| BY CHAD CALDER | Staff writer |
Thanks for starting your day with Morning Headlines. Here are some of our top stories. Population drain: Louisiana's population has been plunging for the past three years, and it's happening all over the state and in urban and rural parishes alike, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. While some of the steepest declines are in hurricane-ravaged areas, the pervasive nature of the decrease, and the fact that it is otherwise not caused by a specific event, has one demographer concerned. Jeff Adelson has the details. Of sewage and skeeters: In St. Tammany Parish, one species of disease-carrying mosquito has been thriving despite all attempts to beat it back with insecticide. One entomologist decided to figure out why, and all signs point to the parish's roughly 600 miles of sewerage-filled drainage ditches. What's going on? We've got old-school bug science, "sentinel chickens" and mosquito ovaries that look like hurled spaghetti. Don't miss Alex Lubben's report from the northshore. New dispensary: Louisiana's 10th licensed medical marijuana dispensary is opening its doors in Kenner this week. Crescent City Therapeutics is run by Lovie Rodgers, the first Black woman to have an ownership stake in a medical marijuana pharmacy in the state, maybe even the country. Marie Fazio has the story. Check out all the latest news, sports and entertainment coverage from The Times-Picayune. Chad | 