Louisiana
Nexus Louisiana announces a partner for the BizTech Challenge
Nexus Louisiana is partnering with Black Ambition, the initiative founded by Pharrell Williams for its 2024 BizTech Challenge.
The collaboration aims to amplify the competition’s impact. The BizTech Challenge, now in its ninth year, was designed to increase innovation and entrepreneurship in STEM-based fields among students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
As part of the partnership, Black Ambition will provide business mentors for participants throughout the competition and provide a judge for the final-round live pitch competition.
The organization will also offer priority access for up to 10 competition participants into its 2025 HBCU Pre-Accelerator Program, which culminates in a $200,000 virtual pitch competition.
“Black Ambition is dedicated to removing barriers and creating equitable pathways to success for underrepresented entrepreneurs, especially HBCU students and recent alums,” Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition, said in a statement. “The BizTech Challenge provides a tremendous opportunity for the next generation of HBCU innovators to showcase their brilliance, and we’re excited to support their journey in partnership with Nexus Louisiana.”
Hatcher was one of the keynote speakers at NexusLA’s BREW event in May.
The BizTech Challenge will take place during the Bayou Classic weekend on Nov. 29 at the Westin New Orleans.
Since its inception in 2020, Black Ambition has trained approximately 1,000 founders and awarded nearly $10 million in growth capital to 101 founders.
Lana Del Rey wore a custom-designed dress for her wedding with Jeremy Dufrene, Billboard can confirm.
The dress Del Rey wore on her wedding day was “a custom CINQ gown made specifically for her,” designer Macye Wysner tells Billboard.
No further details were provided, out of respect for the singer’s privacy.
Both a music idol and a style icon, the artist born Elizabeth Grant is known for weaving American nostalgia into her songwriting and fashion aesthetic. Curiosity about what Lana Del Rey would wear as a bride set in when reports of her wedding ceremony in Des Allemandes, Louisiana, circulated, with paparazzi photos taken from a distance published by The Daily Mail.
People confirmed the entertainer tied the knot with airboat captain and swamp tour guide Jeremy Dufrene on the bayou on Sept. 26. At press time, Del Rey has not publicly commented on their relationship or the private Louisiana celebration.
In the low-resolution glimpse of Del Rey’s attire for the occasion, she appeared to wear a white or ivory gown with a romantic ruffle neckline, a fitted bodice and a full skirt. Her hair was styled over her shoulder in loose curls, fastened to the side with a powder blue ribbon.
The silhouette of her dress has a resemblance to that of The River gown by CINQ, which has a scalloped lace ruffle neckline and silk tulle skirt.
As Del Rey’s design from CINQ was custom, her gown might have been loosely inspired by The River — but it presumably featured elements personal to the bride.
CINQ, with heirloom designs that combine vintage silhouettes and modern details, “was created for the bride that connects on an emotional level to her gown,” the Los Angeles-based bridal collection states on its website. “It’s not just the dress .. it’s a precious, fleeting moment in time.. it’s the feeling when she’s wearing it.. it’s the moment of reflection.”
Del Rey crossed paths with Dufrene in 2019 on one of his boat tours, which are known to feature alligator encounters, and the couple seemingly reconnected and began dating earlier this year. (As Del Rey sings on the sweet ballad “Margaret,” penned for Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley ahead of their 2023 wedding, “When you know, you know.”)
She hinted at a relationship when she tagged Dufrene as “my guy” in an Instagram post in May, before the pair were seen holding hands at U.K. festival Reading & Leeds in August. Earlier this month, Del Rey and Dufrene were photographed hand-in-hand attending Karen Elson and Lee Foster’s wedding at New York City’s Electric Lady Studios.
Following 2023’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, the singer-songwriter is next expected to release an album titled Lasso. The project was first announced as a country record, but as she noted in an interview last month, “All my albums are somewhat rooted in Americana.” She said of Lasso, “I don’t think it will be a heavy departure.”
“If anything, it will just be a little lighter lyrically, and more pointed in a classic country, American or Southern Gothic production — which again, so many of my songs already are,” said Del Rey.
The top three teams in Louisiana high school football remain the same after Week 5, but there has been plenty of movement elsewhere in the rankings.
That includes two new top-10 teams and three brand-new entrants into the rankings.
Heading into Week 6, here are the top 25 teams in the Boot:
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!
1. Ruston
Previous: No. 1
The Bearcats remain as the top team in the state after handling Midland Legacy (Texas) 38-6 over the weekend. Up next, they’ll face 5-0 Stephenville out of the Lone Star State in what should be a great tilt.
2. Acadiana
Previous: No. 2
Acadiana demolished a previously unbeaten New Iberia squad 62-9 over the weekend to move to 3-1. Sulphur comes to town on Friday night in a game the Rams are heavily favored to win by the On3 Massey Ratings.
3. Archbishop Rummel
Previous: No. 3
The Raiders are still unblemished after winning a 14-7 defensive battle over No. 15 John Curtis Friday night. Another big test awaits when they head to No. 12 Brother Martin this weekend.
4. Neville
Previous: No. 8 (+4)
Neville has been skyrocketing up the rankings, and their latest win was a 30-7 blowout of St. Thomas More, who entered the week just outside the top 10.
5. Catholic
Previous: No. 4 (-1)
After being upset by University Lab last weekend at home, Baton Rouge Catholic got things back on track with a 31-14 statement victory over No. 14 West Monroe. After a bye week, they’ll face Liberty Magnet on October 11.
6. Alexandria
Previous: No. 7 (+1)
The Trojans stayed undefeated, surviving a 43-40 thriller against Opelousas. Winless Many High will come to Alexandria on Friday before the Trojans host top-15 West Monroe the following week.
7. Zachary
Previous: No. 5 (-2)
After barely squeaking past Carencro last week, the Broncos had a bye this weekend ahead of their meeting with Opelousas on Friday.
8. Edna Karr
Previous: No. 12 (+4)
The Cougars are a new entrant into the top 10 after waxing Holy Cross 45-20. A huge New Orleans-area matchup is coming on Friday though as they head to play at St. Augustine.
9. Central
Previous: No. 9
Central made easy work of Cecilia in a 27-0 shutout, and will prepare to face Lafayette Christian on Friday in what the On3 Massey Ratings predicts as a toss-up game.
10. Teurlings Catholic
Previous: No. 13 (+3)
The Rebels are another new addition to the top 10 after they walloped Westgate 42-20 over the weekend. They’re predicted to be heavy favorites in each of their final six games of the regular season.
Teams 11-25
11. St. Augustine (+4)
12. Brother Martin (-6)
13. Dutchtown (+3)
14. West Monroe
15. John Curtis (-5)
16. St. Thomas More (-5)
17. Mandeville (+3)
18. Jesuit (+5)
19. C.E. Byrd
20. University Lab (-2)
21. Destrehan (+4)
22. E D White Catholic (previously unranked)
23. Walker (previously unranked)
24. Westgate (-7)
25. Archbishop Shaw (previously unranked)
Dropped out: John F. Kennedy, Opelousas, Lafayette Christian Academy
Louisiana
Teeny-tiny Francine reminders prompt musings of Louisiana’s Walker Percy’s hurricane theory
Teeny-tiny reminders of Hurricane Francine have caught my attention daily since she blew through Louisiana.
Reminders in the form of poppy seeds.
I’ve coached myself to smile when I see them and think of Walker Percy’s hurricane theory — that not only do times of crises provide a setting for everyday people to do heroic feats, they are also a time for the rest of us to be freed from the everyday sameness of life.
Francine was like that for me. It was the first Louisiana hurricane I’ve weathered since my kids grew up, flew the coop and left the state. Turns out that hurricanes without children around are very different from hurricanes with children around, likely regardless of the children’s ages. Additionally, for Francine, my husband happened to be out of town.
Not wanting to be alone in a house without a generator, I gladly accepted the offer of friends to join them. Not only did they have a generator, they had made it to the store in time to stock up and were planning to cook throughout the day.
I gathered up ingredients to make my favorite cookies — an oatmeal, pecan and poppy seed concoction that is generally delicious and always provides a hard-to-understand level of comfort for me. By noon on the day of the storm, I had thrown all the ingredients in a mesh Frida Kahlo bag, grabbed my suitcase and raincoat and drove to be with my friends.
They had another hurricane guest whom I had never met. She was busy on a series of virtual calls working with people across the country whose lives had not been disrupted in the least by an approaching storm in the Gulf.
The moment I walked in my friends’ home, I could smell the red beans and rice. The rain began in earnest shortly after I arrived. All of us were busy for the afternoon.
The rain fell.
The muted meteorologists on the ever-playing television told and retold us about the potential track of the storm and surge along the shores.
The red beans simmered — and the earthy aroma filled the house.
By late afternoon, my friends and I were feeling like the storm was likely going to pass us by, and we loosened up a bit. Their friend was still working in another part of the house.
Prepare yourself. This next sentence is not one you will likely anticipate.
I had mentioned to my friends several times that I am a leg wrestling champion, and I was pretty sure I could take them both down even though they were 20 years younger than me. They laughed. I explained I was serious.
It was on — at least with one of them. My friend’s husband refused to leg wrestle.
As I knew I would, I walloped her. No woman had ever beaten me in leg wrestling.
Work was done. I made my oatmeal, pecan and poppy seed cookies. The red beans and rice were ready. Their friend I didn’t know joined us at the dinner table. I learned that pickled banana peppers take red beans and rice to the next level.
We enjoyed the cookies for dessert and sat at the table for a long time talking. We talked about big things and little things. We talked about our highlights of the day and what we all think happens after we die. We had time. The day was different. The storm was in motion.
The new friend asked what all the commotion earlier had been. We began to discuss leg wrestling — and the evening’s tournament began to take shape. First, to demonstrate, I beat my old friend again. Then, the new friend took her place on the carpet — and I beat her.
She said, “Oh, now I understand how to do it. Let’s try again.”
And we did.
And she beat me! She has no idea the magnitude of her accomplishment, and I have to face that my decades-long streak and bragging rights are done. We could not stop laughing.
While our hearts continue to go out to those affected by the storm, it was a day and night that my friends, both old and new, and I needed. It was a break from the sameness of life. It was a time to eat good food, work, play and laugh with each other.
Walker Percy was right.
So where do the poppy seeds come into play? I make my oatmeal pecan poppy seed cookies often enough that I buy poppy seeds in bulk. I took the whole zippered container of poppy seeds with me on the day of Francine’s impact. I brought it home the next day, in the same mesh Frida Kahlo bag. The problem was: I didn’t zipper the poppy seed bag completely. I now have poppy seeds in my car. In my driveway. On my steps. In my living room. On our big dining table. In the kitchen. On the ironing board. I find poppy seeds in new places every day.
And when I do, I smile and think of the warmth and wonder of friends and a storm that missed us.
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