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American Press
2 days ago
- Business
- American Press
Louisiana spotlight: Nungesser keeping state top of mind for those ready to explore
Traveling has been significantly increasing since the decline during the COVID-19 pandemic — and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and his team are working hard to keep Louisiana top of mind for those ready to explore. Last year, Nungesser said his office used a U.S. Commerce Department grant to increase awareness of Louisiana as a travel destination in Mumbai and New Delhi, India; Madrid, Spain; and Milan, Italy. In a few months, the team will spend a week in Canada promoting the Bayou State and its French heritage. Canada 'is about 33 percent of our international market,' Nungesser told members of the Rotary Club of Lake Charles Wednesday afternoon. 'Those Canadians love them some Louisiana.' In Paris, the Louisiana Office of Tourism also wrapped taxi cabs serving as rolling billboards to inspire travel to the state and it sponsored the London Jazz Festival last year. Nungesser said Louisiana welcomed 43 million domestic and international visitors in 2023, the most recent data available. Those visitors spent a total of $18.1 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent over 2022. International visitation showed the most significant gain, he said, increasing 16.9 percent in 2023 with spending reaching $1.7 billion. Louisiana has also been on the national stage in recent months with an alligator-themed float that crawled the streets of Pasadena, Calif., for the 136th annual Rose Parade and again as host to the Super Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans. 'Somebody asked me what do we do better than anyone else and I said Mardi Gras,' Nungesser said. 'So we found out what parades we could go to. We were in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for three years and now we're in the Rose Parade.' Though the floats are professionally designed, they are decorated by volunteers days before the parade. Every float is covered in flowers, leaves, seeds, bark and other natural materials to honor the Rose Parade's history. Nungesser said volunteers from Louisiana are flown to California and are shuttled between the warehouse where the float is being built to their accommodations. A New Orleans native who now resides in California brings her beignets-only food truck each day to feed the volunteers during their shifts and the best of Louisiana cuisine is served each night. 'It's a trip everybody should make,' he said. For more on volunteering, visit Nungesser said participation in the parade 'allows us to drive awareness about our state as a vacation destination to a broad number of attendees, as well as viewers watching from home,' Nungesser said. 'The return on investment for the Rose Parade has been incredible.' Nungesser said the Rose Parade media coverage — thanks to a plethora of morning show interviews aired across the nation as the float is being built — for the past four years reached an estimated 10.4 billion people and was worth $144.9 million. State Parks When Nungesser took office nearly a decade ago, seven state parks were under the threat of closure. 'I was told, 'You don't have the money to keep them open and they're in pretty bad shape,' ' he said. 'Thanks to our sheriffs and local volunteers we were able to do a lot of repair and get them presentable and today those seven parks are making a profit.' The Louisiana Office of State Parks operates 21 state parks, 14 historic sites and a preservation area that comprises 45,000 acres, 110 miles of roads and 1.2 million square feet of rental facilities that welcomed more than 1.75 million visitors last year. He said his new goal is creating resort conference centers within some of the state parks to attract visiting conferences. 'We have over 350 groups that meet every year all over Louisiana,' he said. 'They don't meet in New Orleans because the hotel does not cover their per diem, but they meet everywhere else. There's usually 300-500 people and it's a great opportunity for us and it would be a great for the local economies. One thing we won't do is we won't let anyone open a restaurant (within the conference centers) or anything that would compete with local businesses.' One state park thriving at the moment is Bogue Chitto — a top destination for travelers nationwide for its mountain biking trails, which are maintained by the North Shore Off-Road Bicycling Association. 'A thousand people a month from 10-15 states go to Washington Parish for this mountain bike trail,' he said. 'We also have horseback riding. We brought a gentleman's horses into the park and let him run the business out of the park and he's knocking it out of the park, no pun intended. These two private-public partnerships have put Washington Parish on the map. Before they had very little tourism. It has changed that town forever.' Prime Video just completed a documentary on the mountain bike trails and 25 percent of the proceeds will go into building additional trails. He said the park recently acquired an additional 600 acres to expand the mountain bike and horseback riding trails. Museums Nungesser's office oversees nine museums; the Secretary of State's office and some local cities operate the rest. He said he hopes to introduce a bill next year that would force all museums to be open on the weekends — every museum operated under the Secretary of State's Office are not — when people are off work and more likely to visit. His office has also bought the website and plans to video every museum in the state. 'We did a video about the ghost that's upstairs at the Beauregard Gothic Jail — I don't know if it's there but the lady has me convinced and I'm not going up to check — and we test marketed to people who like ghosts and at Halloween, 4,000 people showed up to find that ghost,' he said. 'If you have a ghost, we will promote it and they will come.' He said most are aware of the World War II Museum in New Orleans. Now promotions will tie in Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in Monroe, the Louisiana Military Museum in Abbeville and others to draw in like-minded visitors. He also wants to give all museums the freedom to hire the directors of their choice. Right now, that responsibility falls under the office that oversees the facility. Louisiana seafood Several key pieces of legislation passed during the 2024 Regular Legislative Session affected the seafood industry in the state. Act 47 mandates restaurants serving imported crawfish or shrimp must officially inform their customers on the menu; Act 148 requires restaurants and food service establishments to label on menus all imported seafood as such, not just shrimp and crawfish; and Act 756 transferred the Seafood Safety Task Force to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board to help in the regulation of imported seafood. 'We want people to ask before they eat. The goal is to prevent imported seafood — which is filled with a lot of antibiotics — to come into this country and to level the playing field for our Louisiana fishermen,' he said. 'If you eat Boudreaux's crawfish tails, they're going to be from Boudreaux's. They're not going to be from Thailand.' Keep Louisiana Beautiful Love the Boot Week is Louisiana's largest litter removal and beautification effort. During 2024, 19,441 people volunteered a total of 100,712 hours at over 760 events, removing a record 347 tons of litter in all 64 parishes. 'It has become a movement,' Nungesser said. Their efforts diverted 293 pounds of aluminum cans and 330 pounds of plastic bottles from the landfill allowing the items to be recycled. Next month, the office will be handing out buckets at marinas around the state, asking boaters and fishermen to scoop up any trash they may see on the waterways and shorelines. 'We're not going to take our foot off the gas until we have no more trash in Louisiana,' Nungesser said.
American Press
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
'Check Out Louisiana' giving library cardholders access to museums
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is among museums that are allowing patrons with a library card to visit free of charge. (Special to the American Press) Special to the American Press Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the State Library of Louisiana today announced library cardholders in several parishes can now visit select Louisiana museums free of charge through the new Check Out Louisiana Museums initiative. The pilot program expands the State Library's Check Out Louisiana campaign to allow library patrons in participating parishes to check out an electronic pass to participating museums at no cost. 'Louisiana boasts a colorful and fascinating history brought to life through the cultural and educational resources of our museums,' Nungesser said. 'Your library card can now be used to unlock Louisiana's incredible museum collections and the stories of the people, places, and events that make our state so unique and a place to Feed Your Soul .' Cardholders of participating libraries can visit to reserve an electronic pass for available dates at any of the following museums: the 1850 House, the Cabildo, Capitol Park Museum, E.D. White Historic Site, Louisiana Civil Rights Museum, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum, The National WWII Museum, New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, the Presbytère, and the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum. Last year the State Library launched the first phase of its Check Out Louisiana program, which provides free access to state parks and recreational areas. The second phase launched today adds museums and other cultural attractions to the program. 'The National WWII Museum is thrilled to be a partner in the launch of the Check Out Louisiana Museums program,' said Associate Vice President of Education Chrissy Gregg. 'Ensuring the museum is accessible to individuals and families across the state is a key goal for our institution. This exciting initiative helps Louisianans experience all the museum has to offer as a community resource and better understand why the war was fought and how it was won — and how it remains relevant to our lives 80 years after its conclusion.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shreveport chef to compete in Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A popular Shreveport chef was announced as one of the participants in the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off coming to south Louisiana in late June. Chef Blake Jackson, owner of Mae & Co. and Heron Seafood, is one of 12 chefs chosen by Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, who announced the participants in the 18th Annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off on Wednesday. 'One of the biggest parts of Louisiana's culture is the connection between good food, good friends, and family. In all corners of our state, you can find culinary creations from recipes passed down through generations. The outstanding chefs we have competing this year have taken those recipes and put their own spin on them and use Louisiana seafood to help create the culinary identity Louisiana has today,' said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. 'This event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our diverse heritage, the great contributions of chefs around our state, and the hardworking people of the Louisiana seafood and restaurant industries that make Louisiana truly a place to Feed Your Soul.' Shreveport chef to appear on Food Network's 'Beat Bobby Flay' The cookoff will be held on Friday, June 27, 2025, at The Harbor Center in Slidell. The winner will represent Louisiana as they compete for the 'King or Queen of American Seafood' at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans on Saturday, August 2, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Get your tickets early to avoid the event selling out. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased by visiting Tammany Taste of Summer. Karlos Knott, Executive Chef, Cajun Saucer at Bayou Teche Brewery, Arnaudville, LA Kaleb Scott, Executive Chef, University Club of Baton Rouge; Baton Rouge, LA Willie Gaspard, Jr., Executive Chef, Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel, Charenton, LA Michael Kelley, Executive Chef, Gallagher's Grill; Covington, LA Trenton Oliphant, Executive Chef/Owner, Benteaux Cajun-Asian Fusion; Hammond, LA Jaylen Cherry, Head Chef, The Depeaux; Independence, LA Alexis Indest, Executive Chef, Whiskey and Vine; Lafayette, LA Chase Raley, Chef de Cuisine, Parish Restaurant and Bar, Monroe, LA Farrell Harrison, Executive Chef, Plates Restaurant & Bar, New Orleans, LA Jared Heider, Chef de Cuisine, Juniors on Harrison; New Orleans, LA Blake Jackson, Executive Chef/Owner, Heron Seafood/Mae & Co., Shreveport, LA Joseph Fontenot, Executive Chef, Creole Bagelry & Café; Slidell, LA Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baton Rouge honors fallen heroes with flags, ceremony, six-mile march
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Baton Rouge community came together to honor the lives of Louisiana's fallen service members during Memorial Day weekend. The event, which included the placement of over 11,000 American flags, a six-mile commemorative march, and a ceremony at the Louisiana State Capitol, drew hundreds of families, veterans, and local leaders in a powerful display of patriotism and remembrance. The day began with the reading of names, one by one, of Louisiana service members who gave their lives from 9/11 to the present day. Each name was met with a respectful pause, the sound of a bell, and the unwavering attention of those in attendance. Memorial Day 2025: Events in, near Baton Rouge 'For them, it's their child being remembered — their brother, their father, their mother, their sister,' said Natalie Truax of the Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana. 'And that means the world to them, because their loved one died for our country. They died for our freedom, and people tend to forget that.' One Gold Star family member shared, 'I have a hole in my heart that won't be closed until the day I go to heaven.' At the top of the hill near the State Capitol, a sea of red, white, and blue stretched across the grounds, each flag symbolizing a life lost in service. 'Those 11,000 flags represent lives,' said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. 'We live our lives free every day because of the men and women that those flags represent.' The flags were carried to the State Capitol by military personnel, veterans, and families — a six-mile journey that served as a living tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who served. 'We're just a heartbeat away, a breath away—where any military family could be in that same predicament,' Truax said. 'It's important to be there for our Gold Stars. To give them a sense of community, a sense of support.' As bagpipes played and tears were shed, the day served as a heartfelt reminder that Memorial Day is a day of reflection and gratitude for those who gave their all. The flag display will remain at the State Capitol through May 31. The public is invited to help respectfully remove the flags next Saturday at 9 a.m. What stores, restaurants are open for Memorial Day 2025? Storms across the country could upend Memorial Day travel Earthquake recorded 70 miles off the coast of Gulf Shores Got a 'Temu' job offer via text? Why people who replied are warning others Baton Rouge honors fallen heroes with flags, ceremony, six-mile march 'Enraged' Florida woman beats puppy, covers it in pickle juice, hot sauce: police Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Volunteers keep thousands of recyclables items out of Louisiana landfills
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Volunteers prevented thousands of recyclable items from increasing landfill waste during Love the Boot Week 2025. Keep Louisiana Beautiful partnered with Coca-Cola to spearhead the event across 27 parishes. The event diverted 16,503 bottles and cans from landfills, an increase of 23 percent from last year. 'We are grateful to Coca-Cola for continuing to support recycling during Love the Boot Week,' said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. 'When the recycling loop is completed, cans and bottles stay out of the landfill and can be used to create new products. It's exciting to see this recycling effort take off, and we look forward to seeing it grow each year.' More Louisiana News A record 26,935 individuals volunteered for 81,852 hours and 1,408 events in all 64 parishes, collecting 514 tons of litter. In addition to litter abatement volunteers, they planted 1,204 trees, 3,672 plants, and refurbished 477 gardens during Love the Boot Week community beautification efforts. Caddo, Bossier, and DeSoto Parishes participated in the clean-up events with support from the Coca-Cola and Osprey Initiative, which facilitates recycling. 'We at Coca-Cola are proud to have been doing business and employing people in Louisiana for nearly 125 years. With over 2,300 employees from Shreveport to New Orleans, we are deeply committed to preserving our beloved Sportsman's Paradise,' said Scott McCallister, VP of Coca-Cola UNITED'S West Region. 'We are thrilled to see the strong interest and participation in the recycling efforts we support through Keep Louisiana Beautiful's Love the Boot Week. This initiative helps us to recover packaging to then produce new bottles and cans for the beverages our consumers love.' Recycling is not just a beautification measure, it has many community, environmental, and health benefits as well. According to the EPA, recycling also reduces waste sent to landfills and incinerators, conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals. It increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of material. Prevents pollution by reducing the need to mine raw materials. Recycling conserves energy, supports American manufacturing, and conserves valuable resources. It also creates jobs in the U.S. recycling and manufacturing sectors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
