Louisiana

Louisiana’s 4-H program creates young leaders who sustain the state’s agriculture

Published

2 months ago

January 11, 2026

Louisiana’s 4-H program creates young leaders who sustain the state’s agriculture

Lanette G. Hebert, based in Rayne, serves as the southwest 4-H regional coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, bringing over 35 years of service to Louisiana’s 4-H youth development programs. Throughout her tenure, she has worked to empower youth, strengthen volunteer networks and build programs that foster leadership, citizenship and essential life skills. Last year, Hebert had a hand in hosting the Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field pilot program — an effort to introduce high school youth to the science and business of rice production, sponsored by the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board.

Hebert’s passion for community and education reflects her belief that investing in young people creates a stronger, brighter future for Louisiana.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What does your role with the AgCenter look like, beyond the rice field program?

We develop educational programs, and one that we’ve focused on is ag awareness. Out of our advisory process, someone suggested that we focus on the rice industry, since the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station is within the southwest region.

Lanette Hebert 2018.jpg — Lanette G. Hebert serves as the southwest 4-H regional coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, bringing over 35 years of service to Louisiana’s 4-H youth development programs.

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Do you plan to host another Beyond the Rice Field program in the future?

We’re going to propose that we do it every other year. We highlight all careers available in the ag industry, whereas this one was targeted just on the rice industry, so we plan to alternate them — one general ag awareness program and then the rice program.

What activities and curriculum did the students participate in for the rice field program?

We really called upon the professors at the rice research station. They went out with entomologists into the rice fields, looked for bugs and then evaluated the bugs and discussed how they would impact the rice crop.

In our agronomy lab, they took home seed plots and did different treatments on them. They learned about drones and got to fly drones. Every one of the six sessions highlighted the careers, but then also did some type of hands-on activity.

How are young people integral to the future of Louisiana agriculture?

That’s the driving force behind our ag awareness program, especially with this rice field day, is a concern for young people who are entering careers that are agriculture-based. We cooperate with the College of Ag at LSU to highlight those careers, from fashion merchandising to food science to agronomy.

We’re trying to expose them to a vast array of career opportunities in agriculture and what educational opportunities are available to them. With our rice field day, we emphasized internships and high school job opportunities that would expose them to see if they’d like this career choice.

One of the key things we’re trying to do is develop their awareness of the careers but also give them hands-on opportunities.

ireland dairy farm.jpg — One of Lanette Hebert’s career highlights with her job at LSU AgCenter is taking 131 people to Ireland, where they spent 10 days studying agriculture in the country to compare it to Louisiana’s landscape.

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How does 4-H develop leadership skills and teach students the soft skills needed in the workforce?

The ag awareness program is just one of the things we offer. Our statewide forage program offers opportunities in three core areas besides agriculture: STEM, healthy living and citizenship and leadership.

We start the 4-H program in fourth grade, and a lot of that is where they are exploring and learning about the different subject matters. As they stay with us in the 4-H program, we transition that into leadership. If a fourth grader starts off interested in the nutrition project and cooking, they’re learning how to measure ingredients, but we’re hoping, by 10th grade, they’re conducting the workshop for the fourth grader.

Louisiana 4-H is pretty unique. We have seven statewide leadership boards where we focus on subject matter and developing leaders in those areas. Every parish also has a team leadership program. That club focuses very heavily on leadership development.

How does 4-H work with external partners in the state — farmers, researchers, etc. — to bolster the program?

We’re always looking for community collaborators who are aligned with the missions of our 4-H program. The rice field day was a great example. It was awesome to see the passion that our researchers, research associates, extension faculty and farmers have for their career paths.

That’s always something, when we find a partner that has the same goal and passion of reaching young people and sustaining an industry.

Our STEM program is really growing right now, so robotics gives us a lot of opportunity to partner with local people as well. We have things like job interview contests, and we work with HR departments to do mock interviews.

We’re always trying to connect with people throughout the site to highlight their careers and passions for different subject matters that pertain to our young people.

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Louisiana

Jury selection begins Monday in one of Louisiana’s largest auto insurance fraud cases

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Jury selection begins Monday in one of Louisiana’s largest auto insurance fraud cases

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Jury selection begins Monday in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest auto insurance fraud cases in Louisiana history, with two local attorneys set to stand trial on charges that include fraud and obstruction of justice.

Attorneys Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles are accused in an alleged scheme in which drivers — referred to as “slammers” — were paid to intentionally crash into 18-wheelers, file injury lawsuits and allow attorneys to collect the settlements. Both have pleaded not guilty.

63 people have been charged in the case. Many have already pleaded guilty. Motta and Giles are being tried together.

Criminal defense attorney Craig Mordock, who is not directly involved in the case but has been following it closely, said the scope of the litigation is significant.

“You have 10 years of personal injury cases and almost… almost a billion dollars in recovery. That’s all at issue,” Mordock said. “So yeah, this could go two to three weeks.”

Motta’s defense team has advanced a narrative that she was manipulated by a co-defendant.

“There is a compelling narrative that’s been advanced by Vanessa Motta’s lawyer in terms of her being manipulated by one of the co-defendants… about being manipulated by him and him having a prior federal conviction for fraud,” Mordock said.

Motta’s team originally claimed she did not know the crashes were staged. In 2024, her team told FOX 8 she is the victim.

Mordock said Giles faces a more difficult defense.

“I don’t see a favorable juror for one of the other lawyer defendants, Jason Giles. There’s not a clear theory of innocence. This is basically a standard white-collar prosecution where knowledge and intent are going to be the issue,” Mordock said.

The case carries what Mordock described as a shadow. In September 2020, key witness Cornelious Garrison was killed in New Orleans four days after his name appeared in an indictment. Garrison’s admitted killer, Ryan Harris, is expected to testify.

The judge in the case is also allowing the slain witness’s recorded descriptions of the alleged scheme to be admitted at trial.

Mordock said Louisiana drivers have a direct stake in the outcome.

“As your average Louisianan, the idea would be you would save… because the people committing this fraud have been wrapped up. The insurance companies are going to know how to look for this,” Mordock said.

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Louisiana

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

The children of a disgraced Louisiana mayor told cops that they both caught their mom fooling around with a 16-year-old boy at a boozy pool party, according to video played at her rape trial.

Misty Roberts, the 43-year-old former head of DeRidder, Louisiana — population 9,8000 — faces a charge of third-degree rape over the 2024 incident.

Roberts’ son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his pal through a crack in a window.

Misty Roberts is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy in 2024.

But, when asked about his recollection, he demurred — telling the court he wasn’t exactly sure what he saw that night, according to KPLC.

The jury also reviewed pictures from the party, which showed kids holding drinks as well as a photograph of Roberts and the victim that prosecutors described as “lewd.”

That picture showed Roberts at the party in her bikini, with the teen victim looking up at her smiling.

Roberts’ son texted his mom that night, incredulous about what was happening, and told her that his sister was crying, according to messages presented by prosecutors.

“He is seventeen,” the son texted Roberts.

The boy was later confirmed to be 16 years old, according to KPLC.

Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while prosecutors played her interview with detectives, in which she said she saw her mom and the boy “on top of each other” that night.

The former mayor’s nephew also admitted he tried to sneak a peek — using his phone to try and get a peek at what was going on in the room. He testified that he wasn’t sure if he hit “record” — but if he did said he never sent it to anybody.

Roberts was in her second term as mayor when she resigned. 7 KPLC

None of the three witnesses who testified said they saw the “private parts” of Roberts and the victim. The teen boy, they noted though, was shirtless.

After the alleged tryst, the victim’s mother texted Roberts to ensure that she was not pregnant, to which she replied she was on birth control. Roberts shared a screenshot of that message to a group chat with her friends, who urged her to take Plan B.

A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house, which he recognized from trick-or-treating with his children there.

In other texts shown in court, Roberts asked her son what kind of alcohol her son and other kids wanted for the party.

Days after police launched their investigation into the alleged crime, Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Texas border.

Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Feb. 28, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

8-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

5-4-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

9-9-1-3-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

04-17-21-27-33

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

08-10-15-21-22-33

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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