Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Monroe holds ribbon cutting for first Louisiana Mesonet
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The University of Louisiana Monroe held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the first installation of the Louisiana State Mesonet, an interconnected network of instrumented weather monitoring stations on Monday, October 15.
. The ceremony was held on the ULM campus at the mesonet site located adjacent to University Park on Bon Aire Drive. It featured special guests such as the Louisiana District 5 U.S. Representative, Julia Letlow, and Brad Bryant, Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
Congresswoman Julia Letlow secured $2 million dollars for the project through the Appropriations Act of 2023. The purpose of the Mesonet project is to fill coverage gaps across the state where there has been little weather data available.
“This day really isn’t about me; it’s about the incredible work that has culminated in something that is so incredibly inspiring, and I’m just proud to be a small part of it,” said U.S. Representative, Julia Letlow.
The Associate Director of the ULM School of Science and Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science, Dr. Todd Murphy acknowledged the growth that took place due to the hiring of Mesonet Manager Emily Newby and Mesonet Technician Dylan Hall, who have been instrumental in working with landowners across the state to secure mesonet sites.
The project is estimated to be complete by the end of 2025.
For information on Mesonet data visit mesonet.ulm.edu.
Copyright 2024 KNOE. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens
This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.
In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.
Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.
The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)
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Louisiana
Special Olympics Mississippi moves state games to Louisiana, holds swimming events in-state
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — Special Olympics Mississippi will hold its State Summer Games May 22–24 at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, with swimming competitions continuing to take place in Mississippi.
Officials with the Special Olympics said the games were moved from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi to Louisiana because of security concerns.
“When they canceled the state games this year, it made it a little bit rough on some of the athletes, but they continued to train,” Sharon Patterson, Director for Area 3, said.
The swimming competitions will take place in Mississippi because Louisiana does not include swimming in its events. Two swimming events are scheduled for May 9, one in Tupelo and another at the Natatorium in Biloxi.
A torch run began in North Mississippi on Monday and will arrive in Bay St. Louis on Thursday.
“It’s a run, walk, or roll because we have wheelchairs in there as well,” Patterson said.
On Friday, the torch run will move through Pass Christian and travel along Highway 90, with law enforcement officers from each city carrying the torch through their jurisdictions.
The run will conclude at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, where the Biloxi Shuckers are sponsoring a celebration featuring the lighting of the cauldron. A special athlete will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” lead the pledge and recite the oath.
Special Olympics Mississippi includes nearly 20 areas across the state. Each area holds games to qualify athletes for the state games.
The organization will also send 126 athletes to the USA Games in Minnesota in June. The national competition occurs every four years.
See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.
Copyright 2026 WLOX. All rights reserved.
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