Latest from American Press
American Press
10 hours ago
- American Press
Ninth fugitive from New Orleans prison escape arrested
Associated Press Archives The ninth fugitive missing since a group of 10 prisoners escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on May 16 has been captured. Detectives from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations – New Orleans Field Office, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the New Orleans Police Department located and arrested 33-year-old Antoine Massey at a residence in New Orleans. Massey will be transported to a secure state correctional facility outside of the area. Additional charges may be forthcoming. At the time of the escape, Massey was incarcerated for Domestic Abuse Battery Involving Strangulation, Theft of a Motor Vehicle and a Parole Violation. Law Enforcement personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies will continue to work around the clock to locate the one remaining fugitive. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the fugitives or pertinent information regarding the investigation is encouraged to anonymously report it by the following methods: · – Report Suspicious Activity Link · Call the LSP Fusion Center · Crime Stoppers GNO · FBI Hotline The following rewards are being offered per fugitive for information leading to their arrest: · Crimestoppers GNO – $10,000 · ATF – $20,000 · FBI – $20,000 · Total = $50,000
American Press
11 hours ago
- American Press
Deputies suspended after video shows them repeatedly punching bar patron
Two Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's deputies have been placed on administrative leave after a video circulating on social media shows them subduing a man with force in the parking lot of a local bar. Sheriff Stitch Guillory said the deputies responded to multiple calls at the bar during the early morning hours of June 21 regarding fights in the parking lot. While attempting to disperse a crowd of people 'loitering in the parking lot,' the deputies 'encountered a man who was told multiple times to leave the property,' Guillory said in a Facebook posting Friday afternoon. Patrons of the bar who remained in the parking lot during the encounter recorded video of the incident that shows one deputy sitting on the man as he lies on his side in the parking lot. Two other deputies are crouched on either side of the man. At one point, all three appear to punch the man multiple times as a patron screams out, 'police brutality.' Two other deputies and a member of the bar's security team stand in front and on the side of the man as the punching continues. Guillory said the incident 'occurred as deputies attempted to take him into custody.' 'This incident was forwarded to our Internal Affairs Division earlier this week, prior to the video being released on social media, for a full investigation,' Guillory said. 'Internal Affairs is reviewing the totality of the situation to ensure our deputies acted appropriately and in accordance with CPSO policies and procedures.' Guillory said two of the deputies have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. 'Being placed on leave does not imply wrongdoing,' Guillory said. 'If the investigation determines any policy violations or wrongdoing occurred, appropriate action will be taken.'
American Press
12 hours ago
- Science
- American Press
Local educators present cutting-edge energy-themed research projects
Michael Romine teaches gifted students in grades second through eighth, and algebra and pre-calculus dual enrollment college courses for Jefferson Davis parish schools. (Special to the American Press) The energy at Sowela Technical Community College Oakdale campus on Friday morning was energized as 40 teachers prepared to show off their energy-themed research projects. Over the past week, teachers from Allen Parish and the surrounding school districts participated in the STEM Energy Professional Development Program, a collaboration between the Sowela, Allen Parish School Board, Exxon Mobil, Rice University's Tapia Center and Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL). The participating teachers are from all disciplines, from high school technology educators to elementary English teachers. They spent their week developing a project on one of four energy-related topics: wind power, solar power, carbon capture sequestration and heat transfer. Led by facilitators from the Tapia Center, the teachers participated in hands-on activities relating to the themes before splitting off into groups to choose one topic to center their project around, all while getting paid. The end result is not only a complete project, but a fully-developed and adaptable curriculum, complete with lesson plans for four lessons, rubrics and every necessary documentation to implement the project in any classroom. Heather Cross is an educator at Fairview High School who teaches gifted courses and middle school English language arts. Like her peers, she was encouraged to sign up for the professional development course by her administrators. She wasn't fully aware of the scope of work she would need to complete at the STEM Energy Professional Development Program Showcase, which she called an 'amazing' experience. Her group developed a project about carbon capture sequestration, with a focus on scientific research. The curriculum will encourage students to research carbon sequestration and form their own scenic-backed opinions. The project culminates into a hands-on model that lets students simulate the process of carbon sequestration. The work done by the teachers is a step to make STEM more accessible and intersectional for students. She said the reality is that STEM education does not have to be expensive or exclusive. Since her group's project is research-based, she will be able to incorporate the lessons into her ELA class by focusing the lessons on research, fact-validation and claim-building. 'You don't have to have the fanciest equipment or spend the most money,' she said. 'With a little bit of innovation and creativity, you can make STEM happen within your classroom.' Mike Butler, public and government affairs manager, ExxonMobil, said STEM is at the core of ExxonMobil's community outreach, and the work of the teachers is 'truly inspirational.' The projects they completed lets students know they, too, can succeed in an industrial STEM field, he said. 'We believe that exposing students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics is a way to inspire these young minds, and that anyone can have a career, a meaningful future.' The program was funded by a $100,000 grant from FUEL, a new state coalition which resulted from a large-scale grant from the National Science Foundation. The goal of FUEL is to compete for and secure $160 million in energy innovation investment in Louisiana over the next 10 years, which is key to the state's future prosperity, said Lacy McManus, director of workforce development, FUEL. Over six months, FUEL has worked to determine which 'levers' need to be pulled to accomplish that goal, and educating the workforce is a priority. 'When it comes to workforce development, every single one of you (teachers) is one of those levers,' she said. 'Our teachers and your understanding of what is happening overall in Louisiana in the energy space, the ability to communicate that back to your students, to your administrators, that is absolutely vital.' Sowela is an institution known for simultaneously developing a trained workforce and employment pipelines for several employment sectors — including industry, one of Louisiana's main economic drivers. But Sowela does more than just provide technical education, said Sowela Chancellor Niel Aispenwall. The college is on a mission to create a culture of continuous learning. 'We also encourage our students not to end with us, continue their education and get as much knowledge as they can.' Michael Romine, who is always seeking opportunities to learn more about incorporating STEM into the classroom, said this program was right up his alley. He teaches gifted students in grades second through eighth, and algebra and pre-calculus dual enrollment college courses for Jefferson Davis parish schools. Over the week, he was able to learn about problem-based learning, where students identify a problem and conceive a solution. 'I've been reading about problem-based learning my whole career, but I never really understood it until this week,' he said. 'They did a fantastic job of developing the programming channels. … I'm already starting to think of other things I can do in the future.' Both Cross and Romane agreed that the STEM Energy Professional Development Program was a unique professional development opportunity. 'Typically professional development presents you with a skill,' Cross said. 'However, with this professional development … it's ready to go. If I want to teach this the first day of school, I can teach this the first day of school.' The ready-to-go curriculum is just one of the benefits, Romane added. The teachers had an opportunity to bond with their peers, network and grow as professionals in an exciting and collaborative space. 'We've got a diverse group of teachers in there. We've got a teacher who taught English now doing science. We've got new teachers. We've got new teachers,' he said. 'It they do something like this again, I'd love to do it again.'
American Press
13 hours ago
- General
- American Press
Foreign exchange student reflects on year in the US
This year's DeRidder Rotary Club scholarship recipients are Helena Thompson, Grace Lovitt, Gabriel McKee, Victor Storer, Hunter Gill, Mikayla Bonds and Collin Nortman. Five of the recipients are pictured with Club President Erin Chesnutt. (Special to the American Press) The Rotary Club of DeRidder has given out more than $500,000 in scholarships for over 60 years — and they awarded $20,000 more this month. Scholarships were presented to seven students who were required to write an essay, achieve an ACT composite score of 19 or higher, maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and create a short video introducing themselves and stating where they plan to attend school in the fall. Club President Erin Chesnutt said this is the second year the program has been offered to students attending traditional colleges and universities and those entering vocational or trade schools. This year's recipients are Helena Thompson, Grace Lovitt and Gabriel McKee of Rosepine High School; Victor Storer of Merryville High School; Hunter Gill and Mikayla Bonds of DeRidder High School; and Collin Nortman of East Beauregard High School. The guest speaker for this month's Rotary Club meeting was Dou Sugisawa, an exchange student from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, who has been studying at Comeaux High School in Lafayette. She was hosted by Paula Mendoza, who is the Rotarian Club of Lafayette treasurer and Rotarian District Youth Exchange Officer. She has hosted Sugisawa — whose father is a rotarian in Japan — for 11 months. 'I got to see the world through Dou's eyes and experience things that we normally take for granted. She is the most courageous person I've ever met; she's jumped into everything I would put in front of her,' Mendoza said. Sugisawa finished her sophomore school year in Lafayette with a 3.9 GPA and took the ACT test for fun and made a 23. Mendoza said Sugisawa can accomplish anything she sets her mind to and considers herself lucky to have witnessed her extraordinary growth. Sugisawa was Mendoza's first rotarian foreign exchange student. Mendoza said a month before Sugisawa's stay with her, they started emailing back and forth. They met for the first time in Baton Rouge the day Sugisawa arrived in America. Mendoza said she has learned a lot from Sugisawa — such as the different customs between the two countries and how Americans can be louder and more boisterous while the Japanese are traditionally very quiet. Mendoza said the first few weeks Sugisawa was with her, she'd ask her how her day had gone in school. She said Sugisawa initially told her she doesn't like to talk about 'personal things.' Within three weeks, however, Sugisawa said she would look forward to telling Mendoza about her day at school. Sugisawa also started calling Mendoza 'Mom.' 'Before she got here, she had written in one of her letters, 'I don't like to be touched, if you want to hug me, please ask first,' and I wrote back, 'This might be trouble because you're coming to the south, the land of huggers,' and now months later, she hugs everybody,' Mendoza said. 'In Japan nobody hugs, I don't even hug with my own father, mother or siblings. People are so friendly here, even in the grocery stores. In Japan you don't talk to strangers in the grocery store, but I like this style,' Sugisawa said. Sugisawa said in Japan people show love and care in other forms. 'People show affection more privately and will take care of you, cook for you, it's more of an act of service,' she said. Sugisawa said she has experienced a lot while in the States — including seeing an alligator and learning to make a roux. Crawfish etouffee is her favorite Louisiana cuisine, and she said she will be taking Mendoza's crawfish etouffee recipe back to Japan with her. Bread pudding is her favorite dessert, Mendoza said. 'Everywhere we went she'd try the bread pudding if it was on the menu.' Sugisawa's experience in an American school is very different from that in Japan. She said the biggest difference is how here students switch classrooms each hour, whereas in Japan the teacher switches classes and the students stay in the same classroom, with the same students all day. 'It's not just switching classrooms, either, the relationships are also different because I'd spend all day with the same classmates in Japan,' she said. Field days and pep rallies are also not held in Japan. 'I think students at Comeaux High School have more freedom than at my school at home because my school in Japan has a very strict uniform, you are not allowed to dye your hair, wear any kind of jewelry or wear makeup in school,' she explained. Mendoza and Sugisawa traveled a lot while she was in the states. Both said a trip to Colorado was their favorite. 'Even though where she lives, in Sappara, they get the snow, they don't go skiing or play in it, it's all about education,' Mendoza said. Sugisawa will be taking a two-week East Coast trip with other foreign exchange students before flying home to Japan this summer. She will get to experience Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., South Carolina and Disney World in Florida. Sugisawa is most excited to see the Statue of Liberty. Sugisawa said she looks forward to returning home and seeing her parents and three siblings again. Mendoza plans to visit Sugisawa next year in Japan.
American Press
13 hours ago
- Business
- American Press
Growth spurt: Women fight to keep their chances from being stunted
First-year McNeese State women's head basketball coach Ayla Guzzardo wants to see the sport continue to make strides and protect the gains made in recent decades under Title IX in the face of an ever-changing athletic landscape that emphasizes business models. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press Archives) Through her 35 years at McNeese State, Bridget Martin has witnessed numerous changes in the world of women's college athletics. The deputy athletic director started her McNeese career as the women's basketball coach in 1990. Back then, Title IX was just getting its feet wet. Since then, it's helped grow athletics for women and girls in high schools and colleges, eventually leading to an increase in professional leagues and opportunities. 'It has been great to see the growth of women's sports and the way it has helped give females opportunities to get their college educations,' Martin said. 'It has been an amazing growth process.' Now, however, numerous questions surround college athletics, including those related to women's sports. With the changing landscape and recent $2.8 billion House vs. NCAA settlement, along with transgender athletes' rights, the future for college sports overall and women in particular is in question. 'Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty right now and a lot of questions about the recent lawsuits and applications they will have on Title IX,' Martin said. 'I think a lot of those things will play out with future lawsuits as well. 'One thing is for sure, we have to be ready for whatever changes are coming, and I think we are.' The model of college sports, especially on the women's side, is rapidly changing. Following the June 6 settlement and the new name, image, and likeness rules, concerns have arisen that college sports are shifting toward a more business-focused model. That could hurt non-revenue sports, particularly women's programs. 'I am concerned that we are going to the business models,' Martin said. 'I'm still holding out hope this will level out.' Some schools have chosen to discontinue certain sports, as funding for them may become increasingly challenging. McNeese officials say they do not expect to do that. 'We are not looking to cut any sports but will be looking for ways to fund them differently as needed,' Athletic Director Heath Schroyer said. 'You just have to be ready to adapt to what comes next. Things are going to change, that is for sure.' One women's sport that is on the rise is basketball, thanks to gains in viewership over the last few years on both the college and pro levels. 'As far as basketball goes, our sport, we are gaining, and that's a good thing, so I'm not worried about us,' said first-year McNeese women's head basketball coach Ayla Guzzardo. 'I'm hoping that the models in place to protect women through Title IX continue to hold overall. We have seen a lot of growth thanks to them.' Martin said he hopes all the growth wasn't for nothing. 'I'm focused more on what we got right in women's sports for a long time,' Martin said. 'That's the direction I want to keep going in.'
