiana project comes as President Donald Trump is focused on enhancing critical mineral-supply chains, currently dominated by China. The media outlet reported this morning that the Louisiana plant’s capacity for minerals dysprosium and terbium would represent about 14% of China’s official output.

The new facility will use Aclara’s proprietary sustainable extraction technology to produce the heavy rare earth elements essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones and robotics, which rely on advanced permanent magnets. By processing material from Aclara’s mineral deposits in Brazil and Chile, the Louisiana operation is expected to create a “reliable and sustainable” U.S. supply of these materials, LED says.

Last month, Aclara secured funding from the U.S. government for a Brazilian mining project.

In a statement, Gov. Jeff Landry said that in choosing Louisiana for its first U.S. facility, “Aclara is recognizing what we already know: Our state is leading the next generation of energy and technology innovation.”

Aclara Resources CEO Ramón Barúa noted in the announcement that Louisiana’s access to key reagents made the location preferable, ensuring operational reliability and lower transportation costs.

“The state’s world-class chemical industry and highly skilled workforce made the decision even more compelling,” Barúa added. “Simply put, Louisiana has everything we were looking for.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2027. The facility will be built in phases, beginning with the rare earth separation plant, followed by potential future expansions to support downstream processing and alloy production as part of Aclara’s long-term growth strategy.

The state incentives package includes LED FastStart workforce development solutions and a $3 million performance-based grant for utility and infrastructure improvements. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s High Impact Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption program.

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