Local

Twenty teens from military families across Louisiana participated in a new leadership camp expressly for teenagers, put on by the LSU AgCenter's 4-H Youth Development program. Half of the teens came from central Louisiana. One activity involved making videos aimed at raising public awareness of military kids.

The Women's Center of East Texas is hosting a conference exploring the exploitation of youth and young adults. Brooke Wyatt, the center's nonresidential projects director, says Houston is a major hub for trafficking and that spills over into East Texas and Louisiana. She says three youth were recently rescued in the Longview area. The conference is titled "The Exploitation of Our Society." It's set for Friday, Aug. 3, at Fellowship Bible Church in Longview.

Prospective students of LSU Shreveport have until Wednesday to apply to the school to be considered for the Free Ride scholarship program for fall semester. The incentive that launched in November covers tuition at LSUS, when combined with the state-funded merit scholarship known as TOPS. LSUS officials say about half of the students admitted for fall have been offered a free ride scholarship, and the program could be credited for stabilizing enrollment.