The legislative session begins Monday. One of Governor John Bel Edwards’ priorities will be raising the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. Edwards says in 2017, $7.25 an hour is inadequate to pay for the basic cost of living.

Cut 15 (11) “one job”

Edwards adds several other states have already increased their minimum wage well above the federal minimum.

A Baton Rouge man has been arrested after allegedly collecting his dead mother’s teaching retirement checks for 18 years. Attorney General Jeff Landry says if convicted, 42-year-old Lester Joseph should serve time behind bars.

Cut 11 (10) “go to work”

Joseph faces more than 200 counts of felony theft.

A jury finds former Sons of Guns star Will Hayden guilty of rape. The jury reached a unanimous verdict after deliberating for just an hour. Hayden was convicted on two counts of aggravated rape and one count of forcible rape for sexually assaulting two preteen girls between 1990 and 2014. Hayden will serve a mandatory life sentence.

It’s festival season in the Bayou State. Jeff Palermo has more on the festivals underway around the state…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”