596. Myra Lavigne. Rise St. James

596. Today we talk to Myra Lavigne, a volunteer with Rise St. James. Rise St. James is a faith-based grassroots organization that is fighting for environmental justice as it works to defeat the proliferation of petrochemical industries in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Nicknamed “Cancer Alley” for the above-average rates of cancer there, the area is home to a high concentration of polluting industries. Despite this, the state has plans to expand this chemical corridor with dozens more factories. Led by Sharon Lavigne, 2021’s Goldman Environmental Prize winner, Rise St. James galvanized community opposition and successfully defeated the construction of a $1.25 billion plastics manufacturing plant in 2018. The group is currently fighting to prevent Formosa Plastics from building a massive multibillion-dollar plastics plant in the parish.

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 220 years. Order your copy today!
   
2. This week in Louisiana history. October 19, 1803. Louisiana Purchase Treaty ratified by senate by a vote of 24-7.
   
3. This week in New Orleans history. October 20, 1991 Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke wins a spot in the runoff election for governor of Louisiana, ultimately losing to Edwin Edwards.
   
4. This week in Louisiana.
   National Fried Chicken Festival
   Franklin Ave. and Lakeshore Drive
   New Orleans, LA 70122
   October 5-6, 2024
   11:00 am — 9:00 pm
   Named 6th Best Speciality Food Festival
   USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards
       Founded in 2016 in New Orleans, the National Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) presented by Raising Cane’s is a two-day outdoor festival bringing together hundreds of thousands from across the nation around a shared love of great food, music, and culture. Last fall the festival attracted a record-breaking 123,000 attendees from across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and the entire U.S. to celebrate and enjoy the iconic Southern dish.
       General Admission tickets start as low as $5 with upgraded options starting at $39 for the unlimited Beer Garden and $79 for the VIP lounges.
   
5. Postcards from Louisiana. Secret Bandwagon plays at the Marigny Brasserie on Frenchmen St. 

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