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ROOKIE QB SHOUGH’S HEROICS EARN THE SAINTS WIN OVER BUCS 1C THE

ACADIANA

ADVOCATE

T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M

Louisiana schools get a chance to shine

M o n d ay, d e c e M b e r 8, 2025

$2.00X

BRING ON THE BOIL

State’s residents and restaurants prepare for ‘optimistic’ crawfish season

State’s new grading system rewards for student growth

New law lowers amount of THC in products

BY PATRICK WALL

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL

Staff writer

Principal Jenenne Coulon was observing a teacher’s lesson last month when text messages came pouring in. School grades had been released. For Louisiana educators, the annual school ratings can inspire delight or dread — a year’s worth of grueling work condensed to a single A-F grade, which the public often sees as shorthand for whether a given school is “good” or “bad.” This year was especially nerve-wracking as the state issued, in addition to schools’ official grades, simulated scores based on a tougher rating system that takes effect next year. Coulon ran back to her office at Judge Lionel R. Collins Elementary School and pulled up the grades. The Marrero school, where about 90% of students are economically disadvantaged, had seen its rating fall to a D last year after taking in about 100 students from two shuttered campuses. But this year, things drastically improved: Not only did Collins land on the state’s list of top-growing schools, boosting its official rating to a C, but its simulated grade was a B — the highest in Coulon’s decade leading the school. She shrieked and cried, then collected herself before making a schoolwide announcement. Finally, the grade reflected the school she knows, where educators strive with each lesson, tutoring session and pep talk to push students steadily forward.

ä See SCHOOLS, page 5A

Feds could upend La. hemp industry Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL DUNLAP

Angie Roches pours cooked crawfish into a container at University Seafood on Saturday. The 2026 crawfish season in south Louisiana looks like it will be normal, according to LSU AgCenter crawfish extension agent Todd Fontenot. BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

After a moderately dry and warm fall season, crawﬁsh are starting to emerge from their burrows and land in boiling pots across Acadiana. Todd Fontenot, an LSU AgCenter crawﬁsh extension agent based in Acadia Parish, said he is “optimistic for the season” — although he resists delving into prediction, saying that the lifecycle of these crustaceans is extremely weather-dependent. “We’re expecting a normal season, barring any adverse weather conditions,” he said. “Last year, we were very fortunate. We had some severe cold, very short-lived, and a record-breaking snow, and fortunately we came out of all that really well. But those kinds of things can change your season, practically overnight.”

Last January, historic blizzard conditions in Louisiana dropped up to 10 inches of snow in the Lafayette area, around 7 inches in Baton Rouge and the highest recorded total of over 13 inches near Grand Coteau. Fontenot said the anomalous snowfall, stretching across the heart of crawfish country, had little impact on last year’s season, beyond delaying the emergence of some crawﬁsh. “We were very fortunate that hit when it did,” he said. “Last year, our yields were definitely not record-breaking, but much better than the year of the drought.” During summer 2023, intense heat and extremely low precipitation across the state led to $290 million in agricultural losses, according to professors Paul Miller and Matt Hiatt, of the Department of Oceanography

ä See CRAWFISH, page 5A

Part of the federal spending bill that ended a historic government shutdown could also put an end to hemp-derived THC products in Louisiana. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp and created a loophole that effectively legalized the psychoactive chemical THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, found in the plant. The bill led to a burgeoning industry in Louisiana producing edibles, drinks and tinctures, with some companies based in Lafayette Parish. A new federal ban is expected to take effect in the next 12 months, and if nothing changes from now, those businesses say they could lose everything. That threat had Dwayne Dugas, owner of Blue Basin Canna, focused on his television as lawmakers in Washington sought to end the federal shutdown. “It became a daily job for me,” Dugas said. “Pretty much glued to the TV, emailing people, making social media posts for everybody to email and call their congressman.” Currently, state law caps products at 5 milligrams of THC per item, with retailers only allowed to sell gummies in packs of eight. The new federal law would prevent the sale of intoxicating hempderived and hemp-based products and would limit total THC per container to 0.4 milligrams. It would limit THC content to no more than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis.

ä See HEMP, page 5A

GOP senator advocates releasing video of boat strike Some experts criticize U.S. actions near Venezuela

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Judge Lionel R. Collins Elementary Principal Jenenne Coulon walks with second grader Indie Girard at the school in Marrero on Wednesday.

WEATHER HIGH 55 LOW 47 PAGE 12C

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

A video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows “nothing remarkable,” the Republican

2 attack. It was the ﬁrst who leads the Senate in what has become a Intelligence Commitmonthslong series of tee said Sunday, and he American strikes on veswould not oppose its public release if the Pentasels near Venezuela that the administration says gon were to declassify it. were ferrying drugs. Arkansas Sen. Tom CotAt least 87 people have ton, who backs President been killed in 22 known Donald Trump’s cam- Cotton strikes. paign against suspected But Cotton, among the top drug smugglers, is partially aligning himself with Trump lawmakers on national security and top Democrats in favor of committees who were briefed releasing the video of the Sept. Thursday by the Navy admiral

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commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in carrying out a second strike to kill the two survivors. The nine others aboard the boat also were killed. “I think it’s really important that this video be made public. It’s not lost on anyone, of course, that the interpretation of the video ... broke down precisely on

ä See STRIKE, page 5A

101ST yEAR, NO. 161