Amtrak announces that its Mardi Gras Service will begin August 18. It revives passenger rail between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, Restoring service lost since Hurricane Katrina, it boosts tourism, jobs, and regional mobility while celebrating Gulf Coast culture. Ross says the service reflects significant infrastructure investment, improving connectivity and economic growth.
After a five-million-dollar buyout earlier this week, Texas State is officially set to leave the Sun Belt for the revamped PAC-12 in 2026. UL-Lafayette and ULM are pushing for La Tech to fill the gap. Host of the Locked on Sun Belt Podcast, Dave Schultz, says if the Sun Belt wanted the Bullgods, there would have been a quick announcement. The conference has been surprisingly slow on the issue, and Schultz expects there won’t be an answer by Sun Belt Media Days July 22. He hopes this is because they’re taking the time to consider expansion to 16 teams.
Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh expressed frustration over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to delay ruling on a case challenging the state’s new congressional map with two majority-Black districts. Last Friday, the Court opted for re-argument, leaving the map in place for now. Seabaugh, a vocal critic of the redistricting, argued it prioritizes race over equal representation, violating the 14th Amendment.
Authorities in Lake Charles are looking for two men who they say shot and killed a man over the weekend. 23-year-old Kalin (KAY-lin) Stevens of Lake Charles was found dead along U.S. 90 late Sunday night. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Stitch Guillory says the suspects are Larry Bigelow and Titus Tezeno (TEZ-eh-noh), both of Lake Charles. Sheriff Guillory says the shooting was the result of an argument that Stevens had with the two suspects. He says both are convicted felons.