Texas has a documented long-term water problem and is aggressively planning future supplies. Louisiana has major new industrial and data-center water demands of its own. Because the two states share interconnected river systems, Louisiana should conduct and publicly release a comprehensive study of the cumulative effects before major water commitments are made.

Opinion submitted by a Journal reader


𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁?

Louisiana citizens ought to start asking a question before somebody else answers it for us:

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?

That question matters because Louisiana citizens have watched enormous economic-development projects negotiated under NDAs, public authorities become major players in private industrial development, fights over eminent domain and permanent underground CO₂ injection, massive transmission projects, thousands of acres targeted for solar development, rapidly expanding data centers, and even discussions involving nuclear development and radioactive-waste disposal.

And then there is water.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Researchers at the University of Texas reported in May 2026 that Texas data-center growth could eventually account for 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝟵% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟰𝟬 under a high-growth scenario.

Louisiana is facing many of the same questions as enormous data-center and industrial projects move into our state.

So while everybody asks:

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲?

Maybe Louisiana should also be asking:

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?

𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠.

The Texas Water Development Board adopted its 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, 2026.

Texas estimates that implementing more than 3,000 recommended water-management projects through 2080 will require nearly $174 billion in capital investment.

Even if Texas builds all of those projects, its plan still projects approximately 𝟭.𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟴𝟬.

Texas also warns that without the recommended strategies, roughly one out of every four Texans in 2080 could have less than half of the municipal water supply needed during a drought of record.

Call it pressure, need, shortage, or desperation.

𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁.

𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧.

North Texas already takes water from 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, and additional Texoma conveyance infrastructure is being developed.

Texas planning also identifies additional supplies involving 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 and the proposed 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗿 on the Sulphur River; 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢’ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, which feeds Big Cypress Bayou toward Caddo Lake; and 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 on the Sabine River.

These are not all one project. Some are operating, some proposed, and some are long-range strategies.

But Louisiana should not look at each one in isolation and ignore the cumulative question.

The Sulphur River belongs to the larger Red River drainage system.

Lake O’ the Pines controls flows into Big Cypress Bayou toward 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲, a Texas-Louisiana water system. The Corps of Engineers has documented that reservoir operations altered the natural downstream flow regime enough that special releases have been used to restore portions of that flow.

Texas planning identifies approximately 𝟳𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 from Lake O’ the Pines as a potential North Texas supply strategy and approximately 𝟭𝟮𝟮,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 associated with Wright Patman.

𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘-𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟.

For decades, many Louisiana citizens probably would have laughed if somebody suggested Louisiana might someday discuss selling Toledo Bend water to Texas.

Then it became a real public-policy discussion.

Residents pushed back. Public meetings were held. Controversy followed.

Louisiana law expressly gives the Sabine River Authority power to enter contracts involving the sale, distribution, or consumption of water within or outside Louisiana, subject to required approvals.

So when somebody says:

“Oh, they would never sell our water.”

Louisiana citizens have every reason to ask:

𝗜𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀?

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥?

Nobody has shown us a document saying Texas is going to reroute the Red River.

We are not claiming one exists.

But Texas already takes water from the Red River system and is planning or studying additional supplies from tributaries connected to that regional drainage.

So what happens when you add all of those withdrawals together?

What happens at Shreveport?

What happens at Alexandria?

What happens during drought?

And what happens underground?

The 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 is hydraulically connected to the river in significant areas. When the river rises, water can move into surrounding alluvial sediments and contribute to groundwater recharge and bank storage.

If major upstream withdrawals materially alter river levels, flow duration, or high-water periods, Louisiana needs to know whether recharge could decline, groundwater levels could fall, hydraulic gradients could change, or poorer-quality groundwater could move differently.

Those are not accusations.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲.

𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗢𝗧?

USGS mapping shows that the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

That does not mean the Red River simply pours directly into the Chicot.

It does mean Louisiana’s groundwater systems are not isolated underground tanks.

USGS data show that approximately 𝟱𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 comes from the Chicot aquifer system.

And even if Texas water transfers never directly lower Chicot water levels, another concern remains:

𝗜𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

Cities, agriculture, industry, data centers, and power plants all still need water.

One substitute is more groundwater pumping.

More groundwater pumping means more pressure on the Chicot.

𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗢.

Toledo Bend sits on the Sabine River.

If significant quantities of water are transferred from Toledo Bend or elsewhere in the Sabine system, the concern does not stop at the reservoir shoreline.

The Sabine continues south toward Sabine Lake and the Gulf. Freshwater flow affects salinity, wetlands, fisheries, ecosystems, municipalities, and industry.

Change the amount and timing of freshwater long enough, and downstream systems can change with it.

The Calcasieu is a separate basin, but southwest Louisiana’s water resources do not exist in isolation. If one source becomes less dependable, demand can shift elsewhere.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀.

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬.

Louisiana officials may not like citizens asking these questions.

But they created the atmosphere that makes us ask them.

When citizens repeatedly watch public business conducted under NDAs, they stop assuming silence means nothing is happening.

When enormous projects are negotiated before communities understand them, citizens stop accepting:

“Don’t worry about it.”

Louisiana citizens have watched eminent-domain battles, permanent underground CO₂ injection, huge transmission projects, enormous solar developments, data centers beside rural communities, nuclear and radioactive-waste discussions, and actual discussions about sending Toledo Bend water to Texas.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

That does not mean every rumor is true.

It means:

𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀.

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗔’𝗦 𝗖𝗨𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬?

Texas is identifying reservoirs, pipelines, interbasin transfers, drought strategies, and future supplies while planning for population growth, industrial expansion, and data-center demand.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀?

Where is the cumulative analysis combining Lake Texoma, the Red River, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, the Chicot, industrial growth, data-center demand, and drought?

Maybe such a study exists.

𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰.

If it does not exist, why not?

𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗬. 𝗪𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗦.

Maybe every one of these projects is independent.

Maybe Texas can develop all of these supplies without materially harming Louisiana.

Fine.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

Model it.

Put the numbers on the table.

Show us what happens to the Red River at Shreveport and Alexandria, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, and the Chicot.

Show us what happens under drought conditions.

And model it while accounting for the unprecedented growth in AI data centers, power generation, and industrial development across both states.

Because Louisiana citizens should have learned one lesson by now:

𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁.

Texas is planning for Texas.

Texas is protecting Texas.

Texas is searching for water.

𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮.

Our water feeds our rivers, aquifers, farms, industries, wetlands, wildlife, fisheries, and communities.

It is not simply another commodity.

It belongs in Louisiana’s future.

𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄—𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁, 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮, 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼𝘅

𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦 & 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦

Gulf States Newsroom / WWNO — Louisiana NDAs and major economic-development projects:

https://www.wwno.org/local-regional-news/2026-03-27/a-muzzle-on-elected-officials-ndas-cloak-louisianas-biggest-business-developments

Louisiana Illuminator — Louisiana nuclear-energy campus and radioactive-waste discussion:

https://lailluminator.com/2026/07/29/louisiana-nuclear-campus

University of Texas — Texas data-center growth and projected water demand:

Data Centers Are Growing in Texas, But Big Questions Remain About Water Use

Laredo Morning Times — Laredo water concerns involving data centers:

https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/trevino-laredo-data-center-opposition-neeb-city-22385565.php

Gulf States Newsroom / WWNO — Independent air and water monitoring around Meta’s Louisiana data center:

https://www.wwno.org/public-health/2026-04-13/were-monitoring-the-air-and-water-around-metas-data-center-in-louisiana-heres-why

KALB — Applied Digital Delta Forge water-related documents and Rapides Parish concerns:

https://www.kalb.com/2026/06/25/fact-check-what-early-documents-confirm-about-applied-digitals-data-center-coming-rapides-parish

Texas Water Development Board — 2027 Texas State Water Plan:

https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/swp/2027/index.asp

Texas Water Development Board — 2027 State Water Plan, projected projects, costs and unmet water needs:

https://www.twdb.texas.gov/waterplanning/swp/2027/docs/DraftSWP27-Water-For-Texas.pdf

Region C Water Planning Group — North Texas water-management strategies, including Lake Texoma, Lake O’ the Pines, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Toledo Bend, Red River off-channel storage, and other potential supplies:

https://regioncwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025_01_06-Region-C-Combined.pdf

North Texas Municipal Water District — Texoma Two-Step program; additional pipelines designed to add approximately 90 million gallons per day of Lake Texoma conveyance capacity:

https://www.ntmwd.com/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/126

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Big Cypress Bayou / Caddo Lake Sustainable Rivers Program; documents the downstream connection between Lake O’ the Pines, Big Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake:

https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/sustainablerivers/sites/bigcypress

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Lake O’ the Pines environmental pulse releases designed to reproduce portions of the natural flow regime downstream:

https://www.swf.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/480266/corps-conducts-environment-release-at-lake-o-the-pines

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Lake O’ the Pines / Ferrells Bridge Dam Water Control Manual and environmental-flow information for Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake:

https://water.usace.army.mil/cda/documents/wc/3332/FERRELLS%20BRIDGE%20DAM%20AND%20LAKE%20O%20THE%20PINES%20AND%20WATER%20CONTROL%20MANUAL.pdf

U.S. Geological Survey — Hydrogeologic framework of the Red River alluvial aquifer and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in northwestern Louisiana:

https://www.usgs.gov/publications/hydrogeologic-framework-red-river-alluvial-aquifer-and-carrizo-wilcox-aquifer

U.S. Geological Survey — Detailed hydrogeologic framework and conceptual model of the Red River alluvial aquifer and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer system:

https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/sir20255054/full

U.S. Geological Survey — Relation of water levels in the Red River alluvial aquifer to the Red River, documenting river/aquifer hydraulic relationships:

https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1996/4053/report.pdf

U.S. Geological Survey — Water Use in Louisiana, 2020; approximately 51% of Louisiana groundwater withdrawals came from the Chicot aquifer system:

https://www.usgs.gov/publications/water-use-louisiana-2020

U.S. Geological Survey — Louisiana groundwater withdrawals dataset; approximately 960 million gallons per day, or about 51% of Louisiana groundwater withdrawals, came from the Chicot aquifer system:

https://www.usgs.gov/data/water-withdrawals-louisiana-2020

U.S. Geological Survey — Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System; background on the Chicot aquifer in southwestern Louisiana:

https://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_f/F-text3.html

KALB — Public opposition and discussions involving possible Toledo Bend water sales to Texas:

https://www.kalb.com/2025/07/25/residents-push-back-possible-toledo-bend-water-sale-texas

Louisiana Legislature — Sabine River Authority powers involving water sales, distribution and consumption:

https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=95019

E&E News — Texas water planning and rapidly growing data-center demand:

https://www.eenews.net/articles/texas-water-plan-ignores-data-center-surge-2

Reuters — Meta expansion in Richland Parish:

https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-expands-louisiana-data-center-5-gigawatts-compute-capacity-2026-07-13

Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer

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By Dustin Granger / Reader-submitted opinion

Louisiana has a long history of officials cutting deals with private interests at the public’s expense. During the oil and gas boom, the state left severance tax revenue on the table while enforcement gaps let industry pollute our air, water, and land for decades. Governor Jeff Landry has accelerated that pattern faster than any of his predecessors. He installed an unqualified Secretary of Environmental Quality, then reorganized the Department of Natural Resources into something even statehouse reporters can’t fully explain. This year the legislature signed off on tax breaks and NDAs for AI data centers, keeping voters in the dark about what those companies are getting and what they’re using.

Now it’s SpaceX’s turn, and it’s the biggest giveaway yet.

The Landry administration is negotiating to hand over roughly 130,000 acres on Pecan Island, in Vermilion Parish, for a rocket blast pad, not a research facility, the kind Boca Chica, Texas is still fighting over. That land is reportedly tied to Exxon’s punishment, part of a coastal damages settlement for decades of polluting our marshes, though the settlement itself is sealed by court order. If that reporting holds up, instead of restoring the land, the state is routing it straight to Elon Musk.

Pecan Island is about the worst possible place for this. The coast there has been sinking and washing away for decades, and hurricanes are speeding it up. The site borders two wildlife refuges and some of the best hunting and fishing water left in this state, the kind “Sportsman’s Paradise” was supposed to protect. If this goes through, we can stop pretending coastal restoration is a real priority in Louisiana.

The legislature already greased the wheels this session, passing tax breaks and liability shields for unnamed “aerospace” companies and exempting them from public records requests. So, when something goes wrong, and something eventually will, Louisianans may not have the right to sue, and may not even have the right to know. Now Trump’s FAA wants to waive thirteen federal environmental and health laws, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, so Musk doesn’t have to deal with “regulatory burden.”

We don’t even know the full extent of what Musk stands to gain. We know the eligibility thresholds in the tax break bills, not the actual value of what’s being handed over. Given how this Republican-controlled legislature has handled every other corporate giveaway this year, there’s little reason to think this deal is any different.

Local officials keep telling us we must accept this to “compete.” I don’t buy it. A state that can only land these deals by throwing out the rule of law and hiding negotiations behind NDAs is giving Louisiana away, one 130,000-acre parcel at a time.

Most Louisianans haven’t been told what this deal actually involves. That’s worth being angry about. Ask your legislators what they voted for this spring, and whether they’ll say so publicly.

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Fifth Sundays are an opportunity to gather as one church family, and on Sunday, August 30, First United Methodist Church of Alexandria will celebrate with a special Fifth Sunday Celebration.

Instead of the regular worship schedule, the congregation will come together for one combined worship service at 10 a.m. The morning will bring the church together across worship traditions for a shared time of worship, fellowship, and celebration.

Following the service, everyone is invited to stay for a combined potluck. It will be a chance to enjoy a meal together and spend time with friends, neighbors, and members of the congregation. Whether you regularly attend FUMCA or are simply looking for a welcoming place to connect, the Fifth Sunday Celebration offers an opportunity to experience the church gathered as one community.

The celebration will also include a Ministry Fair, offering an opportunity to discover the many ways people can connect, serve, create, learn, and grow through the life of the church. Representatives from FUMCA ministries will be available to share information, answer questions, and talk about opportunities to get involved.

The Ministry Fair is especially designed for anyone who has wondered, “What is there for me?” Whether your interests are in the arts, fellowship, service, education, outreach, worship, or simply finding a way to connect with others, the fair is a chance to explore the possibilities. You do not have to know where you fit before you come—just come, ask questions, and see what interests you.

The Fifth Sunday Celebration is more than a change to the Sunday schedule. It is an invitation to experience FUMCA as a whole community: worshiping together, sharing a meal, meeting the people who make ministries happen, and discovering new opportunities to participate.

Join FUMCA on Sunday, August 30, at 10 a.m. for the combined worship service, followed by the potluck and Ministry Fair. Come for worship, stay for lunch, and take some time to discover what is happening throughout the church. Visit www.fumca.org for more about the church, our ministries, and our mission.

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Alexandria Man Killed in Third Street Homicide. The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the death of Patrick Battles III, 21, of Alexandria, who died from a gunshot wound sustained in the 3700 block of Third Street on the night of Thursday, August 13. Officers responded to a local hospital at approximately 10:50 p.m. after Battles arrived seeking treatment; he later succumbed to his injuries. The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the APD Detective Division at (318) 441-6416, APD Dispatch at (318) 441-6559, or Crime Stoppers of CenLa at (318) 443-7867.

Pineville Police Seek Public’s Help Locating Runaway Teen. The Pineville Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Betty Bush, 17, who has been reported as a runaway juvenile by her legal guardian. Bush is believed to be in the Pineville or Alexandria area. No additional descriptive information has been released. Anyone with information on Bush’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Pineville Police Department or their local law enforcement agency.

City of Alexandria Events Today — Reignite Initiative and Unitech Open House. The City of Alexandria has two community events scheduled for today, August 18. A Reignite Initiative community engagement session runs from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a Unitech Training Academy open house from 5:45 to 7 p.m. Both events are open to the public.

Phonetic: /eu·​pho·​ni·​ous/

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition

having a pleasant sound

a euphonious name
euphonious harmonies

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Rapides Parish Police Jury Sues Acadian Ambulance Over Response Time Failures. The Rapides Parish Police Jury has filed a 22-count lawsuit in Rapides Parish District Court against Acadian Ambulance Service, the parish’s former sole emergency medical provider for more than 30 years, alleging systematic misreporting of response times over a six-year period. Court documents filed August 12 allege that Acadian improperly omitted an average of one-third of all emergency calls from its monthly compliance reports, citing “excess calls” as justification. After the police jury reviewed 240 compliance reports dating to 2019 and restored the excluded calls, attorneys say Acadian met the required response time standard only 14 times over six years. In areas such as Pineville, where ambulances were required to respond to life-threatening calls within eight minutes, Acadian reportedly met that benchmark as little as 40 percent of the time in some months. Acadian responded that it has reached out on numerous occasions to parish counsel since August 2025 to resolve the dispute and welcomes mediation under fair terms.

Louisiana Board of Ethics Files Suit to Block Ball Mayoral Candidate. The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed an electoral suit in the 9th Judicial District Court challenging Ball Alderman Marc Mercer’s eligibility to appear on the November 3 mayoral ballot. The suit comes after a separate resident challenge was dismissed for lack of evidence earlier this month. The Board of Ethics suit centers on allegations that Mercer failed to disclose outstanding ethics fees on required election documents. An independent review of the Board of Ethics database found Mercer owes approximately $2,975 in assessed fines, fees, and penalties for late campaign finance and personal financial disclosure filings dating to 2019, with an additional $475 referred to the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. Mercer declined to comment, saying he had not yet been served with official court documents.

Oakdale Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Impersonating DEA Agent. John Gueringer, 51, of Oakdale, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. after pleading guilty to impersonating a federal officer. According to court records, on July 22, 2024, Oakdale Police officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence where they encountered Gueringer wearing a lanyard bearing what appeared to be an authentic DEA badge. Gueringer repeatedly identified himself as a federal agent and instructed officers to contact the DEA in an apparent effort to avoid arrest. Investigators confirmed he had no affiliation with the agency. Gueringer admitted he acted with intent to mislead law enforcement.

Phonetic: /jo·​cund/

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition

marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness

a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company …
—William Wordsworth

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BATON ROUGE – The greatest figure in LSU sports history died early Friday morning.

He had a hand in 11 LSU national championships – five as a head baseball coach in 18 seasons, four more when as the school’s athletic director in seven years he hired head coaches who won nattys in four sports and was a mentor after his retirement to another head coach who won two national championships.

The best head college baseball coach ever.

Five nattys in 11 CWS trips. Six SEC championships, 870 wins. Olympic gold and bronze medals. Six-time national Coach of the Year, an award renamed as the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year.

One of the two most influential beacons who sparked the SEC’s rise as the undisputed King of the College World Series, demonstrating to athletic directors throughout the country their schools could have viable baseball programs by hiring the right coach and giving him the resources to win.

Former players, spread throughout the nation, became successful in every field imaginable, from coaching to broadcasting sports, from psychologists to major leaguers to doctors, lawyers, finance managers and bankers, and more. No matter how many years had passed since he shared a dugout with them, they were always “his boys.”

Skip Bertman’s remarkable life ceased at just past 1 a.m. Friday at Baton Rouge General, his three daughters watching as their beloved dad’s heart took its last beat at age 88.

The reaction was predictable. There was sorrow, mixed with gratitude from Omaha to Baton Rouge and throughout college baseball.

“Coach Bertman was so far ahead of his time while leading the LSU Tigers, and as a young coach just starting my journey, I watched, studied, and admired his incredible skills of leading, motivating, teaching, coaching, and ultimately cultivating what became ‘The Powerhouse’ of College Baseball’,” current LSU head baseball coach Jay Johnson said. “Being able to share the 2023 and 2025 national championships with Coach Bertman watching is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.

“The impact he made and legacy he has left on the state of Louisiana and college baseball is beyond remarkable and will never be duplicated.”

Former Mississippi State and Georgia head baseball coach Ron Polk, who teamed with Bertman in elevating SEC baseball, was Bertman’s friend for 60 years.

“We roomed together three summers for USA Baseball, put on 50 or 60 clinics all over the country and went 35-35 against each other,” Polk said. “I’ve been a part of his life and he’s been part of mine for all our coaching careers. I’ve got so many great stories about Skip. I’m going to miss him.”

Everybody Bertman touched as LSU’s head baseball coach, then as athletic director and then a man who simply loved life, will hurt for the next few days.

Then, they will laugh at the memory of how he made them laugh, even when he was honest.

Because they knew he loved them.  He was always “their coach.”

Baseball was just Bertman’s classroom to teach lessons that stretched far beyond the field.

“Coach Bertman would always like to say, ‘We’re getting a Harvard education in baseball,’” longtime LSU manager Russell Rome told former LSU Baton Rouge Advocate beat writer Jim Mashek. “To me, and to a lot of the guys in my time, it was more like a Harvard education in life.”

One of the few positive things Bob Brodhead did in his rocky tenure from 1982 to 1986 as LSU athletic director was hire then-University of Miami associate head coach Bertman to resuscitate a Tigers’ program that was lightly regarded, like most of the SEC schools.

Almost all were embarrassing afterthoughts with miniscule budgets, crumbling facilities and head coaches who pulled double-duty in their athletic departments.

Like Jim Smith, whose side gig was LSU’s head baseball coach from 13 seasons from 1966 to 1979. His main job was the Tigers’ football equipment manager, who often had to make sure the football team was properly equipped daily for spring football practice before heading across Nicholson Drive to coach baseball.

Brodhead, having worked for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, knew had a unique skill set learned from then-Miami head coach Ron Fraser.

Fraser wasn’t just a great coach but also was a master promoter after the school cut his budget.

There were giveaways for everything from trips to Las Vegas (fans had to bring suitcases to the ballpark to leave immediately if they won) to a free heart procedure.

Bertman brought some that same chutzpah as soon as he arrived at LSU in early summer 1983.

“The first meeting at LSU I had with a small group of baseball boosters called the Coaches Committee, they asked me what I wanted,” Bertman once recalled. I said, ‘I want a clean women’s restroom with diaper changing table.’

“They thought I was crazy. I tried to explain to them that if Momma doesn’t come to the game, nobody comes. If Momma can’t enjoy the restroom and change the baby, nobody comes.”

In his first five years, he conducted clinics across the state along with an assistant for 10 straight weeks during the season on the Tigers’ off day on Monday after a weekend series.

It built in his in-state talent base for the Tigers’ remarkable of national titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and finally 2000.

Simultaneously, he had to educate a fan base that added newbies every year that the program took another step forward.

First, they had to learn his name. Many fans called him `Slip Bertram.’”

“I’d hear fans scream `Hey Bertram these referees stink’,” Bertman remembered. “I’d say ‘They’re not referees. They’re called umpires and they stink pretty bad.’ ”

As LSU piled up wins, national championships and led the nation in attendance to provide revenue, athletic directors around the SEC and nation began calling then-LSU athletic director Joe Dean. They wanted to know how LSU turned baseball into a moneymaker. Dean just sent the calls to Bertman, who was happy to pass on his blueprint to eager ADs his blueprint.

That was the liftoff for SEC baseball. New stadiums were built, old ones were given facelifts and salaries were raised to draw better coaches.

Since 1990, 11 SEC schools have combined to win winning 18 national titles and finish runner-up 12 times. Six national championship games or CWS title series matched two SEC teams.

When Bertman retired as head coach and transitioned to athletic director in 2001 replacing the retiring Dean, he hired four national title winning coaches during his tenure.

They were Les Miles (football), Dennis Shaver (track and field), Chuck Winstead (men’s golf) and Paul Mainieri (baseball).

Before retiring as athletic director in 2008, Bertman pushed through plans for the construction of a new Alex Box Stadium.

It opened in 2009, the field was named in his honor in 2013 and a statue of Bertman was erected in front of the stadium in 2019.

Bertman gave a 15-minute speech at the unveiling ceremony. It ended with a line that many of his former players in the crowd knew by heart and mouthed the words as he spoke.

“If you vividly imagine, heartily desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act on it every day, it will come to pass,” Bertman said.

And it did.

Rest in peace Skip.

You were the greatest.

But you already knew that.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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COMMENTARY by DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

One of the endless list of great things about Skip Bertman: he was always willing to help.

Not just at LSU, where he was the architect of a baseball dynasty that has continued a quarter century after he left the dugout; and where he was the athletic director who fostered the still-running golden era of Tiger sports.

Not just in Baton Rouge.

Or even Louisiana. He is treasured in his hometown of Miami, around the Southeastern Conference, in Omaha, and at every level of college baseball from coast to coast, border to border.

But most of all, in every corner of Louisiana.

We’re reading and watching and hearing tributes pour in from every seat, from inside the dugout with him to the left field bleachers and far outside the ballpark, after he passed away early Friday morning, surrounded by family, at age 88.

From big leaguers to players and coaches on little league teams, there is a bottomless trove of tales about conversations with consequences, wit and wisdom passed along, kindnesses extended, and Midas touch moves that won games, and hearts.

They’re not just tinted purple and gold.

You can count on one finger times the fan base of Tulane’s Green Wave has good memories of anything LSU did. But for years, and especially today, they recall how minutes after his final game as LSU’s coach, a loss to Tulane in a 2001 regional final that lifted Rick Jones’ team to its first College World Series, Bertman took the occasion to speak to those young men, praising their accomplishments to that point and encouraging them to soak in the Omaha experience, and sparkle in it.

The people were always more important to him. Right alongside the game, and upholding its code of respect.

What he did to nurture baseball around Louisiana is profound. Until Bertman got LSU out of the doldrums, college baseball didn’t exactly capture the attention of people from Shreveport to Thibodaux, or Lake Charles to Ruston and Monroe.

He hired coaches from here. He recruited players from here. He took his teams everywhere, and welcomed the state’s colleges to Alex Box Stadium. Because it was good for everybody.

Bertman played local teams in their ballparks, from Tigue Moore Field at USL/UL Lafayette  to Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches, at Sheehee Stadium on Centenary’s campus, from J.C. Love Field in Ruston to Ray Didier Field in Thibodaux. His teams broke a barrier when they drove across town to visit Roger Cador’s Southern Jaguars. He brought the Tigers to Fair Grounds Field in Shreveport, venerable Bringhurst Park in Alexandria, and would have happily played in an empty rice field in Crowley if asked.

The year after Airline High School product Todd Walker led LSU to the 1993 CWS crown, Bertman welcomed Billy Allgood’s NAIA Louisiana College Wildcats to the Box. It turned out to be an historic night when LC prevailed 7-5, the first and only time an NAIA team beat a reigning NCAA champ. It wasn’t a catastrophe. Those Tigers got back to Omaha, one of 11 visits there, five ending in glory.

The last CWS triumph came in 2000, four months after Houston swept a three-game series at LSU, and sports talk radio lit up with angry fans. The game’s passed him by, said one caller. Not at all. Not ever.

Former Northwestern State coach John Cohen will forever remember the sight of Bertman bounding across the grassy I-49 median near Bunkie, after LSU’s team bus broke down and Skip was due to speak at a pregame fundraiser in Natchitoches. For love of the game, to help a young coach lift up his program.

Another NSU coach, the Demons’ version of Neil Armstrong, owes his incredible career to Bertman. Bossier City native Jim Wells became a College Baseball Hall of Famer after massive turnarounds with the Demons and Alabama’s Crimson Tide. And after he was Skip’s assistant from 1987-89.

“You start thinking about people who impact our life, and there aren’t that many outside of your parents. Coach Bertman was right up there,” Wells told NSU publicist Jason Pugh Friday.

“When he got hired at LSU. I was coaching Loyola (College Prep in Shreveport) and the All-City Team comes out. (Next to that story in) the right-hand corner, I read, ‘LSU hires Skip Bertman from Miami.’ I didn’t know Skip Bertman, but I know Miami is good. I started writing him from then on, and I finally got on his staff. It’s crazy to think I became good friends with him, and he became such a big part of my life.”

In those formative three seasons with the Tigers, Wells soaked in every moment. When he applied for the Northwestern job in 1989, Bertman made a pitch to NSU president Bobby Alost, and Demon baseball was forever elevated because Wells noticed everything his mentor did.

“Everyone knows he was brilliant and a great coach, but he had a great sense of humor. He was one of the funniest people in the world. A day didn’t go by when I didn’t think of things he said in meetings and how he coached the team. I used to love to stand beside him and pick up what he said, even if it was just him mumbling to himself.

“Every time we played each other, we would get together for lunch. My assistants would get mad at me. Once we were lucky enough to beat them, and he asked me a question about something in the game, and I told him. My assistants said, ‘Coach, we’ve got to play them again.’ It didn’t matter. Whatever he asked me, I couldn’t not answer. I couldn’t disappoint him.”

Because Skip Bertman rarely, if ever, disappointed anyone else.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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By BILL FRANQUES, LSU Sr. Associate Communications Director (Baseball)

BATON ROUGE —  J. Stanley “Skip” Bertman, the legendary LSU baseball coach and athletics director whose innovative vision significantly impacted the state of Louisiana, its flagship university, and the evolution of collegiate athletics, passed away early Friday morning in Baton Rouge. He was 88 years old.

Bertman, born in Detroit, Mich., on May 23, 1938, and raised in Miami Beach, Fla., arrived at LSU in the summer of 1983 and guided the Tigers to five NCAA national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000) and 11 College World Series appearances during his 18-season tenure (1984-2001) as baseball coach before working as athletics director for seven years.

As athletics director, he hired four coaches who won national championships at LSU – Les Miles (football), Paul Mainieri (baseball), Chuck Winstead (men’s golf) and Dennis Shaver (men’s and women’s track & field) – and led LSU Athletics when Nick Saban and Miles won BCS football crowns.

Bertman was instrumental in the implementation of new fundraising methods that changed the trajectory of LSU Athletics.

Bertman is survived by his daughters, Jan, Jodi and Lori, and by his grandchildren, Sophie, Isaac, Sam and Ezra. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Dr. Lisa Jo Pate, and by his wife of 63 years, Sandy, who passed away in March 2025. Skip and Sandy met in 1961 when both were working as teachers at Madie Ives Elementary School in Miami, Fla. The couple was engaged three months later and married on February 11, 1962.

“Few people have had a greater impact on LSU,” said LSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry, who played football for the TIgers in Bertman’s early years as baseball coach. “As the greatest college baseball coach of all-time, and later as our Athletics Director, Skip developed a championship standard and culture that still guide us today. Personally, he was a dear friend, mentor and advisor, and I’m forever grateful for the trust and faith he placed in me to serve this institution. I will continue to honor Skip by leaning into the lessons he taught me every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this time.”

Bertman arrived in Baton Rouge with a vision to transform LSU into the nation’s elite college baseball program. He was hired after a highly successful eight-year stint at his alma mater, the University of Miami, where he served as associate head coach and helped the Hurricanes to five CWS appearances, including the 1982 national title. His early coaching career was highlighted by his 1970 Miami Beach High School team, which claimed the Florida state championship.

He was determined to create the same atmosphere of excellence at LSU that he thrived in at Miami. He knew that he would face many challenges in rebuilding a program that was averaging less than 500 fans per game in an aging Alex Box Stadium.

He overhauled every aspect of LSU Baseball and developed a dynasty during 18 remarkable seasons. He demonstrated to athletics directors around the country that college baseball could be a profitable enterprise through dedicated attention to every detail involving academics, facilities, recruiting, marketing and, of course, winning baseball games. 

Backed by tremendous community support and the determined work ethic of assistant coaches and players, Bertman made “Baseball At The Box” a must-see event, as thousands poured through the turnstiles at a renovated Alex Box Stadium to inspire the Tigers to win championships.

Bertman compiled an 870-330-3 (.724) record at LSU, leading the Tigers to five national championships and 11 CWS berths. He is one of only three coaches in NCAA Division I history to win five College World Series titles, and he was voted National Coach of the Year in 1986, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000. 

He coached at LSU 41 players who advanced to Major League Baseball, and three players who have joined him as inductees in the College Baseball Hall of Fame – pitcher Ben McDonald, second baseman Todd Walker and first baseman Eddy Furniss.

Today, college baseball enjoys unprecedented popularity throughout the nation in large part due to Bertman’s unrelenting commitment to greatness. LSU has led the nation in attendance 26 times since 1996, averaging over 11,000 tickets sold per game.

Bertman also enjoyed success at the international level, serving as the head coach of the 1996 United States Olympics team that claimed the bronze medal in Atlanta. He was the pitching coach of the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad the captured the gold medal in Seoul.

Bertman served as Director of Athletics at LSU from 2001-08, leading one of the greatest periods of facility growth and athletic accomplishments in the history of the institution. He supervised a highly successful 20-sport program during a period that featured football national championships in 2003 and 2007. 

Upon his retirement as baseball coach in 2001, his No. 15 jersey was retired at LSU, and the street in front of the original Alex Box Stadium was re-named Skip Bertman Drive. The playing surface at the new, state-of-the-art Alex Box Stadium, which opened in 2009, was named  Skip Bertman Field” in 2013.

Bertman was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

He became a pillar of the Baton Rouge community, serving on numerous philanthropic organizations such as United Way, Cancer Services and the Alzheimer’s Association, and he was honored by organizations like the Arthritis Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America and the Anti-Defamation League.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced as soon as they become available.

Contact Bill at wfranqu@lsu.edu

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Cleco Addresses Community Concerns Over Data Center Power and Rates. As debate over the Applied Digital Delta Forge 1 data center in Boyce continues among residents, Cleco moved this week to directly address concerns about electricity costs and grid reliability. The utility’s chief commercial officer stated that large industrial customers like data centers help reduce costs for existing ratepayers by absorbing infrastructure expenses that would otherwise be spread across the broader customer base. Cleco confirmed that Applied Digital will fund all additional power lines and substations required to connect to the grid, with no cost passed to residential or business customers. The company also addressed reliability concerns, noting that any infrastructure upgrades built to serve the data center benefit all system customers. Louisiana currently ranks fourth-lowest in retail electricity costs nationally, a standing Cleco said it does not expect to change as a result of the project.

Pollock Police Department Under Investigation Following Audit. Grant Parish law enforcement officials are investigating two Pollock police officers after a municipal audit found money missing from a donor transaction tied to the purchase of a police vehicle. According to the audit, a Pollock officer solicited $49,100 from an unnamed donor for a new law enforcement vehicle, but only $41,157 was wired toward the purchase, leaving approximately $7,942 unaccounted for. Auditors concluded the officer may have retained the remaining funds, characterizing the transaction as a possible misappropriation in violation of Louisiana law. The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed it received a criminal complaint and has opened an investigation. The story comes as Pollock Police Chief Chris Paul remains under separate charges of malfeasance in office, stemming from his April 2026 arrest for allegedly directing officers to patrol and make arrests outside the town’s jurisdiction near the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock.

Tropical Storm Cristobal Forms — Central Louisiana Monitoring. Tropical Storm Cristobal formed in the Atlantic on Wednesday, August 12, as the National Hurricane Center continues to track two additional systems in the Atlantic basin, including one with an 80 percent chance of development. No watches or warnings are in effect for Louisiana at this time.

ASH Trojans Football Season Opens Under the Lights Despite Virtual School Start. Alexandria Senior High School’s football program is generating regional attention heading into the 2026-2027 season, with outside expectations placing the Trojans among the top teams in Louisiana. The team’s season opener is expected to proceed on schedule despite ASH students beginning the academic year in virtual instruction due to the ongoing asbestos remediation on campus.

Phonetic: /bi·​fur·​cate/

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition

to cause to divide into two branches or parts

bifurcate a beam of light

to divide into two branches or parts

The stream bifurcates into two narrow channels.

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JOURNAL STAFF

The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance expanding administrative enforcement powers for city code violations and voted to proceed with the condemnation and demolition of a blighted downtown structure that officials say has remained neglected for nearly three decades.

Meeting in regular session following a committee hearing, the council adopted an amendment to Chapter 7 of the city code allowing administrative hearing officers to adjudicate a broader range of civil infractions, including zoning, vegetation, property maintenance, drainage, and permitting violations.

The local ordinance aligns with Act 612 of the 2026 Louisiana Legislative Session, which expanded administrative adjudication authority for municipalities under 70,000 in population.

Planning Director Daniel Smith told council members that the updated framework will streamline enforcement by shifting routine civil disputes out of Alexandria City Court, where zoning non-compliance was previously prosecuted as a misdemeanor.

“We’ve had certain zoning cases that we prosecuted in city court as misdemeanors. That can be time-consuming; it’s not very efficient,” Smith said. “Really, we’re trying to get people to address violations that are more civil in nature.”

Under the newly adopted measure, hearing officers may issue fines of up to $500 per violation. Decisions rendered by an administrative hearing officer may be appealed to the 9th Judicial District Court under civil appellate standards. The ordinance passed with one dissenting vote from Councilman At-Large Jules R. Green.

In other business, the council addressed community development concerns during a public hearing regarding a commercial property located at 1505 Second St.

City inspectors informed the council that the property has been subject to code enforcement action since 1997, when the city first issued a notice recommending rehabilitation. The city issued a formal demolition recommendation in September 2025.

Property owner Richard Holloway requested an additional continuance, stating that he had been in discussions with an organization aiming to secure grant funding to convert the building into a housing facility for homeless veterans.

However, city inspectors and neighboring property managers raised safety and health concerns, reporting that the building remained unsealed and was being occupied by unauthorized individuals.

“It’s a hazard because children walking up and down coming downtown all the time have to pass by there,” said Richard Horton, who manages commercial property across from the site.

The council voted to proceed with the condemnation order, giving the property owner 30 days to begin substantial permitted work or demolish the building. If no action is taken within the 30-day window, the city will issue a contract for demolition and place a tax lien on the property to recover costs.

In additional action, the council:

• Approved a series of equipment and maintenance contracts, including turnout gear for the Alexandria Fire Department and electric utility distribution maintenance.
• Granted rezoning requests for properties on England Drive and Harmon Lane to accommodate expanded commercial and residential uses.
• Voted to co-sponsor the Arts Council of Central Louisiana Fall Art Walk scheduled for October 2026.
• Delayed final adoption on two bids regarding single-phase transformers for two weeks at the request of the city administration.

Alexandria Man Sentenced to Over 22 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Firearm Charges. United States District Judge Jerry Edwards Jr. sentenced Dequavious Wagner, 32, of Alexandria, to 270 months — approximately 22.5 years — in federal prison on August 4 after Wagner pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He also received five years of supervised release. According to court records, RPSO began investigating Wagner in early May 2025 as one of Central Louisiana’s largest suspected narcotics traffickers. On May 6, 2025, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a white Ram 2500 used by Wagner and discovered an aftermarket compartment welded to the undercarriage containing more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl pills, and marijuana. Case Number: 26-00165.

Optimum: Vandalism Caused Alexandria Service Disruptions. Optimum confirmed that vandalism to its fiber infrastructure caused widespread internet and cable service disruptions in Alexandria on the morning of Sunday, August 10. The company said it is investigating the incident.