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Abraham named to CDC post
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La. surgeon general to be second in command
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN staff writer
Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, who has come under scrutiny for ending mass vaccination campaigns in the state and casting doubts about COVID-19 vaccines, has been named second in command at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Abraham, a physician and former U.S. congressman who ran for governor in 2019, became the state’s Abraham first surgeon general in June 2024, when Gov. Jeff Landry tapped him for the position. He previously served as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health under Landry. “It’s a bittersweet day in Louisiana. While we are certainly sad to lose Dr. Abraham here in Louisiana, we are thrilled to see the CDC gain a selfless leader,” Landry said in a statement, adding that Abraham did an “impeccable” job as surgeon general. “He helped lead our state to the forefront of the Make America Healthy Again movement. There is no better advocate for health freedom than Ralph Abraham,” Landry added. Abraham didn’t immediately return requests for comment. A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Abraham’s appointment but did not comment further. Formerly a veterinarian, Abraham became a doctor at 40 after attending the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. He once served in the Army National Guard and represented Louisiana in Congress from 2015 to 2020. As surgeon general, he was tasked with advising the state on its health
staFF PHoto By JaVIer GaLLeGos
sagrera Farms owner shawn sagrera poses for a picture with farmhands Miller Mayes, left, abraham Gonzalez, right, and some of the cattle on the farm earlier this month.
east Feliciana cattle farm succeeds doing things the old-fashioned way BY MADDIE SCOTT staff writer
When Shawn Sagrera was 6, his dad told him he could pick out any cow to be his own. That was the day he became a fourth-generation Louisiana cattle farmer. Now, his family legacy continues in Sagrera Farms in East Feliciana Parish. “I’m so fortunate to have this legacy, this family history of raising cattle,” Sagrera said. The sun had just risen on a chilly early November morning at Sagrera Farms in Ethel. With the dew sparkling on the grass, owner Shawn Sagrera held a hand-
ful of fermented cow feed to his nose, inhaling the grain’s sweet aroma. A tractor delivered it to the troughs seconds before. “Smell that,” Sagrera said, holding a handful of chopped feed that’s 17% protein. “It’s sweet. How beautiful.” Twice a day, the feed nourishes Angus cattle in the last six months of their lives, a key step in forming high levels of intramuscular fat that make the beef abundantly marbled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture grades beef in three categories — select, choice and prime — by taking a 2-inchby-2-inch cut between the 12th and 13th rib of the cow and measuring the per-
centage of intramuscular fat. Anything with a beef marbling score above 9% is considered prime. Sagrera has more than doubled the prime minimum with measurements up to 20%. The Louisiana rancher does things the old-fashioned way, selling half or whole cows off the farm. The meat can’t be found in grocery stores or farmers markets, but there’s one Baton Rouge restaurant, Supper Club, where diners can get a taste. He’s even caught the eye of chef John Folse. A few years ago, Sagrera brought a few cuts of meat to Folse’s
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ä see ABRAHAM, page 6A
BR businesses rounding cash sales end of penny production prompts change
While 114 billion pennies are still in circulation, some local grocers have instituted rounding policies for cash transactions and nixed the 1-cent coin from their daily tenders. Brett Deville, an BY IANNE SALVOSA assistant manager at Calanstaff writer dro’s Supermarket, said the After the U.S. Mint pro- Government Street store duced its last penny earlier began adjusting cash transthis month, local retailers actions to the nearest nickel are rounding up prices and last month. preparing for shortages of Transactions ending in 1 the copper coin. or 2 cents will round down
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to zero, transactions ending in 3 to 7 cents will round to 5 cents and transactions ending in 8 or 9 cents will round up to 10. Noncash transactions will not be affected. Deville said the store made the decision after its bank sent out a message to the grocer stating it would no longer be using pennies. Calandro’s customers cannot pay with pennies, and cashiers will not use pennies when giving change. The
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store still has some pennies to round out deposits for accounting. Less than a quarter of their sales are cash, so the store hasn’t noticed much of a difference. “We have not seen the full impact yet,” Deville said. President Donald Trump ordered his administration to halt penny production in February after the cost of making the coin jumped
assoCIateD Press FILe PHoto By Matt sLoCUM
U.s. treasurer Brandon Beach holds one of the last pennies ä see PENNY, page 6A pressed at the U.s. Mint in Philadelphia on Nov. 12.
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Nation-World ........... 2A opinion ................... 4B sports ..................... 1C
101st year, No. 149
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