Natalie Kingston
As a child in New Iberia, Natalie Kingston was always staging some kind of production, be it stage plays or Barbie photoshoots. When she got a VHS camera at age 10,…
Author: Fritz Esker
Nick Spitzer
When local folklorist and Tulane professor Nick Spitzer’s caller ID told him Senator Bill Cassidy’s office was calling, he assumed it was a fundraising call and decided he wasn’t going to…
Kylie Altier
When 2024 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year Kylie Altier was a little girl, she struggled with dyslexia. Though she didn’t know the official term for it, she knew reading was…
Pon Dixson
Growing up in D’Arbonne in northern Louisiana, Pon Dixson listened to music from artists like Muddy Waters and B.B. King and received a love of nature from his parents. His mother…
Louisianians of the Year
Each year, we comb the state in search of Louisianians who stand out in their professions, give back and represent what’s best about the Pelican State. From teachers and artists to culinary pros and conservationists, these are the individuals enhancing…
Saving the Wetlands
Conservation Occupation: Campaign Director, Restore the Mississippi River Delta - Hometown: Houma Simone Maloz Communicating effectively about the environment can be tricky. On the one hand, people need to know the severity of the situation and understand the urgent need…
Teaching Success
Education Occupation: Teacher - Hometown: New Orleans Brittany Bonnaffons Louisiana’s Teacher of the Year didn’t always see teaching as her career path. Hahnville High School math teacher Brittany Bonnaffons, 41, was working in corporate America when she started volunteering as…
Caring Relationships
Healthcare Occupation: Nurse Practitioner - Hometown: Baton Rouge Tanisha Smith When she was in college, Tanisha Smith, the winner of the 2022 Louisiana State Nurses Association’s Nightingale Award, wanted to be a doctor. But when she watched a friend giving…
Relief, Found
There are so many activities that are a big part of daily life that people take for granted. That is, they take them for granted until one day those activities become painful and difficult to do. Then seemingly simple tasks…
Louisianians of the Year
Louisianians are a diverse bunch, but we have a few common traits. For example, many Louisianians, no matter how close we are to our family, have an independent streak. Strength and persistence also come to mind when you consider people…
Annie Barahona
Growing up in Houma, Annie Barahona dreamed of working in the medical field. When it came time to decide on a career path, Barahona chose nursing. Sixteen years after starting her nursing journey, the Louisiana State Nurses Association named Barahona…
James Clesi
James Clesi’s restaurant career began as a teenager at the Copeland’s on Veterans Boulevard in New Orleans. He bused tables, then moved to dishwashing. Clesi fell in love with the atmosphere in the kitchen — the smells, the sounds, the…
Annelise Cassar Tedesco
The word Chalmette native Annelise Cassar Tedesco, the 2022 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, most frequently mentioned in her interview was “community.” She strongly believes in the importance of forming a community at Chalmette High School with both her students…
Struck Down
On what seemed like an ordinary day in September 2020 (or what could pass as ordinary in the 2020s), Mandeville resident Larry Saar felt a little dizziness in the front of his forehead while working at his real estate office.…
Healthy Choice
In 2015, Phil de Gruy was a successful restaurateur in his 40s. He owned and operated three locations of the popular burger restaurant Phil’s Grill. He had a loving wife and four children. But he was beset by severe stomach…
Healthy Louisiana: Eat Locally
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were looking for ways to break the monotony safely. Gardening is an activity that can be done while socially distancing and there are many physical and mental health benefits. “You get to go outside,…
Healthy Louisiana: Simple Swaps
If you’re looking to eat healthier, there are many simple switches you can make to help you achieve that goal. But before looking at swaps, Molly Kimball, a registered dietitian at Ochsner Fitness Center, says self-knowledge is key. If you’re…
Keep Calm and Parent On
This past year has been full of anxiety and uncertainty for people across the globe. That is also true for children, who have endured months of staying at home, as well as separation from friends and fun activities. Even though…
Doctor’s Orders
When the news mentions the “novel coronavirus”, sometimes the “novel” part isn’t emphasized enough. It means COVID-19 is completely new, something the world has never seen before. In the fight against it, doctors and government officials alike have scrambled to…
Staying Alive
In a life-threatening emergency, seconds matter. When it’s a loved one or friend who’s unresponsive, it can be all too easy to freeze in shock and fear. However, with simple CPR training, you can save a life. Daniel Daire, nurse…
Early Bird
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men (only skin cancer has more cases). The latest estimates from the American Cancer Society (cancer.org) state that over 191,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer per year and…
Best Hospitals
There is one major source that provides credible ongoing analysis of hospitals: Medicare, which, as the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, as well as certain younger people with disabilities, often provides funding for many of the…
Healthy Louisiana: Anxiety 101
At different times and to different degrees, all people experience anxiety in their lives. But how can you manage it? How can you keep your mind from racing nonstop, especially in times like now, amid the COVID-19 fallout? Awareness and…
Healthy Louisiana: Drinking in Moderation
Louisiana is a social state. Part of that social scene includes drinking — during Mardi Gras, at football tailgate parties, at neighborhood bars and often parents partake (a little) at children’s birthday parties. But what are the best ways to…
Louisianians of the Year
Each year, we comb the state in search of Louisianians doing great things at home and, potentially, around the country or even the world. We look for individuals who stand out in their professions, give back and represent what’s best…
Healthy Louisiana: Fighting Arthritis
Over 50 million Americans have some form of arthritis, and approximately 923,000 of them live in Louisiana (arthritis.org). For some people, the condition may be unavoidable, but there are ways you can make living with arthritis easier. Some of the…
Under Pressure
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can result in potentially fatal problems like heart attacks and strokes. According to the Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov), Louisiana ranked fifth in the country for deaths by heart disease and third for…
Healthy Louisiana: Preventative Cures
In an era where so much information is at our fingertips, it can sometimes be hard to know how to direct our mental energy. What should Louisianians be most concerned about according to statistics? The numbers point to heart disease,…
Healthy Louisiana: There’s an app for that
One of the good things about smartphone technology is it can put a wealth of information at your fingertips. Here are some of the best apps available for health and nutrition info. Most of them are free, too, so there’s…
Healthy Louisiana: Heat Wave
If you like exercising outdoors, what can you do to work out safely during the brutally hot and humid Louisiana summers? Here are three tips for safe outdoor workouts when the temperatures are on the rise. See Your Doctor Dr.…
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