State Police brings back a program today that was suspended after investigative reporting found that some troopers were being paid overtime hours they actually didn’t work. It’s called the LACE program and parishes hire troopers to write speeding tickets outside of their regular shifts for L-S-P. The Fox 8 TV investigation found Trooper Daryl Thomas made 240-thousand dollars a year by abusing the LACE program. Troopers will still be paid for working extra shifts, but Major Doug Cain says there’s now a maximum time a trooper can work…
Cut 6 (05) “all overtime”
Fox 8 TV in New Orleans reports that Trooper Thomas is one of four under criminal investigation for payroll fraud.

Former Louisiana High School Football Coach Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl champion today after he led the Eagles to an upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. Pederson was the head coach of Calvary Baptist from 2005 to 2008 and he’s also a former quarterback at ULM.

The latest campaign finance report finds U-S Representative Clay Higgins has only 50-thousand dollars on hand and he is up for re-election later this year. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Higgins will need to be more agressive as a fundraiser…
cut 12 (10) “….of that”
Two other people in the third district are raising money to possibly challenge Higgins in November.

Louisiana Chef Phillipe Parola has developed a recipe to make Asian Carp a very tasty entree. The Asian Carp is a nonnative fish, which poases a threat to local recreational commerical fisheries. So the state is looking at ways to make the fish more profitable to catch. Parola says he’s learned how to prepare Asian Carp says it has wonderful flavor, like lemon fish…
cut 9 (07) “….and prepare”
Chef Parola has recipes on his website.