The Saints 2024 NFL schedule has been released and according to Sharp Football Analysis, New Orleans has the fifth easiest strength of schedule. The Saints will open the season against Carolina on September the 8th, before facing a tough stretch of games against the Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, and Chiefs. New Orleans will host Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos in week 7 for Thursday Night Football, face Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in week 15, and then travel to Green Bay in week 16 for what could be a critical Monday Night Football game.

The NFL has also announced that Netflix will show this year’s Christmas Day games with the Ravens and Texans and Steelers Chiefs facing off on the historic day.

And Angel Reese will make her WNBA regular season debut tonight when the Chicago Sky visit the Dallas Wings. During her two preseason games Reese averaged 13 points and seven rebounds.

And McNeese Football will open their season against Tarleton State a week earlier as the game has been moved to August 24th as a part of ESPN’s big Week Zero kickoff.

According to the Baseball America NCAA Tournament projection, LSU is currently one of the first four teams out after the Tigers failed to win their series against Alabama last weekend. In order for the Tigers to have a good chance at gaining an at-large bid in the tournament, the Tigers will need to sweep the Rebels this weekend and secure 13 SEC wins. LSU and Ole Miss will face off tomorrow with first pitch at 6 pm.

Baseball America’s projection also has Louisiana Tech becoming a two-seed in the Knoxville regional. The Bulldogs have made a great comeback after being swept by Arizona in early April.

Twenty-first ranked UL-Lafayette is also projected to be a two-seed, but in the College Station Regional. The Ragin Cajuns will take on South Alabama in their final SunBelt regular season series. First pitch between the Jaguars and Cajuns will be tomorrow night at 6 pm.

And Oklahoma quarterback General Booty had transferred to ULM. Booty started for Tyler Junior College in 2021 where he recorded 25 touchdowns and 3,115 yards before transferring to Oklahoma where he played the past two seasons.

A national survey of small businesses finds optimism increased slightly in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average. Joe Gallinaro has more…
cut 2 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro”

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry gave today as the deadline to have an approved Congressional map so her office can prepare for the fall Congressional elections. But federal judges have rejected two different maps approved by state lawmakers and Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrill is seeking direction from the U-S Supreme Court.

Christopher McCoy of Bunkie has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in the death of Lauren Vaughn. She was a 22 year-old nursing student from Alexandria. The incident happened on Good Friday in 2023. Bridget Vaughn, Lauren’s mother, says McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.
Cut 3 (12) “…grieving process”
State Police says McCoy’s blood alcohol level was .15 at the time of the fatal crash. Lauren Vaughn was a passenger in his vehicle when it ran off the road.

Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants. LSU Ag Center economist Kurt Guidry says those dollars can be used to help reseed their ponds for next year.
Cut 11 (10) ” …tend to seed.”
Guidry says despite the efforts to reseed, production is expected to be down again next year.

The debate over banning consumable hemp products containing THC continues at the state capitol. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressley says there are dozens of THC products available to buy that can get you high…
Cut 13 (11) “..gets you high.”
Pressly’s bill needs a positive vote from the House and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

A Bunkie man has plead guilty to vehicular homicide for a crash that occurred in April 2023. State Police say Christopher McCoy was driving intoxicated when he drove off the road in Avoyelles Parish striking a tree and killing his passenger, 22-year-old Lauren Vaughn of Alexandria. Vaughn’s mother, Bridgette, says her daughter’s death is a sobering lesson to make plans ahead of time for a safe drive home…
cut 4 (06) “…that night”
Bridgette Vaughn says McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.

Inflation continues to be the single most important problem small business owners face, according to the results of a national survey of small business owners. Finding qualified workers is another major issue. NFIB State director Leah Long says a staggering 91-percent of owners who either hired or tried to hire workers last month, reported few or no qualified applicants…
cut 8 (06) “….jobs out there”
Forty-percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in April.

Now that Mother’s Day has passed, the crawfish season is certainly winding down. We’ve done numerous stories about the low supply of mudbugs this year. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says estimates in November had production loss at around 40-percent, it actually ended up at 50 to 60 percent…
cut 10 (13) “…fish those ponds”
Guidry says the USDA announced last week rule changes that will allow for crawfish farmers to be eligible for federal disaster grants.

A judge has sentenced Christopher McCoy of Bunkie to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide. Authorities say McCoy was drunk when he drove off the road and struck a tree killing his passenger Lauren Vaughn. Sean Richardson has more..
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson”

Entergy Louisiana says power should be restored by late tonight for the Lake Charles and Lafayette areas. But the Baton Rouge area it may take until tomorrow night to restore service. More severe weather is possible Friday.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says the Hertz Tower, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be demolished this summer. The building has been vacant since Hurricane Laura blew out many of the sky scraper’s windows. Hunter says the demolition will pave the way for better use of the space…
cut 12 (12) “…Lake Charles”
Hunter says insurance money will pay for the building’s demolition which is expected to take place in August or September.

Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants. LSU Ag Center economist Kurt Guidry says those dollars can be used to help reseed their ponds for next year.
Cut 11 (10) ” …tend to seed.”
Guidry says despite the efforts to reseed, production is expected to be down again next year.

A national survey of small businesses finds optimism increased slightly in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average. Joe Gallinaro has more…
cut 2 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro”

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry gave today as the deadline to have an approved Congressional map so her office can prepare for the fall Congressional elections. But federal judges have rejected two different maps approved by state lawmakers and Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrill is seeking direction from the U-S Supreme Court.

With crawfish season winding down, we are getting a better idea of the effects still being felt from last summer’s historic drought. LSU Ag Center Economist Kurt Guidry says the number of harvested mudbugs has been way down…
Cut 9 (09) “..Normal catch.”
Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter has announced the Hertz Building, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be torn down this Summer. It’s been vacant since Hurricane Laura damaged many of its windows. Hunter says the city does not own the Hertz Building but he wanted to save it. He and city officials met with private developers in hopes of finding a way…
Cut 17 (09) “…this building.”
Hunter looks forward to replacing the building with something that will enhance downtown Lake Charles.

A national survey of small business owners finds optimism rose in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average index. NFIB state director Leah Long says 22-percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem….
Cut 7 (06) “…make it all work.”
Forty-percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in April.

According to the Vaughn family, a Bunkie man has been sentenced to six years in prison after he plead guilty to vehicular homicide. State Police say Christopher McCoy was legally intoxicated when he drove off the road and struck a tree in Avoyelles Parish, killing his passenger Lauren Vaughn. Lauren’s mom pleads with drivers to be sober when they are behind the wheel…
cut 5 (10) “…drink and drive”

The Skyline of Lake Charles is changing as the tall, mirrored Hertz building is finally coming down. It has been four years since the building sustained significant damage in Hurricane Laura leaving multiple broken glass panes to greet travelers on I-10. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for the demolition…
Cut 10 (12) “…not own.”
Hunter says the city tried to work with private developers on a plan to repair and renovate the building, but the only viable option is to tear the skyscraper down. Demolition will likely occur in August or September.

A national survey finds small business optimism increased slightly in April, but NFIB’s small business optimism index remains below a 50-year average for a 28th consecutive month. NFIB state director Leah Long says there’s a lot of discouraging news about the economy…
cut 6 (11) “…right now”
Long says 22-percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem.

The debate over banning consumable hemp products containing THC continues at the state capitol. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressley says there are dozens of THC products available to buy that can get you high…
Cut 13 (11) “..gets you high.”
Pressly’s bill needs a positive vote from the House and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

For the past four years, driving past the Hertz building in Lake Charles has been a sad reminder of Hurricane Laura’s destruction but that is about to change. Colleen Crain explains…
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

There is still about 12-thousand Entergy customers without power as a result of Monday’s severe weather that’s responsible for three fatalities. More severe weather could impact the state Friday and flooding rains are a concern beginning Thursday afternoon for central and southwest Louisiana.

Christopher McCoy of Bunkie has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in the death of Lauren Vaughn. She was a 22 year-old nursing student from Alexandria. The incident happened on Good Friday in 2023. Bridget Vaughn, Lauren’s mother, says McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.
Cut 3 (12) “…grieving process”
State Police says McCoy’s blood alcohol level was .15 at the time of the fatal crash. Lauren Vaughn was a passenger in his vehicle when it ran off the road.

Turns out there were multiple tornadoes that touched down in southwest Louisiana late Monday. National Weather Service Meteorologist Jeremy Michael says two tornadoes touched down in the Lake Charles area and the other in St. Martin Parish
Cut 8 (08) “…rolled over”

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter has announced the Hertz Building, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be torn down this Summer. It’s been vacant since Hurricane Laura damaged many of its windows. Hunter says the city does not own the Hertz Building but he is among many who wanted to save it. He and city officials met with a least a dozen private developers in hopes of finding a way…
Cut 11 (09) “…this building.”
Hunter looks forward to replacing the building with something that will enhance downtown Lake Charles.

Today is the last day to pay your 2023 state income taxes. If you are unable to file today, you still have to submit an estimated payment, but the act of filing can wait another six months as the state now offers an automatic extension. Certified Public Accountant Connor Brown says the extension is automatic because of a law passed in 2022…
cut 6 (12) “….the extensions”

Legislation that would prohibit the sale of consumable hemp products that contain THC is closer to final legislative passage. In 2022, Louisiana lawmakers approved a THC-legalization bill. But Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressly says that opened the door for the sale of products in Louisiana that contains enough THC to get a person high and several of these products are marketed towards children. Haughton Representative Dodie Horton supports the legislation…
cut 22 (10) “…voted for that bill”
Darrell Chouest, Director of the Hemp Association of Louisiana, argued against the legislation. He says better regulation is needed to protect the thousands of Louisiana business owners that have invested in the hemp market…
cut 16 (06) “…33,000 Louisiana businesses’
The bill needs House approval and it then heads to the governor’s desk.
The National Weather Service says three tornadoes touched down in southwest Louisiana on Monday, two in the Lake Charles area and another in St. Martin Parish. The Louisiana Department of Health says there were three storm related deaths, one in Cecilia and two in Port Allen. National Weather Service meteorologist Jeremy Michael says more rain is on the way, starting tomorrow… and rivers and bayous are already full…
cut 9 (08) “….flash flooding”

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says the Hertz Tower, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be demolished this summer. The building has been vacant since Hurricane Laura blew out many of the sky scraper’s windows. Hunter says the demolition will pave the way for better use of the space…
cut 12 (12) “…Lake Charles”

Today is the deadline to file your state income taxes. Of course, Louisiana does have an automatic six-month extension, but that’s an extension on filing not payment. So if you think or know you’ll owe taxes, that needs to be paid today. Connor Brown is a certified tax preparer for LaPorte CPAs and Business Advisors and says there are several ways you can get that done.

Cut 5 (12) “…third party provider.” 

A bill that would make the sale of any hemp product containing THC illegal in Louisiana is one step closer to becoming law. It passed the House Criminal Justice Committee by a vote of 7 to 5. Some lawmakers are concerned THC can get a person high and are concerned that they’re being marketed to children. CEO of Crescent Canna defended the hemp market in Louisiana.

Cut 14 (11)  “..entire country.”

The bill has already passed the Senate and heads next to the full House.

———————————————–

For the past four years, driving past the Hertz building in Lake Charles has been a sad reminder of Hurricane Laura’s destruction but that is about to change. Colleen Crain explains…

Cut 2 (33)  “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

The owner of a James Beard nominated restaurant in Gretna is speaking out on social media about a police officer he says has been “terrorizing” his customers in with traffic citations. According to Nola.com, Marlon Williams, the owner of Chicken’s Kitchen, said he noticed an uptick in traffic stops outside his business around six weeks ago…but Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson has said the restaurant is simply on a problematic stretch of roadway and authorities are trying to make it safer.