WEBVTT 00:00.800 --> 00:02.402 Support for Louisiana. 00:02.402 --> 00:06.139 The state we're in is provided by Entergy. 00:06.139 --> 00:09.142 Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state. 00:09.843 --> 00:13.646 We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, 00:14.114 --> 00:17.650 reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us. 00:17.751 --> 00:20.520 Because together we power lights. 00:20.520 --> 00:24.324 Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation 00:24.324 --> 00:27.761 and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall. 00:27.761 --> 00:31.197 The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists 00:31.197 --> 00:34.901 and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana. 00:35.468 --> 00:38.838 And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting 00:38.838 --> 00:40.507 and viewers like you. 00:40.507 --> 00:42.842 Thank you. 00:42.842 --> 00:44.978 Misinformation in times of disaster 00:44.978 --> 00:48.581 can cause major problems for people needing help and those providing it. 00:48.848 --> 00:52.252 We'll hear from FEMA about the risks caused by conspiracy theories. 00:52.552 --> 00:57.552 Louisiana born and bred Olympian and world record holder Mondo Duplantis 00:57.757 --> 01:01.594 shares what's next in his pole vaulting career and personal life, 01:01.594 --> 01:04.497 and in November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. 01:04.497 --> 01:07.734 We'll look at recent breakthroughs that could give families more time 01:07.734 --> 01:10.103 with their loved ones suffering from the disease. 01:10.103 --> 01:12.872 Erath, known as one of Louisiana's 01:12.872 --> 01:16.743 most Cajun communities, has its heritage on display 01:16.943 --> 01:20.680 at the Acadian Museum with big plans to boost business. 01:21.081 --> 01:22.048 Let's get started. 01:33.126 --> 01:33.960 Hello everyone. 01:33.960 --> 01:36.796 I'm Karen Lichtblau and I'm Dorothea Wilson. 01:36.796 --> 01:39.165 Much more on those top stories in a moment. 01:39.165 --> 01:42.235 On this week's edition of Louisiana, the State We're In. 01:42.402 --> 01:44.604 But first 01:44.604 --> 01:47.774 hurricane season is winding down, and FEMA officials faced 01:47.941 --> 01:51.544 new challenges this year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 01:51.744 --> 01:55.782 Conspiracies were all over social media, leading to tense moments 01:55.782 --> 01:58.184 and direct threats against first responders. 01:58.184 --> 02:02.455 I talked to FEMA to learn more about how those falsehoods put lives at risk, 02:02.455 --> 02:06.192 and how they plan to confront those conspiracies going forward. 02:07.927 --> 02:10.230 Misinformation affects us all, 02:10.230 --> 02:12.999 especially in times of disaster. 02:12.999 --> 02:15.135 The rate at which misinformation spreads 02:15.135 --> 02:18.638 can be overwhelming for even the most prepared people. 02:19.072 --> 02:22.775 And often times, FEMA takes the brunt of it. 02:23.476 --> 02:27.480 We've seen over the past several years that rumors and misinformation 02:27.480 --> 02:30.750 has had an impact on our ability to deliver for survivors. 02:31.451 --> 02:35.788 FEMA Director of Public Affairs Jacqueline Rothenberg says misinformation 02:36.055 --> 02:40.059 interferes with response efforts, undermines public trust, 02:40.260 --> 02:43.696 and can escalate an already dire situation. 02:44.330 --> 02:47.867 We really saw that during the wildfires in Maui, 02:47.867 --> 02:50.970 that misinformation was having an impact on our ability 02:50.970 --> 02:54.374 to deliver services to people and their trust in government. 02:55.108 --> 02:58.111 But it was after Hurricane Helene in North Carolina 02:58.311 --> 03:02.215 that misinformation and rumors took a life of their own, causing 03:02.215 --> 03:05.818 many people to become lost, frustrated and confused. 03:06.152 --> 03:10.823 Some even showed aggression and resistance to FEMA instructions. 03:11.591 --> 03:16.062 So one of the rumors that we heard during Hurricane Helene was that the 03:16.062 --> 03:20.733 that people were required to pay back, that our $750 was a loan. 03:21.034 --> 03:23.536 But that is absolutely false. 03:23.536 --> 03:28.536 We have given over $1.5 billion to survivors of Helene and Milton. 03:28.608 --> 03:33.608 So far, that's over 892,000 households and over $1.27 billion 03:34.948 --> 03:39.752 in public assistance to help repair roads, bridges, schools and infrastructure. 03:39.752 --> 03:43.656 That is so critical while people are recovering from a disaster. 03:43.656 --> 03:47.961 And so we really wanted to make sure that despite all the information 03:47.961 --> 03:51.531 that we were making sure that money was getting into the pockets of survivors, 03:51.798 --> 03:54.901 and they were helping these communities rebuild as quickly as possible. 03:55.835 --> 03:58.838 Now, whether it's false information about evacuation routes, 03:59.138 --> 04:03.209 unverified reports of disaster impacts, available shelters, 04:03.409 --> 04:07.247 or the path of the disaster, misinformation can cause people 04:07.247 --> 04:11.751 to take unnecessary risks, endangering themselves and others. 04:11.985 --> 04:14.220 But where does it start? 04:14.220 --> 04:17.190 Sometimes we've found that it's a game of telephone. 04:17.190 --> 04:20.159 Someone heard a rumor and they tell someone else, 04:20.159 --> 04:23.296 and then it just, you know, percolates throughout the community, right? 04:23.630 --> 04:27.300 In some cases, I think people spread misinformation to spread fear. 04:27.467 --> 04:30.637 And I think in areas where people aren't as accustomed to FEMA 04:30.637 --> 04:33.373 or they don't understand what FEMA does entirely, 04:33.373 --> 04:36.142 because it can be very confusing, admittedly, 04:36.142 --> 04:39.012 that that's where we have a lot of work to do to to make sure that 04:39.012 --> 04:42.181 people understand what our role is and where we can be helpful, 04:43.082 --> 04:47.654 and how do we counter it and eliminate fear, chaos and confusion. 04:48.087 --> 04:50.723 Professor Becky Rouse from Tulane's Emergency 04:50.723 --> 04:54.060 Security Studies Program says the solution is simple. 04:54.227 --> 04:57.230 We've got to debunk the myths by checking the facts 04:57.330 --> 05:01.768 and cleaving to reliable sources like FEMA to guide us through. 05:06.172 --> 05:08.608 Have a steady 05:08.608 --> 05:10.910 flow of accurate information 05:10.910 --> 05:14.347 and places the person can go to to verify it. 05:14.647 --> 05:18.685 In Louisiana was the Red cross that had kind of become the conduit 05:18.918 --> 05:23.323 for that good, viable information that people became dependent upon. 05:23.589 --> 05:25.224 And that's a good thing. 05:25.224 --> 05:27.593 Ultimately, getting the right information starts 05:27.593 --> 05:30.196 with looking to the right resources for answers. 05:30.196 --> 05:34.033 FEMA wants to be a reliable source for people and to help them navigate 05:34.033 --> 05:37.036 through everything they need to know in times of disaster. 05:37.737 --> 05:41.841 I want the American people to know that the FEMA workforce is here to help you. 05:41.874 --> 05:43.643 I have been lucky to be a part of the FEMA 05:43.643 --> 05:47.580 workforce for almost four years, and I, the people I work alongside, 05:47.580 --> 05:51.451 are so committed to helping you rebuild and recover post-disaster. 05:51.851 --> 05:53.586 And I know that it's hard sometimes 05:53.586 --> 05:57.390 based on historical inequities, to not have a trust in government. 05:57.390 --> 06:02.295 But I can assure you that the people of Sema that work here, they are committed 06:02.295 --> 06:05.732 to doing everything they can to help you jumpstart your recovery. 06:05.732 --> 06:08.568 And so I just want people to know that we are here to help you. 06:08.568 --> 06:11.137 And if you are seeking help, to please do so from us. 06:13.072 --> 06:16.843 So. From hashtags to headlines. 06:16.943 --> 06:19.078 Here's what's trending this week. 06:19.078 --> 06:22.782 Some bad news for LSU Tiger fans, who are already probably 06:22.782 --> 06:26.452 a little down in the dumps with this not so stellar season. 06:26.819 --> 06:30.056 That's right Karen, the five star recruit 06:30.256 --> 06:34.160 Bryce Underwood, he flipped his commitment from LSU, 06:34.260 --> 06:36.662 the number one player in the country, by the way, 06:36.662 --> 06:40.733 and he flipped his commitment and decided to stay in Michigan. 06:40.767 --> 06:42.235 What a heartbreak. 06:42.235 --> 06:45.037 You know goodness, Dorothy. We can't blame him. 06:45.037 --> 06:50.037 I mean, they which was motivated by a more lucrative Nil deal with Michigan. 06:50.276 --> 06:53.913 I think LSU was going to offer him about $1.5 million. 06:54.213 --> 06:58.985 Michigan's Nil deal would clock in at around $12 million. 06:58.985 --> 07:03.256 So the business decision may be questionable, but athletic decision? 07:03.456 --> 07:04.123 That's right. 07:04.123 --> 07:08.194 Now talking about athletic, let's talk about this escape artist 07:08.194 --> 07:10.663 that is on the run in New Orleans now. 07:10.663 --> 07:11.998 He's a little scrappy. 07:11.998 --> 07:13.299 He has four legs. 07:13.299 --> 07:16.669 Earlier this week, he chewed through a screen 07:16.669 --> 07:20.573 and jumped off of the second floor, 13ft. 07:20.573 --> 07:22.608 Insane for the little guy. 07:22.608 --> 07:27.213 He escaped from his adoptive family and he was on the run for about six months. 07:27.480 --> 07:31.818 That little dog shook off tranquilizers and dark, so it's no surprise 07:31.818 --> 07:36.422 that scrim has inspired a lot of memes on social media, 07:36.422 --> 07:40.726 and some advocates cheering him on and others worried about his safety. 07:41.160 --> 07:42.795 Where is this little Houdini? 07:42.795 --> 07:45.064 Like where's Waldo? Where is he? 07:45.064 --> 07:47.333 All right, well, big news in country music. 07:47.333 --> 07:50.970 Lainey Wilson turned out big at the CMAs, but she also turned up 07:50.970 --> 07:54.173 in Louisiana, in her hometown of Baskin. 07:54.507 --> 07:58.878 She was honored with a marker on the Northeast Shelby Zana music trail. 07:59.011 --> 08:02.682 And also, she had a stretch of state highway named after her. 08:02.715 --> 08:03.216 Wilson. 08:03.216 --> 08:07.053 She was Wednesday night at the Country Music Awards, where she won 08:07.053 --> 08:10.623 Female Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the year. 08:10.957 --> 08:14.093 Speaking of good news and good things happening in Louisiana. 08:14.126 --> 08:16.462 November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. 08:16.462 --> 08:20.466 Now it's a time to recognize families affected by the devastating disease 08:20.700 --> 08:23.536 as they confront daily challenges of Alzheimer's. 08:23.536 --> 08:28.241 New developments are offering hope in the form of early diagnosis 08:28.241 --> 08:29.342 and new treatments. 08:29.342 --> 08:31.644 I spoke with two experts leading the way. 08:31.644 --> 08:33.880 And for both, the mission is personal 08:34.981 --> 08:36.883 and with the therapy. 08:36.883 --> 08:40.019 Over 41 years ago, former President 08:40.019 --> 08:43.789 Ronald Reagan proclaimed November as Alzheimer's Awareness Month. 08:44.123 --> 08:47.593 In 1994, he shared his struggles with the disease 08:47.593 --> 08:51.631 and was joined by 2 million Americans who were also suffering. 08:51.898 --> 08:55.501 Since then, the number of Americans stricken by Alzheimer's 08:55.501 --> 09:00.501 has more than tripled, with over 95,000 confirmed cases coming from Louisiana. 09:01.507 --> 09:05.044 But thanks to people like Professor Owen Carmichael from Pennington 09:05.044 --> 09:08.447 Biomedical Research Center, there is hope. 09:09.081 --> 09:12.552 Alzheimer's disease is a very common disease among older adults. 09:13.252 --> 09:16.622 It is a progressive brain disease 09:16.923 --> 09:21.761 that causes memory loss, that progresses over time to such a degree that towards 09:21.761 --> 09:25.831 the end of the disease, people become completely dependent on nursing care. 09:26.666 --> 09:29.669 And ultimately they die of the disease. 09:30.436 --> 09:32.138 Doctor Carmichael dedicated 09:32.138 --> 09:35.408 nearly two decades of his career to Alzheimer's research. 09:35.942 --> 09:39.312 After experiencing the heartbreak of losing both his father 09:39.312 --> 09:43.082 and grandfather to the disease, he's made it his life's mission 09:43.082 --> 09:48.054 to answer the questions of why and how to prevent as many people 09:48.054 --> 09:51.857 as possible from experiencing the same pain that he did. 09:52.725 --> 09:56.562 So I started studying Alzheimer's disease for the first time 09:57.029 --> 10:00.266 right after I got out of graduate school into 2003. 10:01.200 --> 10:04.403 And at that point, it became very obvious that this is what 10:04.570 --> 10:06.339 I was kind of meant to do. 10:06.339 --> 10:11.339 And I found myself just working on it all hours for after 10:11.911 --> 10:14.914 I should have been doing other things and relaxing. 10:15.047 --> 10:17.183 I found myself working kind of obsessively on it, 10:17.183 --> 10:19.819 and that's kind of taken me to where I am today. 10:19.819 --> 10:22.922 He and his team are responsible for major breakthroughs as a result 10:22.922 --> 10:26.325 of his research and two groundbreaking discoveries. 10:26.559 --> 10:29.962 One being a drug that works to slow down the process 10:29.962 --> 10:32.965 of Alzheimer's if caught at the right time. 10:33.099 --> 10:36.102 The people who take these new drugs 10:36.802 --> 10:40.106 appear to just have a few more months, 10:40.106 --> 10:44.744 or maybe even a couple of more years of intact thinking skills. 10:46.646 --> 10:47.580 And so 10:47.580 --> 10:50.583 that's really tantalizing and promising. 10:50.616 --> 10:54.720 The second discovery blood tests that can reveal whether or not a person 10:54.720 --> 10:56.522 is susceptible to Alzheimer's. 10:56.522 --> 11:00.159 Based on the results, the patient can begin early treatment. 11:00.393 --> 11:03.963 So what we've got now is a very, very exciting time. 11:04.263 --> 11:08.200 We're coming closer and closer to the day where we can tell 11:08.668 --> 11:11.671 that Alzheimer's disease has started in the brain 11:11.837 --> 11:15.775 before you, the patient, show any signs or symptoms. 11:16.275 --> 11:19.145 So again, it's a little bit like for, for example, 11:19.145 --> 11:23.049 getting a mammogram when you feel perfectly fine. 11:23.115 --> 11:26.652 And it shows that there's breast cancer there so that we can nip it 11:26.652 --> 11:30.523 in the bud before it becomes something that's really life threatening. 11:31.290 --> 11:35.194 Barbara Alton, executive director of Alzheimer's services at the capital, 11:35.327 --> 11:38.998 is also working to help families defy the Alzheimer's odds. 11:39.231 --> 11:43.035 She and her organization work to help make Alzheimer's research possible 11:43.235 --> 11:46.672 by hosting fundraising events and providing resources to families 11:46.839 --> 11:49.709 with the loved ones suffering from the disease. 11:49.709 --> 11:51.077 We're here. 11:51.077 --> 11:53.145 People need to know there is help, 11:54.280 --> 11:55.414 and there 11:55.414 --> 11:58.417 that you shouldn't fear this disease. 11:59.418 --> 12:02.855 It is the most feared disease because it's more of the unknown. 12:03.489 --> 12:07.460 Because when you lose your memory, there's a very vast unknown of. 12:07.460 --> 12:10.463 How am I going to handle this? 12:10.496 --> 12:12.331 But there is hope. 12:12.331 --> 12:15.968 And that is really what we need to, to look at, is that 12:16.335 --> 12:19.438 there's so much research going on now that we have hope. 12:20.306 --> 12:23.309 There may not be a cure, but there will be some interventions, 12:23.843 --> 12:25.644 much like Doctor Carmichael. 12:25.644 --> 12:28.647 Barbara has a history of Alzheimer's disease in her family. 12:28.714 --> 12:31.617 But that's not the only place her passion comes from. 12:31.617 --> 12:34.353 Providing hope to families is what drives her. 12:34.353 --> 12:38.124 We're here as a one stop shop for the caregiver 12:38.124 --> 12:42.294 or the person who is diagnosed, but we provide all kinds 12:42.294 --> 12:45.898 of education programs to learn about what you can do 12:46.198 --> 12:51.198 for proper care, for risk reduction, for handling the finances. 12:51.837 --> 12:54.273 That's a very long lived disease. 12:54.273 --> 12:56.208 It's very hard on the caregivers. 12:56.208 --> 12:59.211 You're saying goodbye for a long time. 12:59.211 --> 13:01.647 The good news love conquers all. 13:01.647 --> 13:05.384 It was the love that Doctor Carmichael felt for his father and grandfather 13:05.551 --> 13:09.522 that drove him to research possible solutions to the Alzheimer's epidemic. 13:09.889 --> 13:12.491 It was Barbara's love for her mother and eight aunts 13:12.491 --> 13:16.061 that drove her to lead an organization to help raise money for research 13:16.195 --> 13:21.066 and provide aid and educational resources to families walking through the process. 13:21.300 --> 13:24.937 Lastly, it was President Reagan's love for his country 13:25.137 --> 13:28.474 that prompted him to set a month aside to raise awareness, 13:28.474 --> 13:32.044 to provoke people to fight the good fight for their families. 13:33.946 --> 13:34.513 He's a 13:34.513 --> 13:37.683 world record holder, Olympic gold medalist 13:37.683 --> 13:41.487 and one of the most exciting athletes in track and field history. 13:41.854 --> 13:43.923 Louisiana's own Mondo de plaintiff 13:43.923 --> 13:47.259 has soared to new heights to capture the world's attention. 13:47.693 --> 13:51.630 I sat down with Mondo to learn more about his passion for pole vaulting 13:51.931 --> 13:54.934 and his plans for the future. 13:56.402 --> 13:56.869 Hey everyone! 13:56.869 --> 14:01.073 I am super excited to bring you Mondo de plantas! 14:01.807 --> 14:05.444 For those of you who watch the Olympics, you know this is a gold medalist 14:05.444 --> 14:08.447 who set and broke several of his own records. 14:08.447 --> 14:11.450 Arguably the world's greatest pole 14:11.517 --> 14:15.287 vaulter and a beloved Louisiana sun. 14:15.287 --> 14:17.890 So thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. 14:17.890 --> 14:18.390 Are you be here. 14:18.390 --> 14:19.024 Thank you. 14:19.024 --> 14:23.696 So first of all, a big congrats to your Olympic gold medal wins 14:23.863 --> 14:28.167 and the fact that you broke your own records. 14:28.701 --> 14:31.237 As a pole vault vaulter. 14:31.237 --> 14:33.272 Were you anticipating that to happen? 14:34.974 --> 14:36.141 Yes I was. 14:36.141 --> 14:37.109 You are. 14:37.109 --> 14:38.844 Well it wasn't, it wasn't my first Olympics. 14:38.844 --> 14:40.145 I was at the Tokyo Olympics, 14:40.145 --> 14:43.983 but it was a completely different experience because you know, the pandemic 14:43.983 --> 14:46.352 and everything. And so we weren't able to have spectators. 14:46.352 --> 14:48.721 I didn't have any of my family there, whatnot. 14:48.721 --> 14:50.823 And then, 14:50.823 --> 14:53.792 also like for track and field athlete, it's really your only 14:53.959 --> 14:57.396 opportunity that you have to make like a global impact and do something 14:57.396 --> 14:58.797 that's a lot bigger than your sport. 14:58.797 --> 15:01.867 It's like really like the only stage that we have, 15:01.867 --> 15:04.870 I guess, in a way. So, 15:05.004 --> 15:07.673 I knew that it was like, now or never, this is the time I have to do it 15:07.673 --> 15:09.475 if I'm going to do something really special. 15:09.475 --> 15:13.245 And so I've never been more locked in in my life than the year 15:13.245 --> 15:18.245 pretty much prior to, the games this past summer and, yeah. 15:18.751 --> 15:21.987 No, I had all the confidence in the world that I was going to do what I was. 15:22.254 --> 15:22.621 Yeah, what 15:22.621 --> 15:26.392 I did the whole time I was going in there, I wasn't focused on the gold, really. 15:26.392 --> 15:28.127 I was just focused on breaking the world record. 15:28.127 --> 15:31.130 So a lot of people are wondering, why did you choose 15:31.597 --> 15:34.934 to compete on behalf of Sweden as opposed the United States? 15:34.934 --> 15:37.937 And I know your mother is from Sweden. 15:38.237 --> 15:41.907 But you were born and raised, and your collegiate athletic career 15:41.907 --> 15:45.110 has been here in the States in particular Louisiana. 15:45.110 --> 15:47.413 So, yeah, no, it's a fair question. 15:47.413 --> 15:48.647 I'm a Lafayette native, 15:49.682 --> 15:52.151 born, born and raised. 15:52.151 --> 15:55.688 And really, my time that I would spend in Sweden was really just the summers, 15:55.688 --> 15:58.023 I mean, in the United States as a whole, but also in Louisiana. 15:58.023 --> 16:01.560 It was very tough for me growing up as far as finding competitions and whatnot. 16:01.560 --> 16:03.529 I mean, 16:03.529 --> 16:05.764 you know, picture yourself as an eight year old 16:05.764 --> 16:08.767 trying to find pole vaulting competitions and Louisiana doesn't. 16:09.034 --> 16:11.670 And it wasn't really anything that was possible, honestly. 16:11.670 --> 16:16.175 And so, in the summers, we would we would go to Sweden for a month or so 16:16.175 --> 16:19.345 and we'd have a string of competitions that I would be able to do because, 16:19.979 --> 16:21.880 the track and field culture is a lot bigger there 16:21.880 --> 16:24.116 in Sweden, where my mother's from, I just kind of had to do 16:24.116 --> 16:25.951 what was best for me, what was best for me and my family, 16:25.951 --> 16:29.722 and what I thought was the best for me to achieve what I knew 16:29.722 --> 16:31.991 that I was capable of, which is to be the best poets in the world 16:31.991 --> 16:34.293 and compete at the highest level all the time. 16:34.293 --> 16:39.293 So as a child growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, as you said, there weren't 16:39.498 --> 16:44.498 a lot of pole vaulting competitions or or avenues for you to practice your sport. 16:45.204 --> 16:47.940 What drew you to that sport as opposed to soccer or 16:47.940 --> 16:50.943 footballer baseball or something more mainstream? 16:51.243 --> 16:52.411 Well, I did all the sports, really. 16:52.411 --> 16:54.079 I mean, I played a lot of baseball. 16:54.079 --> 16:55.748 My brother was a great baseball player, 16:55.748 --> 16:58.050 captain of the LSU team, drafted by the New York Mets. 16:58.050 --> 16:59.852 All the whole the whole thing. 17:01.186 --> 17:02.888 And so I did a lot of baseball, played a lot of soccer. 17:02.888 --> 17:04.890 But my father was a pole vaulter. 17:04.890 --> 17:06.825 He built the entire set up in the backyard. 17:06.825 --> 17:10.863 And, which is like kind of the way that it has to happen, 17:10.863 --> 17:12.498 I guess, in a way, if you want to get into poverty 17:12.498 --> 17:15.501 at an early age, you have to have like that kind of in, 17:15.901 --> 17:17.403 and so. Yeah. 17:17.403 --> 17:17.770 Yeah. 17:17.770 --> 17:20.305 Father, he was a professional pole vaulter. 17:20.305 --> 17:22.708 He, he, he toured around Europe back in his day, 17:22.708 --> 17:25.577 and then he built the whole set up. And he's been my coach. 17:25.577 --> 17:27.146 It's just it's a family operation. 17:27.146 --> 17:28.981 Just my mother and my father. 17:28.981 --> 17:33.218 So you currently live in Baton Rouge and you live in Sweden as well. 17:33.218 --> 17:36.288 So you split your time back and forth, and it's like the same place. 17:36.522 --> 17:41.460 Do you do you have plans to to remain in Louisiana and stay connected? 17:41.460 --> 17:46.131 And if so, what are those plans as they relate to your ties to Louisiana? 17:47.032 --> 17:47.299 Yeah. 17:47.299 --> 17:50.402 Well, I mean, I'm always going to be in Louisiana to some, to some extent. 17:50.402 --> 17:51.203 I mean, I think I can't 17:52.504 --> 17:54.206 I can't live without it. 17:54.206 --> 17:57.209 I mean, it's always going to have that home, home feeling to me. 17:57.709 --> 18:02.281 And so, I love I love my time being able to come back here to Baton Rouge. 18:02.281 --> 18:03.649 I spend the entire falls here. 18:03.649 --> 18:06.652 Spend the spring here, too. 18:06.685 --> 18:09.688 I mean, as far as the future, I don't really know what's going to happen. 18:10.389 --> 18:14.927 It just depends on how everything happens in my career and poverty. 18:14.927 --> 18:16.995 And and when I stop and what I'm going to do after poverty, 18:16.995 --> 18:19.998 in which I don't know what I'm going to do, really, I don't really, 18:20.899 --> 18:23.902 I don't really care to think about it almost. 18:25.771 --> 18:26.972 Congratulations 18:26.972 --> 18:29.942 are in order, by the way, Desiree Englander. 18:29.942 --> 18:32.478 And so and you're saying you dated for several years 18:32.478 --> 18:35.848 and popped the question in a big way like surprised your honor folks. 18:35.848 --> 18:37.583 Scandinavia photo shoot. 18:37.583 --> 18:39.852 Wow. Yeah. 18:39.852 --> 18:41.353 Well play my thanks. 18:41.353 --> 18:45.390 Yeah I mean yeah well I wanted it to be a surprise. 18:46.024 --> 18:50.028 And I knew that I felt like she doesn't think 18:50.028 --> 18:53.031 I'm very good of a planner, which I'm probably not, actually. 18:53.031 --> 18:56.034 But I thought that it would be a really good way to show 18:56.101 --> 18:59.505 that I don't know, some type of sacrifice and commitment to where 18:59.505 --> 19:02.508 the most hectic time of my life, which is right after the Olympics. 19:02.674 --> 19:05.677 So we're playing something as you as as an engagement. 19:05.811 --> 19:07.946 You nervous? Yeah, for sure. 19:07.946 --> 19:08.780 It's very vulnerable. 19:08.780 --> 19:10.349 I think that's really the main thing is 19:10.349 --> 19:12.484 it's like the most vulnerable you can ever be. 19:12.484 --> 19:16.021 And you're asking somebody, you know, take your hand for a lifetime. 19:16.021 --> 19:16.622 And so, 19:18.023 --> 19:19.925 which is, you know, beautiful and really special. 19:19.925 --> 19:22.928 And so, you know, I can't, do a date set. 19:23.462 --> 19:26.732 No, haven't there's there's still some logistics 19:26.732 --> 19:28.300 we have to figure out because it was a surprise 19:28.300 --> 19:29.635 and it wasn't like it was one of these things 19:29.635 --> 19:31.370 to where she knew it was going to happen. 19:31.370 --> 19:33.906 And we already planned the wedding before I even engaged or anything like that. 19:33.906 --> 19:35.707 It was a real surprise. Surprise. 19:35.707 --> 19:38.844 Do you plan to compete in the next Olympics? 19:38.844 --> 19:40.112 Do you want a coach? 19:40.112 --> 19:42.181 Of course. Next Olympics easily. 19:42.181 --> 19:43.849 That that shouldn't be a problem. 19:43.849 --> 19:46.852 Probably the next even two, I guess. 19:46.952 --> 19:49.688 I mean, as far as just the way 19:49.688 --> 19:52.257 that I'm jumping right now and the level that I'm jumping 19:52.257 --> 19:55.160 at compared to all the other guys, I think that I should be able to, 19:56.361 --> 19:59.031 to stay stay on the top for a little while. 19:59.031 --> 20:00.933 I don't think that far into the future, honestly. 20:00.933 --> 20:03.135 I feel like I'm I live in the present. 20:03.135 --> 20:05.604 I try to enjoy as much as I can what I'm doing now. 20:05.604 --> 20:08.307 I know that being an athlete goes super quick. 20:08.307 --> 20:12.211 I mean, I've been jumping professionally since 2019 20:12.778 --> 20:16.148 and which is like weird to think about because it's like five years 20:16.148 --> 20:19.151 just goes so fast trying to just soak in 20:20.052 --> 20:23.055 how amazing it was really to be able to win the Olympics, win 20:23.055 --> 20:25.257 it twice, break the world record at the Olympics 20:25.257 --> 20:27.859 like my biggest childhood dream ever, and I was able to accomplish 20:27.859 --> 20:30.862 like all of that at all, my family and everything. So, 20:31.997 --> 20:35.000 but definitely still motivated to still have a lot of fire. 20:35.033 --> 20:37.369 Still want to keep jumping Monday to play this. 20:37.369 --> 20:39.271 We are glad to have you back home. 20:39.271 --> 20:42.975 You have made Louisiana so, so proud. 20:42.975 --> 20:46.111 So thank you for stopping by LPB and giving us an update 20:46.111 --> 20:48.680 on what's next for you. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. 20:51.250 --> 20:53.652 That was just part of my interview with Mondo. 20:53.652 --> 20:56.555 Now you can watch the full version on our YouTube page. 20:56.555 --> 20:59.558 And I encourage you because he is adorable and so authentic. 21:00.392 --> 21:02.828 Now, Mondo, he continues to rack up 21:02.828 --> 21:05.831 accolades during his recent designation 21:05.831 --> 21:09.334 as a Living Legend by the Acadian Museum in Iraq. 21:09.368 --> 21:13.672 Now the museum hopes to raise funds for a complex downtown 21:13.905 --> 21:17.709 to replace vacant storefronts and attract visitors and local businesses. 21:18.076 --> 21:22.014 Here's a look at the museum's rare collection of Acadian artifacts, 21:22.180 --> 21:25.817 which could foster Iraq's economic future. 21:27.019 --> 21:31.356 The railroad, no longer in service, runs through downtown Erath. 21:31.556 --> 21:34.593 It's a reminder of this once thriving business district. 21:34.860 --> 21:38.263 This town was founded in 1890 when the railroad came through. 21:38.964 --> 21:42.601 Most of the people lived on outlying areas along the bayous. 21:42.734 --> 21:46.038 They just flocked here to be where the action was. 21:46.038 --> 21:48.173 And the businesses started at one time. 21:48.173 --> 21:51.910 There was a small grocery store on every block of the town of Erath. 21:52.110 --> 21:55.914 Population has never been any larger than around 3000 people. 21:55.914 --> 21:59.751 So this was the heart of a thriving community and slowly 21:59.751 --> 22:02.754 people have migrated to other areas. 22:03.055 --> 22:06.124 It's very difficult to obtain flood insurance. 22:06.558 --> 22:10.329 Many of the houses or elevated, you're almost at sea level. 22:10.595 --> 22:13.565 The Acadian Museum is one of the few occupied 22:13.565 --> 22:16.935 buildings along this stretch of vacant storefronts. 22:17.102 --> 22:20.005 It stands as the memory keeper of Iraq's 22:20.005 --> 22:23.008 famous residents and cultural contributions. 22:23.141 --> 22:26.311 Welcome to the Erath Museum. 22:26.745 --> 22:29.681 Beautiful downtown Erath. 22:29.681 --> 22:33.618 Known as the most Cajun place on Earth, Walter Perrin, 22:33.618 --> 22:37.589 author and historian, serves as chairman of the Acadian Museum, 22:37.622 --> 22:42.060 a nonprofit grassroots museum borne from community contributions. 22:42.160 --> 22:47.032 He believes these rooms filled with more than 6000 objects and artifacts, 22:47.199 --> 22:51.169 can serve as a collective economic catalyst for Erath. 22:51.403 --> 22:54.539 We would hopefully be able to create five 22:54.539 --> 22:58.176 satellite museums in walking distance of this museum. 22:58.443 --> 23:02.547 It's a dream that we have to try to use our culture 23:02.547 --> 23:06.051 and our history for economic benefits of all the citizens, 23:06.351 --> 23:09.888 and I think that would be a worthy goal to pursue. 23:10.322 --> 23:12.424 The museum started with this photo. 23:12.424 --> 23:13.458 Warren received it 23:13.458 --> 23:16.762 while practicing law in the building that would later become the Museum. 23:17.095 --> 23:20.098 A client of mine, Miss Reba Duggan, Aaron, 23:20.365 --> 23:24.536 walked in one day carrying this beautiful oval frame. 23:24.803 --> 23:26.638 It's a picture of a young boy. 23:26.638 --> 23:30.642 I said, Miss Nair, tell me about this picture. 23:31.410 --> 23:35.347 Oh, she says, that's one of my cousins, said Richard. 23:36.114 --> 23:37.749 He was about 12. 23:37.749 --> 23:41.386 They were playing one summer hot afternoon, and they dumped 23:41.653 --> 23:45.657 as a joke ice water on his head, and he died of a brain hemorrhage. 23:45.991 --> 23:48.093 And this is all we know about it. 23:48.093 --> 23:51.897 I simply typed, which she told me, and I'll put that in my waiting room. 23:52.798 --> 23:55.801 And everybody wanted to bring me a story and a picture. 23:55.967 --> 23:57.936 That's what started this museum. 23:57.936 --> 24:02.936 The museum's only purchased item comes from Warren, a rare Acadian boy's cape. 24:03.408 --> 24:07.512 It's part of the museum's extensive textile collection, including eight 24:07.512 --> 24:12.512 spinning wheels and 50 blankets woven from brown cotton unique to Louisiana. 24:12.984 --> 24:16.621 Erath was known for its skilled brown cotton weavers. 24:16.955 --> 24:18.690 Cotton was king in Louisiana. 24:19.658 --> 24:22.661 Everybody wanted cotton to make clothes. 24:23.061 --> 24:26.965 It was a market for brown cotton had no market 24:27.499 --> 24:30.836 because the filament is shorter, it's harder to work with. 24:31.169 --> 24:32.003 And it's ugly. 24:32.003 --> 24:35.073 It's not as pretty as beautiful white cotton sheets and bedspread. 24:35.106 --> 24:39.110 So the Cajuns, not wanting to waste anything, decided 24:39.110 --> 24:42.113 to use the brown cotton to make their blankets. 24:43.548 --> 24:46.551 Karen, center of this large room, 24:46.785 --> 24:49.588 an exhibit that people come from all over the world to see. 24:49.588 --> 24:53.191 The renowned, twice nominated Grammy winner, Mr. 24:53.191 --> 24:56.194 Dale miner, was in the Hall of Fame. 24:56.461 --> 25:01.461 Dia was a resident of Erath, and he made a living making chairs in a chair factory. 25:02.100 --> 25:05.971 So music was a sideline, but he became so popular 25:06.171 --> 25:09.274 as a result of one song, la parte de nada. 25:09.274 --> 25:11.610 The Back Door is a classic. 25:11.610 --> 25:14.613 You cannot go to a Cajun dance where they don't play it at least twice. 25:14.880 --> 25:19.050 Louisiana politician Dudley LeBlanc, who grew up in Iraq, invented 25:19.050 --> 25:23.321 how to call a concoction that claimed to cure whatever ailed you. 25:23.455 --> 25:28.226 The former state senator is lauded as a marketing genius of his day. 25:28.560 --> 25:31.997 He would get 18 wheelers, have had a call, and to get into the show 25:31.997 --> 25:34.533 to see these big stars, you had to have two box 25:34.533 --> 25:37.502 tops of how to call created a demand that didn't exist. 25:37.502 --> 25:40.772 Warren was instrumental in authoring a petition hand-delivered 25:40.772 --> 25:44.075 to the British Crown, seeking a formal apology 25:44.075 --> 25:48.747 for the illegal deportation of 15,000 Acadians from Nova Scotia. 25:48.947 --> 25:53.251 A copy of the Queen's Royal Proclamation Apology hangs in the museum. 25:53.318 --> 25:57.022 It establishes a day of commemoration, July 28th, 25:57.055 --> 26:00.725 to honor Acadians who lost their lives in the Ground Zero hours. 26:01.426 --> 26:05.163 It's the sixth time apology was extended 26:05.530 --> 26:08.466 in the 1200 years of the British Empire, 26:09.768 --> 26:12.037 and it's a recognition 26:12.037 --> 26:15.974 that the deportation was done against British laws 26:16.274 --> 26:20.111 leading to the deaths and sufferings of thousands of Acadian people. 26:20.478 --> 26:23.481 A third of the people perished, 26:23.548 --> 26:26.551 and it was our ethnic cleansing, 26:26.585 --> 26:29.588 genocide from those ancestral hardships. 26:29.588 --> 26:32.991 Cajuns emerged as resilient, resourceful people. 26:33.258 --> 26:37.495 Erath is one of Louisiana's few remaining communities, a predominantly 26:37.495 --> 26:42.495 French speaking people, a legacy the town seeks to preserve for future generations. 26:43.034 --> 26:47.372 Erath is a microcosm of what Louisiana is, the way I see it. 26:47.739 --> 26:51.209 We can walk into many of these still existing stores 26:51.409 --> 26:55.113 and they will talk Cajun, French to us if we we start speaking French. 26:55.480 --> 26:59.250 So we're trying to save a lot of the things that makes us unique. 27:00.485 --> 27:01.953 That's our show for this week. 27:01.953 --> 27:06.953 Remember you can watch anything LPB, any time, wherever you are with our LPB app. 27:07.826 --> 27:08.259 That's right. 27:08.259 --> 27:11.496 And you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, as well 27:11.496 --> 27:15.300 as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years. 27:15.300 --> 27:19.170 And please like us on Facebook and Instagram 27:19.170 --> 27:22.273 for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 27:22.474 --> 27:23.575 I'm Karen LeBlanc. 27:23.575 --> 27:25.110 And I'm Dorothea Wilson. 27:25.110 --> 27:27.612 Until next time. That's the state we're in. 27:40.392 --> 27:42.027 Support for Louisiana. 27:42.027 --> 27:45.864 The state we're in is provided by Entergy. 27:45.864 --> 27:48.867 Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state. 27:49.567 --> 27:53.371 We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, 27:53.838 --> 27:57.375 reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us. 27:57.475 --> 28:00.111 Because together, we power life. 28:00.111 --> 28:02.347 Additional support provided by the Fred B 28:02.347 --> 28:05.617 and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum. 28:05.617 --> 28:10.617 Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists 28:10.789 --> 28:14.492 and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana 28:14.893 --> 28:17.896 and by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. 28:18.096 --> 28:21.700 Visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence 28:21.700 --> 28:24.736 in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and viewers like you. 28:25.070 --> 28:25.637 Thank you.