LSU wraps up spring football this week. The Tigers’ offense struggled for most of the spring but has started to find its rhythm over the past few practices. Coach Lane Kiffin says he’s seen significant improvement from the quarterback group in the last week.

Cut 16 (16) “…progression’s really good.”

LSU football received a verbal commitment Monday night from four-star athlete Braylon Calais (COL-ay) out of Cecilia High School. Calais, who grew up as a huge LSU fan, says he is excited to join what he believes is a special program being built by the new coaching staff.

Cut 19 (10) “…part of it.”

The LSU baseball team earned a ten-to-seven victory over UNO last night to get back in the win column after three straight losses. Freshman William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in right field in last night’s win and had an RBI double. Patrick on the advice he got from Brown…

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

ULM picked up a much-needed win last night after defeating Northwestern State 4-1. The Demons have now dropped six straight. The Warhawks will host James Madison this weekend.

Louisiana Tech dropped a 4-3 midweek contest to McNeese State last night. The Bulldogs left 15 runners on in the loss. Tech will host Missouri State this weekend.

A recent poll on the 5^th district Congressional Republican Primary finds that more than half of the likely voters surveyed had not heard of any of the four candidates. New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer surveyed 600 likely voters. Blake Miguez lead the poll with 20 percent, followed by Rick Edmonds with 13-percent, Michael Echols 10-percent and Misti Cordell with three-percent. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to limit a governor to just two terms fails to get enough votes to pass in the Louisiana House. Belle Chasse Representative Mike Bayham’s measure needed 70 votes to pass, it got 67. He can bring the measure up for a vote again.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

LSU begins a series versus Mississippi State Friday night.

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Sponsor-A-Highway calls for companies to pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-62 vote.

We are ten days away from the start of early voting for the May 16^th primary. voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary as 20-percent of the respondents said they prefer Miguez. ULM Political Science professor Pearson Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Michael Echols at 10-percent and Misti Cordell received three-percent.

Monroe’s William Patrick will likely see more playing time now that LSU right fielder Jake Brown will miss the rest of the season with a broken hamate bone. Coach Jay Johnson likes Patrick’s athleticism…

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

The gun used by Shamar Elkins to fatally shoot eight children on Sunday in Shreveport was stolen from a man’s truck last month. That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The court papers say Charles Ford was in possession of the gun and suspected Elkins stole it and when he confronted Elkins, he became offensive, so he let it go. Ford is facing charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents. Authorities say Ford originally denied having the gun but changed his story later that day when he met with ATF agents.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he was looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

Bamburg had exemptions in his bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A woman is arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the East Baton Rouge Prison for one of the suspects in the murder of three-year-old Devin Page Jr. Police say Errolynn Hilson planned to give 120 sheets of mojo paper, which is a synthetic cannabinoid, to Jordan Anderson, who’s been incarcerated there for an unrelated killing.

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

A new poll shows state senator Blake Miguez is leading the Fifth District Congressional Republican primary. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

Ledet says sponsors get road signs with their logos on them, giving them an additional advertising opportunity, making this a win-win for everyone.

Cut 5 (13) “…really congested areas.”

____________________________________________

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay it back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the school.

Cut 6 (13) “…to be garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-to-62 vote.

Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he’s looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.

Cut 7 (09) “..this is about.”

Bamburg had exemptions in the bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. He also gave the option for a student to go to a technical school instead, with the state still paying for the tuition.

But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.

Cut 8 (07) “…back those scholarships”

_____________________________________________________

We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

Republican and Democratic U-S Senate primaries are the main item on the ballot, but voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary. Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Monroe Representative Michael Echols at 10-percent. Board of Regents chairwoman Misti Cordell received three-percent. Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

______________________________________________________________________

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

Coach Jay Johnson is impressed with Patrick’s athleticism.

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor.”

LSU will look to snap a six-game SEC losing streak when they visit Mississippi State for the start of a three-game series Friday night.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says health and social assistance is leading the growth in new jobs, and employment in construction has been steadily growing since last August.

Cut 5 (09) “…over the place.”

DOTD is using Love The Boot week to launch Sponsor-A-Highway. Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says sponsors are already signing up.

Cut 4 (06) “…in New Orleans.”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season. Patrick started in last night’s 10 to 7 win over UNO and had an RBI double – but not before Brown gave him some valuable advice.

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs. Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says based on state and federal data, Louisiana ranks third among Southern states for job growth. Knapp says all large Louisiana metros and two smaller metros saw year-over-year growth.

Cut 4 (06) “…all seeing growth.”

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Unlike the more common Adopt-A-Highway, in which volunteers pick up trash along the stretch of highway they have adopted two to four times a year, Sponsor-A-Highway is geared towards companies which pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

A major milestone for the Amtrak Mardi Gras line, and it reached it much earlier than expected. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Mayor Alice Wallace fraudulently received Medicaid benefits for herself and a dependent since 2021 while misrepresenting the availability of employer-provided health insurance. The arrest comes three weeks before Wallace faces voters in her re-election bid.

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs and lowering crime. The state added nearly 23-thousand jobs last year, ranking third among Southern states. When it comes to crime, Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says Louisiana’s homicide rate dropped 59-percent from 2021 to 2025, the third largest decline among peer states.

Cut 6 (10) “…pretty big drop.”

The State Library of Louisiana has announced that library cardholders in all 64 parishes can now enjoy free access to visit any of Louisiana’s 21State Parks and 14 historic sites. State Librarian Meg Placke says along with the free passes, library card holders can also check out a Geaux Explore backpack, which contains various items designed to enhance their visit.

Cut 12 (09) “…the Louisiana wildlife.”

For more information, you can visit Check Out Louisiana-dot-org.

Two people have been arrested for killing a three-year-old four years ago this month. A shooting in the street resulted in 30 bullet holes in the house where Devin Page, Jr. was sleeping, one of those bullets struck Page. East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards says the arrests send a signal to anyone thinking about committing violent crime in the state’s capital city.

Cut 14 (11) “…to get you.”

The two people arrested have been identified as 22-year-old Jayden Davis and a juvenile.

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line hits a big milestone…and much sooner than expected. When the service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, started last August, officials were hoping they’d reach 75-thousand riders within the first year.  Now, just eight months later they’re already at 100-thousand. Walt Leger, the president and CEO of New Orleans and Company, says stops in other walkable destinations like Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi has boosted ridership.

Cut 8 (07) “…access our community.”

Two people have been arrested for killing a three-year-old in Baton Rouge four years ago. Police have charged 22-year-old Jayden Davis and a juvenile with first degree murder in the killing of Devin Page Jr., who was fatally shot while sleeping in his home in April of 2022. His grandmother, Cathy Toliver, is overcome with emotion that justice is finally being served.

Cut 13 (12)  “…process of healing.”

A major milestone for Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line, as it has welcomed its 100-thousandth passenger much earlier than expected. Walt Leger, the president and CEO of New Orleans and Company, says the success of the Mardi Gras line could ultimately result in a population boom for New Orleans.

Cut 9 (08)  “…creates more accessibility.”

A new report finds that Louisiana’s job growth rate is ranked third fastest in the South for 2025. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Federal agents arrest a Shreveport man who they say possessed the firearm used to kill eight children Sunday. The Justice Department says 56-year-old Charles Ford admitted that Shamar Elkins took the rifle and shot the kids with it. Ford is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements.