August 2021

Application deadline nears for Louisiana Project Grant

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The Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA is offering a grant for arts and culture related nonprofits in Jeff Davis Parish.

According to Madison Miller Ebersole, Community Development Coordinator for the Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA, the Louisiana Project Grants (LPG) program is taking the place of the Decentralized Arts Funding (DAF) program.

ZAM receives pandemic assistance grant from state

Zigler Art Museum (ZAM) will be receiving pandemic assistance from the state to help cover the cost of operating expenses at the museum.

ZAM was awarded $10,000 from Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) through emergency relief funds from the Louisiana Culture Care Fund (LCCF).

LEH’s goal is to ensure access to the humanities for every resident throughout Louisiana’s 64 parishes, according to LEH’s website. The entity aims to offer broadened pathways to experiencing the humanities for people of every generation.

Top SEC contenders breaking in newish quarterbacks

(AP) — Alabama’s primary challengers in the Southeastern Conference can’t take too much heart from the Crimson Tide breaking in an inexperienced quarterback.

They’re in a similar boat.

There is a new group of passers at the top of the league, but the same expectations exist. The SEC has won three of the last four national titles, including dominating runs of perfection from the topranked Crimson Tide last season and LSU in 2019.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart even quoted Henry David Thoreau, though it could easily have come from his Alabama’s Nick Saban.

Jaguars make Trevor Lawrence starting QB

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Urban Meyer figured Trevor Lawrence would be his starting quarterback long before he even took the Jacksonville job.

But Meyer insisted Lawrence earn the spot, whether his goal was to send a message to his young team or set a tone for his NFL tenure. So Meyer staged a sometimes laughable “competition” during offseason workouts, training camp and the preseason.

Meyer finally ended the charade Wednesday by naming Lawrence the team’s starter for the season opener at Houston on Sept. 12, one of the least surprising decisions in franchise history.

Man appointed to fill vacant council seat in Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES (AP) — A city council in southwest Louisiana has appointed someone to fill a seat left vacant when its current representative died earlier this month.

The Lake Charles City Council, during a special meeting Tuesday, appointed Marshall Simien as interim councilman for District A, The American Press reported. He fills the seat following the Aug. 8 death of Councilwoman Mary Morris, who died of complications from COVID-19. She was 70 years old.

2 plead guilty in Mississippi pharmacist health care scam

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi pharmacist and a Louisiana marketer have pleaded guilty in connection with a multi-million dollar health insurance fraud scheme, federal authorities said Wednesday.

A news release from the Justice Department said Mitchell “Chad” Barrett, 54, a former Mississippi resident now living in Gulf Breeze, Florida, pleaded guilty Wednesday; and 57-year-old Thomas Wilburn Shoemaker of Rayville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Aug. 12. Records show the pleas were entered in federal court in Mississippi.

Guilty plea, 15-year sentence for Louisiana investment scam

SHREVEPORT (AP) — A northwest Louisiana businessman pleaded guilty to wire fraud Wednesday and accepted a 15-year prison sentence in connection with an investment con that drew tens of millions of dollars from individuals and banks, federal prosecutors said.

Medical-grade honey is viable tool in wound care

Dear Doctor: We used to tease our grandmother for putting a dab of honey on our scraped knees when we were kids. But now I’m hearing about something called “medical-grade” honey. Does that actually exist? How does it work? Maybe our granny was right all along?

Dear Reader: When your grandmother treated your injuries with honey, she was following a curative practice that dates back at least to the ancient Egyptians. Not only did they use honey in wound care, but they harnessed its antimicrobial properties to help embalm and preserve their dead.

The art of seeing

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When I say I love original art, I mean I love a little paint smeared on a canvas--nothing of particular value, mind you, but the idea of an idea…the representation of something worth remembering.

I would be afraid to invite a bonafide artist to any abode I call home because the art therein begs for explanation.

As I said to one, “Well, I found this painting behind a dumpster...”

She looked at me quickly and didn’t dare ask, “So why didn’t you leave it there?”

A Golden Way to Get Better Sleep

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While golden milk has become a trendy beverage of choice, this comforting, herb-filled blend is actually ancient. For thousands of years, golden milk has been an Ayurvedic ritual, with Indian families enjoying a warm nightly cupful before bed.

In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric, the main component in golden milk, is thought to impart the energy of the sun to the body, hence its radiant, golden color. Turmeric’s documented healing properties impart substance to this traditional “elixir,” and have given golden milk a reputation as a healing cup of comfort.