St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith pleaded guilty today to one count of second-degree battery for attacking a critic of his at a restaurant near Madisonville on May 29^th. District Attorney Collin Sims says as part of the plea deal, Smith is no longer the sheriff…

Cut 9 (13) “…protecting the public”

Smith served as the sheriff of St. Tammany for nearly a decade and was serving in his third term. Prior to his time as sheriff, Smith was the Slidell police chief from 2010 to 2016. He has spent 40 years in law enforcement.

An East Baton Rouge Parish pastor bonded out of jail yesterday after he was arrested on a second-degree battery charge. Authorities say the Reverend Tony Spell of Central beat up his neighbor’s 20-year-old son. There’s video of the incident that shows Spell and the victim throwing punches at each other along the side of the road. Spell previously gained national attention for holding church services in the early days of the COVID pandemic.

Republican Senators and President Trump meet behind closed doors today to discuss the Iran peace deal and the SAVE America Act. The election security bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The President is demanding that Congress approve this legislation, but Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the votes are not there in the Senate.

Cut 10 (11) “…affordable for Americans.”

Early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate primary runoffs closed over the weekend. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says despite lower turnouts for early voting in this election, voters seemed more comfortable with the new closed party primary system.

Cut 13 (14)  “…they go vote.”

St. Landry Parish is in a race against time to save homes from floodwaters. Water levels continue to rise and are creeping into several backyards. Parish President Jesse Bellard (BELL-ard) says the only way to drain water in the parish is to release it further south to the Virgin Canal.

Cut 5 (11) “…release it in.”

Come August 1st. Debit card surcharges will be illegal in Louisiana. They’re already illegal at the federal level; this adds another layer to that. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell, who authored the legislation, says businesses which are considering flouting the new state law by offering discounts to customers who pay with cash shouldn’t even think about trying it, because it won’t work.

Cut 9 (09)  “…debit card transactions.”

T-minus three days before Louisianans head back to the polls – this time for the U.S. Senate runoffs. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says your ballot will look different based on where you are and what party you are registered with.

Cut 14 (13) “…geaux-vote-dot-com.”

In addition, ten parishes will hold local races, and 40 will have ballot propositions. 

It could be a contentious meeting between President Trump and Republican Senators this afternoon. Among the topics is the deal Trump made with Iran. Senator Bill Cassidy says he supported Trump’s initial war objectives to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but those objectives were not met.

Cut 12 (11) “…have been achieved.”

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says her office received fewer questions about the new closed party primaries during early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate runoffs. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kace Keischnick.”

Sources say St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith could resign as early as today. Smith is set to appear in court today as he faces a felony battery charge for allegedly attacking a vocal critic of his at a restaurant near Madisonville.

Tulane has announced it will transform the former Charity Hospital building into a national hub of bioscience discovery and medical advancements.

Starting August 1^st, it will be against state law for retailers to add surcharges when you make purchases with your debit card. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell authored the legislation that created this law and she says gas stations are some of the biggest perpetrators…

Cut 8 (11) “….same as caseh”

Consumers who are hit with a debit card surcharge can call a hotline, and those businesses have 30 days to remedy the situation. Those which don’t would then face fines of 500 dollars for each violation.

An historic rain event in Avoyelles Parish last week is causing flooding issues in the towns of Washington, Palmetto and Port Barre. St. Landry Parish president Jesse Bellard says several homes are in jeopardy of flooding…

Cut 6 (11) “…in trouble”

Bellard is asking residents in the Lebeau area who live along Highway 171 from US 190 north to LA 10 to voluntarily evacuate due to flooding.

Planned Parenthood announced Wednesday it plans to return to Louisiana later this year with a new clinic in New Orleans and telehealth services launching as early as this summer. The move comes after the organization’s two Louisiana clinics closed last Fall due to a lack of federal funding.

Under a law going into effect August 1st, retailers can no longer add extra charges when we pay with a debit card…:
CUT 1 (35) “I’m Andrew Greenstein”

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith could reportedly resign as part of a plea agreement in a criminal case stemming from an alleged assault at a restaurant. Smith is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning. He was arrested June 4 on charges including second-degree battery after authorities say he attacked a blogger and frequent critic. Smith has served as sheriff since 2016. Sources say a deal has been reached, but details are expected to be finalized in court.

The US Senate Primaries will be held Saturday and Secretary of State Nancy Landry says those who early voted seemed to have less questions about the new closed party primary system. She says not everyone’s ballot will be the same…:
CUT 14 (13) “geauxvote.com”
She says there are local propositions in 40 parishes, and 10 will vote in local elections.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says her office received fewer questions about the new closed party primaries during early voting for Saturday’s US Senate runoffs. Kace Kieschnick has more…:
Cut 3 (34) “I’m Kace Keischnick”

The Louisiana Department of Health says 11 people have become ill, with two being hospitalized after consuming raw milk. LDH says raw milk bypasses the pasteurization process and under Louisiana law may only be sold for animal or pet consumption.

Officials in St. Landry Parish are still working to save homes from floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. Some residents have already had to evacuate flooded homes and Parish President Jesse Bellard (BELL-ard) says the water keeps rising…:
Cut 4 (11) “getting flooded in”
The storm dumped as much as 30 inches of rain in some areas of Avoyelles Parish and that water is traveling south toward St. Landry.

Republican Senators including Bill Cassidy will meet with President Trump today to discuss items including the Iran Peace deal which Cassidy calls a foreign policy blunder…:
Cut 11 (11) “Strait of Hormuz”

The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $489 million after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. It’s the second biggest lottery prize of the year so far. The next drawing will be Friday night.

Bill Cassidy and other Republican Senators will meet with President Trump in what political observers say could be a very tense meeting. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
Cut 2 (36) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A controversial pastor out of the East Baton Rouge Parish town of Central has been arrested on one count of second degree battery after cops say he beat up his neighbor’s 20 year old son. Tony Spell was widely known in the area for holding services during the Covid 19 pandemic, which is reportedly when the feud began with the neighbors who live across the street from Life Tabernacle Church.

Retail businesses will no longer be allowed to impose a surcharge on customers who pay with a debit card under a new law that takes effect August 1st. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell who authored the legislation says adding the extra fee specifically to debit cards is against federal law…:
CUT 7 (13) “credit cards do”
Businesses found to be in violation must reimburse the debit cardholder.

Saturday is election day and Secretary of State Nancy Landry says even though early voting turnouts were low, those casting a ballot seemed to be more comfortable with the new closed party primary system…:
Cut 13 (14) “they go vote”
The US Senate race will be voted on in every Parish and Registered Republicans will receive a ballot to vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary.

If you were forced to pay more because you used your debit card, you will soon have recourse. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Bill Cassidy and other Republican Senators will meet with President Trump in what political observers say could be a very tense meeting. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Secretary of State Nancy Landry says her office received fewer questions about the new closed party primaries during early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate runoffs. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kace Keischnick.”

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St. Landry Parish is in a race against time to save homes from floodwaters. Parish President Jesse Bellard (BELL-ard) says some homes are already flooded, and floodwaters have entered the yards of other homes and are threatening to enter those homes as well.

Cut 4 (11) “…getting flooded in.”

Bellard says the only way to drain water in St Landry Parish is to release it further south to the Virgin Canal.

Cut 5 (11) “…release it in.”

Bellard says flooding of this magnitude is completely unprecedented for St. Landry Parish.

Cut 6 (06) “…any future damages.”

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Did it just cost you more to pay with your debit card? If so, starting August 1st, you can fight back. That’s the day when Beth Mizell’s Senate Bill 254 goes into effect, prohibiting businesses from adding surcharges to debit card transactions. The Franklinton Senator said more and more retailers were adding the surcharge, which is actually against federal law.

Cut 7 (13) “…credit cards do.”

Mizell says gas stations are some of the biggest perpetrators of this.

Cut 8 (11) “…same as cash.”

Mizell says businesses which are considering flouting the new state law by offering discounts to customers who pay with cash shouldn’t even think about trying it, because it won’t work.

Cut 9 (09)  “…debit card transactions.”

Consumers who are hit with a debit card surcharge can call a hotline, and those businesses have 30 days to remedy the situation. Those which don’t would then face fines of 500 dollars for each violation.

___________________________________________________

Republican Senators and President Trump will meet behind closed doors today to discuss the Iran peace deal and the SAVE America Act. The election security bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The Presidents wants Congress to approve this legislation, but Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the votes are not there in the Senate.

Cut 10 (11) “…affordable for Americans.”

Cassidy says he’s also very interested to hear what President Trump has to say about Iran. Louisiana’s outgoing U.S. Senator has criticized the peace deal, calling it a foreign policy blunder.

Cut 11 (11) “…Strait of Hormuz.”

On Tuesday, Cassidy was one of four GOP Senators to vote for a war powers resolution that calls on the Trump administration to withdraw U.S. troops from the war in Iran. The vote passed on a 50-to-48 vote.

Cassidy says he supported Trump’s initial war objectives to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but those objectives were not met.

Cut 12 (11) “…have been achieved.”

___________________________________________________

Early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate primary runoffs closed over the weekend. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says despite lower turnouts for early voting in this election, voters seemed more comfortable with the new closed party primary system.

Cut 13 (14)  “…they go vote.”

Every parish in the state will vote in the U.S. Senate primaries. Forty parishes will also have local propositions on the ballot, and ten will vote in local elections. Landry says your ballot will look different based on where you are and what party you are registered with.

Cut 14 (13) “…geaux-vote-dot-com.”

The closed primary law was approved by the legislature in 2024 and went into effect this year. Registered Republicans will receive a ballot to vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary. Landry says no party voters choose which primary to vote in, but you can’t change your selection if you voted in May.

Cut 15 (10) “…for this race.”

No party voters who did not select a ballot in May can choose which primary they would like to vote in. Selecting a ballot does not mean you are registering as a member of that party.

___________________________________________________

Construction officially began in New Orleans on the Raising Cane’s 9th Ward Stadium at LCMC Health Field. The stadium will feature a turf field, 37-hundred seats, a press box, scoreboard, locker rooms and concessions. Stacy Martin, the secretary for the board of Ninth Ward Stadium Incorporated, says it will serve as the home field for George Washington Carver High School.

Cut 16 (14) “…excited about it.”

Construction is scheduled to be completed before the 2027 football season. Martin says the groundbreaking also marked the beginning of a brick fundraising campaign.

Cut 17 (20) “…purchasing a brick.”

One-thousand bricks are available in phase one of the campaign, and they’ll cost 150 dollars each.

Martin says fundraising will continue beyond the stadium project in hopes of one day expanding the facility with an adjacent track and field complex.

Cut 18 (15) “…work to do.”

One rain gauge in Avoyelles Parish measured 29 inches of rain in 12 hours during Tropical Storm Arthur. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

If you’ve been impacted, officials are urging you to document the damage online at damage.la.gov. Governor Landry says problems with the website have been fixed, and the survey is ready to receive more reports.

Cut 14 (09) “..those issues.”

Just four days to go until the U.S. Senate runoff elections, and the Republican race between Julia Letlow and John Fleming is likely going to be close. Ron Faucheux with Lunchtime Politics says at this point, Letlow has only one path to secure the Republican nomination.

Cut 11 (14) “…done that yet.”

Animal advocates are hailing the signing of a bill aimed at protecting Louisiana white-tailed deer. Under House Bill 1248, licensed rehabbers can take deer in for up to six months before releasing them back into the wild. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says they will need to follow certain procedures.

Cut 5 (08) “…Wildlife and Fisheries.”