Construction of north Louisiana’s first Buc-ee’s in Ruston is progressing daily with the gas mecca set to be completed by late 2026. Sean Richardson has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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As lawmakers consider a small handful of bills that would in effect increase the cost of healthcare, a new poll indicates that people believe the cost is already too high. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Construction of north Louisiana’s first Buc-ee’s is progressing, with the 74-thousand-square-foot travel center set to feature 120 gas pumps. Ruston Mayor Ronnie Walker says it involves eight-million dollars in infrastructure improvements.
Cut 3 (08) “…finished with that.”
Walker estimates completion by late 2026, delayed by roadwork expanding bridges to five lanes to handle 15-thousand daily vehicles.
Walker says the 60-million-dollar project will create over 250 full-time jobs, with starting pay at up to 20 dollars per hour, plus benefits like health insurance and 401k matching.
Cut 5 (07) “…that’s really big.”
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There’s a small handful of bills in the legislature that would effectively raise the cost of healthcare, including imposing a dispensing fee to support local pharmacies. A new poll shows that voters are not too keen on the idea. The poll was conducted by JMC Analytics and commissioned by the group Save Our Benefits. JMC founder John Couvillon says the vast majority says the price of healthcare is already too high.
Cut 6 (14) “…over additional options.”
Couvillon says two-thirds of people polled would not pay more for prescription drugs, even if it would support local pharmacies.
Cut 7 (10) “…over everything else.”
Couvillon says besides sending a clear message to lawmakers about the possibility of making healthcare more expensive, the poll does not bode well for local independent pharmacies, especially in smaller communities.
Cut 8 (13) “…was somewhat stronger.”
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“The Gardener of Alcatraz” and “Camp Scare” are among the books chosen for the Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards for the 2024-25 school year. State Librarian Meg Placke (“plack-ee”) says more than 24-thousand K-through-12 students read more than 82-thousand books. That marked a surge in participation, especially among 6th through 8th graders, with an 88-percent voting increase.
Cut 9 (08) “…difficult to do.”
Placke says each year, committees of teachers and librarians compile a list of fiction and nonfiction books.
Cut 10 (12) “…excited about reading.”
Since its inception 26 years ago, the program has engaged students with over 1.5 million books read and nearly 485-thousand votes cast. Placke says the program continues to grow…
Cut 11 (13) “…major increases.”
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We’re learning new information on how ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson says the inmates started yanking on a cell door to pull it off its track shortly before 12:30 Friday morning.
Cut 12 (07) “…in the jail.” (Inmates cut a hole in the wall behind where the toilet once was)
The sheriff’s office released a photo of the cell, with the toilet pulled from its bolts, a hole cut into the wall where the toilet had been and graffiti taunting jail staff written above, including the misspelled words, “too easy.”
Cut 13 (09) “…Interstate shortly thereafter.”
Deputy Chief of Corrections Jay Mallett says based on the design of the toilets, the inmates had to have had accomplices from outside the jail facility.
Cut 14 (09) “…from the inside.”
Furthermore, Sheriff Hutson says there’s every indication that this was an inside job, that the escapees got help from people from within the department. Initially, it was reported that 11 inmates escaped and that two had been recaptured. Hutson says one of them had actually been transferred to another cell and records had not been updated; thus, he never tried to escape. One escapee has indeed been recaptured. Hutson is urging people to remain vigilant.
Cut 15 (05) “…approach these subjects.”
In an earlier news conference, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says the escapees very likely have changed out of their prison-issued jumpsuits.