Louisiana
Poet Jericho Brown, Louisiana native with New Orleans ties, wins MacArthur ‘genius’ grant
Jericho Brown, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who grew up in Shreveport and has ties to New Orleans, was selected as a 2024 MacArthur Fellow, a prestigious award often referred to as a “genius grant.”
Brown earned an undergraduate degree in 1998 from Dillard University, a historically Black university in New Orleans, and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of New Orleans in 2002. While in the master’s program, he worked as a speechwriter for then-New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial.
He also holds a doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston and currently teaches English and is the director of the creative writing program at Emory University in Atlanta.
Brown won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Poetry for his collection of poems called “The Tradition.” He has published three collections of poetry, as well as a 2016 poem entitled, “Meditations at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.”
“I’m from Louisiana,” he told UNO after being awarded the Pulitzer. “I know how to celebrate a big win!”
Announced Tuesday, this year’s MacArthur fellowship class includes 22 people from a variety of disciplines, including evolutionary biologists, writers, a historian, a violinist, a filmmaker, an oceanographer and a disability rights activist.
There is no application for the grant, which is given annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and includes a $800,000 no-strings-attached award distributed over five years.
The MacArthur Foundation lauded Brown for his “frankness and vulnerability about love, both filial and erotic.”
“In poems with astonishing lyrical beauty, Brown illuminates the experiences of marginalized people and shows the relevance and value of formal experimentation,” the foundation wrote.
New Orleans ties
Mona Lisa Saloy, a former Louisiana Poet Laureate who teaches at Dillard, said she acted as a mentor to Brown during his days at the university when his poetry talent began to blossom. At Dillard, she said, he was encouraged to submit his work to contests and the student journal and attend conferences; he also had dinner with celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant.
“I’m so proud for all that Jericho has achieved,” she said. “We admire him and all he continues to do. We cheer him. We love him. We are forever proud of him.”
Dillard president Manque Guillory praised Brown for using his “words and voice” to “elevate the significance of interpersonal connection amid our individual yet collective identities.”
Brown has also maintained close ties with UNO, said Samuel Gladden, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Human Development. UNO awarded Brown an honorary doctorate degree in 2021 when he gave an “unforgettable address” at the school’s commencement ceremony, Gladden said. Brown also met and shared career advice with students and faculty in UNO’s Creative Writing Workshop last year.
“Dr. Brown is a gifted and thought-provoking poet and teacher who regularly supports and inspires students,” Gladden said. “We are all so very proud of his connection to our institution, and we congratulate him on yet another honor.”
Watch as Shreveport Regional Airport unveils Visitor Center
Visit Shreveport-Bossier and regional partners celebrate monumental tourism growth and unveiling of a new state-of-the-art Visitor Information Center.
Louisiana is expanding the fishing limit for its signature saltwater game fish as part of the state’s American 250 celebration, Gov. Jeff Landry and his Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth announced.
Bosworth signed a declaration of emergency to increase the red snapper bag limit from four fish per person to five fish per person for three days from July 2 to July 5 on Independence Day weekend.
“The celebration of America’s 250th birthday is a time to reflect on the blessings and abundant resources we have in our country and here in Louisiana, the Sportsman’s Paradise,’’ Bosworth said. “Increasing our red snapper limit to five fish is a way we’d like to thank the anglers of our state as they enjoy this special holiday with family and friends.’’
Landry is an avid angler, hunter and outdoorsman.
“The increase in the red snapper limit for the holiday weekend is a great way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday,” the governor said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing anglers across our state celebrating our nation’s independence in Sportsman’s Paradise.”
Louisiana is considered the epicenter of red snapper fishing in the Gulf of America, with Venice and Grand Isle as the state’s premier launching spots to reach the most prolific snapper grounds in the Gulf.
Venice is often call the “Red Snapper Capital.”
The state’s extensive offshore oil and gas rigs and artificial reefs provide exceptional access to massive populations for snapper, which are prized for their fight and taste.
Bosworth encourages anglers to reduce barotrauma while fishing for red snapper and other reef fish by using descending devices to return fish to a survivable depth before being released. See the LDWF barotrauma webpage for more information.
The bag limit will revert to four fish per person, per day on July 6.
For additional questions regarding the current red snapper season, go to the agency’s Red Snapper webpage.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A 53-year-old Louisiana man will serve 22 years in prison following a child sex crimes case that included possession of handmade childlike sex dolls — items that state lawmakers have since moved to ban.
Sabine Parish prosecutors say Yancy Elie Normand was sentenced after investigators received a tip that he forced someone to view child sexual abuse material. A search of his home allegedly uncovered more than 200 illegal files — including child sexual abuse material and bestiality — along with two handmade childlike sex dolls.
New state law bans child sex dolls
Louisiana lawmakers passed a law banning the possession, trafficking, and importation of child sex dolls statewide in 2024. State Sen. Beth Mizell said the push began after conversations with Homeland Security about human trafficking during the Super Bowl in New Orleans, at a time when the state had no specific law covering the dolls. The measure passed with near-unanimous support.
“I think the importance is that it’s a precursor to actual crimes against children,” Mizell said.
Mizell said the issue extends well beyond Louisiana’s borders.
“It’s a nationwide problem…when you look at just the volume of child abuse cases, to the point where our Attorney General now has multiple task forces in place all over the state,” Mizell said.
Task force expands statewide reach
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office says protecting children remains the focus of its Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Supervisory Special Agent Chris Masters leads the group, which now includes more than 80 agencies and 250 detectives.
Masters said the dolls are often misunderstood by the public.
“When people hear sex doll, they think of the blow-up thing. These things are thousands of dollars, and they’re anatomically appropriate to a child,” Masters said. “They’re gonna look like a child. It’s not just what you think on TV.”
Masters said coordination across agencies is essential to the task force’s work.
“It’s completely impossible if law enforcement is not together on the same page with the same type of training, the same access, the same type of equipment,” Masters said. “We can tend to continue expanding our partnerships until there is no safe haven for any sex predator or child predator in this state.”
Lawmakers urge parents to monitor children’s online activity
Mizell said the volume of harmful material accessible online makes parental awareness critical.
“You have access to abhorrent material online in your hand all day, every day,” Mizell said. “Pay attention. Don’t be afraid to look at your child’s phone.”
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MONROE, La. (KNOE)—Over the past week, average gas prices in Louisiana have fallen 6.8 cents. That averages to $3.41/g today, according to a survey of 2,436 stations conducted by ‘GasBuddy’.
Compared to a month ago, prices in Louisiana are 45.3 cents lower per gallon. The lowest price of gas in Louisiana was $2.59/g on Sunday, with the highest being $4.99/g.
For reference, the national average price of gas has fallen 6.9 cents per gallon in the last week, which averages to $3.78/g, and is down 55.6 cents per gallon from a month ago.
On this date for the past five years, here’s how Louisiana’s gas prices compare to the nation’s average:
June 29, 2025: $2.75/g (U.S. Average: $3.14/g)
June 29, 2024: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $3.48/g)
June 29, 2023: $3.02/g (U.S. Average: $3.51/g)
June 29, 2022: $4.37/g (U.S. Average: $4.85/g)
June 29, 2021: $2.76/g (U.S. Average: $3.12/g)
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