Environmental

Three more West Nile deaths have been confirmed in Louisiana -- bringing to nine the number of people who have died from the virus in our state this year.

Anyone who likes to garden will tell you the secret to gardening success is in the soil. My friend and fellow Master Gardener Billie Carroll of Shreveport came up with a recipe for improving her garden soil that pays off with giant vegetables.

Consider using xeriscape landscaping. This is landscaping that conserves the maximum possible amount of water through planning and design, soil preparation, appropriate plant and turf selection, mulching, efficient irrigation, and appropriate maintenance.

Several area SPAR owned, Rock Solid Sports operated pools slated to shut down for the summer, ahead of school beginning. One city pool will remain open through at least mid-September though.

Bossier City fire and police personnel are on the scene of a gas main break on Preston Blvd., just north of Old Minden Road.

Russian model maker Ilia Shvetsov has never been to downtown Shreveport, but you wouldn't know it. The 27-year-old, who lives in a small town outside St. Petersburg, Russia, has just completed a 1-2,000 scale model of Shreveport's downtown.

State transportation officials are examing whether tolls would be a viable option to pay for the completion of Interstate 49 south from Lafayette to New Orleans.

LSU-Shreveport has dedicated its new research station and a classroom at an open house. Director Gary Hanson says the Red River Watershed Management Institute has officially opened the Anderson Watershed Research Station and the Jay Greenleaf Watershed Outreach Classroom.

Northwestern State University will host a session of Energy Camp Louisiana July 9-13. The session is for incoming 10th, 11th and 12th grade students from DeSoto, Natchitoches and Red River parishes. Two sessions for Caddo Parish students will be held June 4-9 and 11-15 at Southern University in Shreveport...

That earthquake that was felt in East Texas this morning, shook, rattled and even rolled  people out of bed. In fact, my two teenage daughters were awakened by the tremors.