By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 20, 2014

ZACHARY, La. (AP) - A final salute is being held at this hour for the man who led the state’s Agriculture Department for nearly three decades.

WBRZ-TV reports (https://bit.ly/1oOITit ) former Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom died over the weekend. He was 78.

Louisiana’s longest-serving agriculture commissioner, Odom was in the job from 1980 until 2008. He gave up his bid for an eighth term when he was forced into a runoff against Republican Mike Strain.

Strain had campaigned as a reformer while Odom was fighting a yearslong criminal corruption case that was dismissed the year after he left office.

Odom’s funeral service was held Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Zachary.

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Information from: WBRZ-TV, https://2theadvocate.com

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