Now that Julia Letlow will be vacating her District 5 seat to challenge Bill Cassidy for the U.S. Senate seat, the race is on for her successor. Greg Hilburn, a Louisiana politics reporter for the USA Today Network, says this will be a wide open race – at least in one of the primaries.

Cut 7 (10) “…that’s Garret Graves.”

Congressman Troy Carter is among the sponsors of a bipartisan bill that would require all middle school and high school student IDs and websites to include mental health and suicide prevention information. The New Orleans Democrat says the information could be a life-saver for kids at the ages who need those services the most.

Cut 4 (12) “…drugs or alcohol.”

A large ice storm could produce power outages and close numerous roads across the northern half of the state this weekend. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The mother of a 10-month-old child who died after being left in a hot car in August of 2024 has been sentenced to five years in prison. Hannah Faith Cormier of Jennings pleaded no contest to negligent homicide last summer. Her daughter died at a hospital after Cormier forgot her daughter was in the car while she worked for two hours and the temperature in the car rose to 140 to 150 degrees. Jeff Davis Parish DA Lauren Heinen said it was a difficult case with tragic circumstances, but every child deserves to be protected.