The first-ever Mississippi Gulf Coast Buc-ee’s is open off I-10 at the Menge (MEN-jee) Avenue exit in Pass Christian. Sean Richardson has more.
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Louisiana voters might have the opportunity to decide in April whether the retirement age of judges should be raised from 70 to 75 years old. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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Mississippi’s first-ever Buc-ee’s opened today at 6 AM. Located off I-10 at the Menge (MEN-jee) Avenue exit in Pass Christian, the massive 74-thousand-square-foot convenience store includes 126 gas pumps, 24 EV charging stations, and 165 toilets. Harrison County Development Commission Executive Director Bill Lavers says this new location will draw visitors from nearby states, especially Louisiana
Cut 3 (08) “…New Orleans and Mobile.”
To get to Buc-ee’s from downtown New Orleans, drivers can take I-10 east through Slidell and across the Mississippi border, exiting at Menge Avenue. Lavers says a newly expanded five-lane bridge is expected to reduce traffic congestion around the site.
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Lavers says the 80-million-dollar project is expected to create over 200 jobs, offering 20 dollars per hour pay, benefits, and 401(k) matching, while providing a major economic boost to the region with Buc-ee’s visitors.
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Louisiana voters will likely have the opportunity in April to decide whether the mandatory retirement age of judges should be raised from 70 to 75 years old. The Louisiana Senate has approved the proposed constitutional amendment. Norco Senator Gregory Miller says 70 years old is too young to force a judge into retirement.
The measure needed a two-thirds vote to pass and it got exactly that as it passed on a 26-13 vote. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh questioned why put this measure on the ballot again, when voters recently rejected a similar constitutional amendment.
Cut 7 (12) “…you are correct.”
Miller says Louisiana is an outlier when it comes to this issue.
Under Louisiana law, a judge can serve after the age of 70 if their term extends past their 70th birthday or if they are appointed as an ad hoc judge by the Louisiana Supreme Court. The House and Senate have not agreed on the exact language of the proposal, so it is in a conference committee. Details still have to be ironed before it ends up on the ballot in April of 2026.
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Online sports gambling companies will soon be paying more tax to the state on all wagers originating from Louisiana. The Senate has approved House Bill 639 by Columbia Republican Neil Riser, who says the amount of the tax that the legislature zeroed in on was a little lower than what he had originally proposed.
That 21 and a half percent is an increase from the current 15-percent, and Riser says one-quarter of the tax revenue generated from online betting will be divided evenly among all NCAA Division One athletic programs in the state. While that represents a drop in the bucket for LSU, it will go a long way at other schools.
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Riser says the money that goes to the schools is a big reason why his bill made it across the finish line.
Cut 11 (03) “…getting this passed.”
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The LSU Tigers are headed to the College World Series again after sweeping their Super Regional series over West Virginia. Josh Pearson was one of the heroes in game one as he hit a grand slam. The senior from West Monroe says it’s the most unselfish team he’s ever been a part of.
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Pearson says a lot of work went into getting back to Omaha.
Cut 13 (11) “…what we can do.”
LSU will play Arkansas on Saturday in its first game at the College World Series. Tigers left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson says how Jay Johnson prepares the team during the regular season, prepares them for what they’ll also experience at the College World Series.
Anderson will likely start LSU’s first game at the College World Series.