Shreveport paracanoe athlete and prosthetist Jillian Elwart prepares for the Paralympics; she brings the dying Maurepas Swamp back to life

The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially underway and Louisiana has a large number of Olympians this year, both LSU students and Bayou State residents.

But we also have no shortage of para-athletes preparing for their own competitions starting on August 28.

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

Construction begins this fall on a long-awaited plan to revitalize Maurepas Swamp in LaPlace, Louisiana. The swamp, which lies on the route between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, has long suffered from tangled trees, saltwater intrusion and deforestation that occurred decades ago.

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

Dollar General is changing the way people in the most rural parts of the country shop for groceries. The discount chain now says it sells fresh produce in more stores than any other retailer in the country.

Gulf States Newsroom’s Stephan Bisaha drove across Alabama to see what this means for cities 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.

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