The 2024 Paris Olympics have officially begun, and Louisiana is boasting plenty of Olympians this year, both LSU students and Bayou State natives. 

But we also have no shortage of para-athletes gearing up for their own games beginning on Aug. 28.

One of those athletes is Jillian Elwart, a paracanoe racer getting ready for her Paralympic debut. She is also a certified prosthetist at Shriners Children’s in Shreveport, the same hospital where she was once treated. She joins us to talk about her journey to the Paris Games.

This fall, construction will begin on a long-awaited plan to revitalize the Maurepas Swamp in LaPlace, Louisiana. Located on the route between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the swamp has long been suffering from tangled trees, saltwater intrusion and deforestation that happened decades ago. 

Glenn Ledet, executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, tells us more about the plan dubbed, “River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp.”

Dollar General is changing how people in some of the most rural parts of the country get their groceries. The discount chain now says it sells fresh produce at more stores than any other retailer in the country.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha drove across Alabama to see what this means for towns with few places to buy healthy food.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Ryan Vasquez. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. Matt Bloom and Aubry Procell are assistant producers. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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