THUMBS UP
Naya Ellis and Jayden Marion Hall
have been named National STEM Challenge Champions and will represent New Orleans in April at a national event. The two high schoolers and STEM NOLA fellows are among 126 students to be invited to present projects in Washington, D.C. Ellis, a John F. Kennedy High School freshman, created an affordable watch that monitors for signs of strokes in older individuals. Hall, a Brother Martin High School senior, developed a therapeutic smart shoe capable of customizing foot support for wearers.
THUMBS UP
The Krewe of Freret
will no longer allow plastic beads to be thrown during its parade and launched a new sustainability initiative with New Orleans musician Boyfriend. The krewe said its new policies will keep more than 300,000 pounds of beads and 100,000 single-use plastic wrappers out of landfills and catch basins across the next 10 years.
THUMBS DOWN
Gov. Jeff Landry
proposed a state budget that slashes $7 million normally given to domestic violence shelters. If Landry’s proposed cuts are passed by lawmakers, it would prevent the opening of five new shelters and the expansion of several more, the Louisiana Illuminator reports. Louisiana in 2020 had the fifth-highest female homicide rate in the country.
