Jessica Torricelli

Monroe

Morning Anchor at KNOE-TV (Monroe, LA)

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Articles

2 Cars 2 Winners: Wilder Family!

Aug 29, 2024 | ourcommunitynow.com | Jessica Torricelli

ShareMONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Harvey, Gordon, and Ezra Wilder! These fun-loving, adventurous six-year-olds are healthy and hitting milestones at the top of their age group. It’s a stark contrast to when they came into this world at 27 weeks and six days. Katie Wilder says she was doing well throughout her pregnancy. After a visit with friends, Katie and Brandon Wilder knew something had changed.
Zoo Buddy: Goffin’s Cockatoo!

Aug 20, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Rocky! He’s a Goffin’s Cockatoo at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo. “So goffin’s cockatoos are usually found in Indonesia,” says zookeeper Cheyenne Speights. “And these guys actually are really important to the environment just with, you know, seed propagation with them distributing through their feces. But these guys are near threatened in their area. And that’s mainly because of deforestation.”Rocky was donated from a member of the public who had him as a pet.
Two Cars Two Winners: South Family!

Aug 7, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Josiah South made a trip back to where it all started - the St. Francis Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He donated 85 blankets for other premature babies, signifying the 85 days he spent in the hospital as a newborn. Josiah stayed in the St. Francis NICU for 80 days before moving to Shreveport for another five days. “It felt great to do it because I had to give back to the community that helped me,” says nine-year-old Josiah.
Zoo Buddy: Catalina Macaws! Plus, a surprise guest!

Jul 30, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Peaches! She’s a Catalina macaw at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe. They’re a hybrid between a Blue and Gold macaw and a Scarlet macaw, which are found in South and Central America. You can find them in the wild since the species live in the same region, but General Curator Lisa Taylor says you’re more likely to see this bird in the pet trade. Peaches is very vocal and loves to interact with people.
Zoo Buddy: Capybaras!

Jul 23, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Check out these capybaras! There are two of them at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe. You can find them in an exhibit near the splash pad. “These guys are from South America, Brazil, and other parts of South America,” explains General Curator Lisa Taylor. “And they are semi-aquatic rodents, believe it or not, so they’ve got to live close to the water.
Zoo Buddy: Baby Whistling Ducks!

Jul 9, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet this group of baby whistling ducks! There are many adults that roam the lagoon at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe, and it’s the season where many people find babies in their yards. General Curator Lisa Taylor says many people are finding these ducklings this time of year and that’s why they’re raising about ten of them now. Taylor says when they’re young they’re more of a black and yellow color, which helps them camouflage.
Zoo Buddy: Southern Flying Squirrel!

Jul 2, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Gina Marie! She’s a southern flying squirrel at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe. General Curator Lisa Taylor says you don’t see them often because they’re nocturnal, but there are many of them in Louisiana. She says their large eyes help them see at night and long whiskers help them navigate tree branches. “These guys love to eat a lot of seeds and nuts and fruits and things like that,” says Taylor.
Heartbeat mural unveiled at St. Francis

Jun 28, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The Labor and Delivery floor at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe has a new mural welcoming families to the fourth floor. It signifies the delicate moments of a baby’s life. And, the mural was painted by a staff member!Over 60 babies have their heartbeats painted on the canvas, with the heartbeats of a few babies who have passed on. Kathleen Norcross Rasco is an artist and occupational therapy assistant at St. Francis.
Zoo Buddy: African Crested Porcupines!

Jun 18, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Willow and Cypress! They’re african crested porcupines at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo in Monroe. Willow was raised at the zoo so you may see her on a harness walking around the grounds with her new friend, Cypress.
Zoo Buddy: Mississippi Kite!

Jun 12, 2024 | knoe.com | Jessica Torricelli

“Mississippi kites breed in Arizona and the southern Great Plains, east to the Carolinas and south to the Gulf Coast,” according to the Animal Diversity Web from the University of Michigan. “They are found in the largest numbers in the central states of Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.”Freya is in the exhibit with other birds near the sloth exhibit. You’ll see them as you pass the splash pad.