A bill aiming to crack down on marijuana use near schools advances to the Senate. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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House Education approves a Senate-passed bill that’s attempting to stop the growing number of school systems moving to a four-day school week. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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The second fatal mass shooting this week in Louisiana erupted at the Mall of Louisiana yesterday afternoon. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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A measure to crack down on marijuana use near school facilities advances to the Senate. The full House passed Pollack Representative Gabe Firment’s bill on a vote of 59-to-34. It would increase the penalty for smoking marijuana within two-thousand feet of a school facility to up to a year in prison and a fine of up to one-thousand dollars. Firment said marijuana use near schools is getting out of control.
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Marrero Representative Kyle Green expressed concerns that some people’s homes are located within that two-thousand-foot zone and, thus people who live there may face serious criminal charges for something they do in their own homes.
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Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle took issue with the fact that this bill comes amid an increasing push to decriminalize marijuana.
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A bill seeking to put an end to the trend of rural school districts moving to a four-day school week continues to advance at the state capitol. The House Education Committee has approved the Senate-passed bill. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell says it’s better for students and families if kids are at school five-days a week.
Mizell says there are 17 school districts with four-day school weeks. She says adding hours to a school day so that they can have a three-day weekend is not leading to better learning.
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East Feliciana is moving to a four-day school week next fall. Superintendent Keisha Netterville says the length of the school week should be determined by local officials.
Slaughter Elementary Principal Jennifer Thornton says teachers approve of the four-day week.
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The House Education Committee approved Mizell’s measure on a 10-to-3 vote, and it heads to the House floor for final passage. Her proposal does allow for a school system to move to a four-day school week if it’s an “A” graded school system.
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A teenager is dead and five others are wounded following a shootout next to the food court at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Most of the victims were taken to Our Lady of the Lake. FMOL Health President Chuck Spicer:
Sources say the person who died from his injuries was a 17-year-old. Three of the victims are seniors at Ascension Episcopal High School in Lafayette Parish. Authorities say they were innocent bystanders.
Baton Rouge police chief T.J. Morse says at 1:22 yesterday afternoon, two groups of people got into an argument, and that’s when gunfire erupted.
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Morse says five people have been taken into custody.
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Five of the victims were taken to Our Lady of the Lake. The aforementioned 17-year-old passed away, and the other four are in stable condition. The sixth victim suffered minor injuries.
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“With the eighth pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints select Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State.” In nine games with the Sun Devils last season, Tyson caught 61 passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. Tyson says he will add a lot to the Saints this season.
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Tyson, however, does have a history of injuries, including tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in 2022 which also cost him the entire 2023 season, breaking his collarbone in 2024 and suffering hamstring issues last season. Tyson says he will work extra hard to stay healthy as he takes the leap to the Saints and the NFL.
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Tyson says he can’t wait to team up with Chris Olave to give Tyler Shough an added target.
The draft continues at six this evening with the second round, in which the Saints have the tenth pick.
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The LSU baseball team will look to turn its season around starting this afternoon as the Tigers travel to Starkville for a three-game series against 15th-ranked Mississippi State. Coach Jay Johnson says the Bulldogs present another tough test for his team.
LSU has not missed the NCAA Tournament since 2011. As the Tigers fight to stay in the postseason hunt, Johnson says he’s told his team it comes down to playing better if they want to turn the season around and remain competing in late May.
First pitch has been moved up to 3 p-m because of the potential of severe weather in Starkville tonight.
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Louisiana Tech baseball opens a pivotal three-game home series against Missouri State tonight. The Bears rank second in Conference USA and 11th nationally with 76 home runs and counting. Head coach Lane Burroughs says his team must do a good job of limiting the long ball this weekend.
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With just four series remaining, Louisiana Tech sits fifth in the Conference USA standings at 11-and-7 in league play. Burroughs says the Bulldogs will need to start playing their best baseball this weekend to put themselves in a strong position heading into the postseason, especially with a tough stretch still ahead.
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First pitch in Ruston is set for 6 p.m.