Cut 23 (Fade after 3 seconds)

I hope you enjoyed this brief respite from the rain, because it’s coming back next week. A low-pressure area has formed off the coast of Mexico and is expected to move up the Gulf towards Louisiana and Texas. While the system is not expected to develop, LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the moisture it brings will certainly add to the total rainfall.

Cut 10 (06) “…whole week.” 

If you’re a no-party voter and are confused about which ballot you can cast in the U.S. Senate runoff, listen up. If you cast a Republican or Democratic ballot in the primary, that’s the ballot you’ll cast in the runoff. Trey Williams with the Secretary of State’s Office says if you didn’t cast either ballot, you still have the option.

Cut 4 (14) “…to vote in.”

Local school superintendents are speaking out against the latest teacher stipend plan. Governor Landry has directed local school systems to use 168-million dollars of non-instructional money to pay the two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support workers. But Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell says non-instructional dollars covers a lot of the operating costs.

Cut 29 (04)  “…they cost now.”

Cut 24 (fade after 4 seconds)

The monster will be mashing in Baton Rouge for one more season. Steven “Monster” Milam has removed his name from the MLB Draft and will return to LSU for his season. Glen West with On3-dot-com says Milam’s decision wasn’t just financial – he wanted to play for Jay Johnson for one more season.

Cut 14 (12) “…at LSU.”

Believe it or not, it’s time to head to the polls once again. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

Local school superintendents are not on board with Governor Landry’s plan to use 168-million dollars in funding for public schools to pay a two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

The World Cup officially began with two games in Mexico yesterday, and the first match on American soil is tonight between the U.S. and Paraguay. Kace Kieshnick reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

_________________________________________________________

Early voting for the U.S. Senate runoff elections begins today, with these races determining once and for all who will advance to the November general election. ULM political science professor Pearson Cross says while there was great anticipation leading up to the May 16th primaries, there seems to be a sense of apathy leading up to the runoffs – at least on the Republican side.

Cut 4 (09) “…a great deal.”

Cross says another thing driving down interest is that the outcome of the GOP runoff does not appear to be in doubt.

Cut 5 (11) “…points she needs.”

It’s the same story on the Democratic side, with Jamie Davis coming within just a couple points of outright victory; so he will have a huge advantage over Gary Crockett. Cross says the lack of drama in the runoff will likely carry over into the general election.

Cut 6 (13) “…Fleming are funded.”

The reason early voting starts today instead of tomorrow is that there will be no early voting next Friday because it’s Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday. Early voting ends June 20th; election day is June 27th.

___________________________________________________

Local school superintendents are not on board with the governor’s plan to take 168-million dollars in funding for public schools and use that money instead to keep paying a two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers. Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell says the loss of that funding will have real consequences.

Cut 7 (15) “…naive at best.”

Powell also serves as the president of the Louisiana Association of Superintendents.

The governor’s teacher pay plan needs two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate, who have until June 23rd to submit their mail-in ballots. Powell says school leaders are talking to their local senators and representatives.

Cut 8 (11) “…many school systems”

During a press conference last week, Landry described how his plan is doable because there is public school funding that goes unaccounted for every year. He’s directed local school systems to use non-instructional dollars to pay the two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support workers. But Powell says non-instructional dollars covers a lot of the operating costs.

Cut 9 (04)  “…they cost now.”

___________________________________________________

The FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico yesterday, and the first games in Canada and the U.S. are today. It’s been 32 years since America hosted the Cup in 1994. Paul Boron (bore-AHN), a reporter for the Louisiana Soccer Association,  says from sold-out SEC stadiums for warm-up matches to life-changing Waffle House trips, the excitement is palpable for both local and international fans.

Cut 10 (07) “…great as well.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team has its first game of the group stage tonight against Paraguay. The Stars and Stripes will also have group matches against Australia and Turkey. Boron says this year’s team could be one of the nation’s best. They can certainly score, but he has questions of the defense.

Cut 11 (07) “…is a possibility.”

The top two teams from each group and the top eight teams to finish third advance to the 32-team knockout round. USA’s matchup with Paraguay is set for 8 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Over the next five weeks, 104 matches will be played across the three countries. The cheapest tickets to get into even low-demand games are upwards of 200 dollars. Tickets to the final range from eight-thousand to more than 50-thousand dollars. Boron says FIFA’s pricing could backfire.

Cut 12 (12) “…to get in.”

The nearest host sites to Louisiana are Houston, Dallas and Atlanta.

___________________________________________________

An already below-average hurricane season is now forecast to be even more so. Researchers from Colorado State University have revised their original prediction down to 11 named storms, including five hurricanes, two of which to be major hurricanes. CSU Researcher Nick Mesa says those are down from 13, six and two, respectively.

Cut 13 (07)  “…of hurricane season.”

Mesa says as El Nino conditions increase, the threat of hurricane activity decreases, particularly at the peak of hurricane season.

Cut 14 (07) “…August and September.”

Mesa says despite the reduction in the number of hurricanes in the forecast, that does not mean you’re free to let your guard down this year or any year.

Cut 15 (11) “…ready to go.”

___________________________________________________

The Men’s College World Series begins today. Of the eight teams in this year’s field, only North Carolina has made it to Omaha in the last two years. Third-ranked Georgia is the top remaining seed, and former LSU star and ESPN baseball analyst Todd Walker says the Bulldogs have the pitching and power to make history.

Cut 16 (14) “…win in Omaha.”

Georgia is part of an all-SEC half of the bracket that also features Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma. Walker says one of the things he looked forward to as a player in the tournament was facing different teams than the ones you had in the regular season.

Cut 17 (17)  “…get after it.”

Troy and West Virginia are making their Omaha debuts against one another, and they’re on a crash course with UNC and Ole Miss. Walker says the College World Series is always unpredictable, but this year’s bracket is as open as ever.

Cut 18 (18) “…about 85-percent.”

An El Nino has officially formed in the tropical Pacific, so what does that mean for our weather in Louisiana? Joe Gallinaro has the story.

Cut 2 (24) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The community spoke, and the company listened. After environmental groups expressed concerns, a Hyundai steel mill coming to Ascension Parish has agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions. The Advocate reports the company is accomplishing this by swapping out nine natural gas heaters for electric heaters. It’s also adding two systems to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.

Terrebonne Parish is diversifying its economy; and with it will come hundreds of new jobs. NovaSpark is establishing a hydrogen generator manufacturing facility in Houma. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says this is a game changer for Houma and Terrebonne Parish, especially in light of a downturn in oil and gas.

Cut 10 (08) “…and gas hub.” 

The fastest-growing city in Louisiana between 2020 and 2025 is Carencro, adding almost four-thousand residents to a population that now tops 13-thousand. Mayor Charlotte Clavier (klah-vee-AAE) says the best part about Carencro is the major sense of community.

Cut 5 (13) “…doing so well.”

El Nino conditions have officially developed in the tropical Pacific, and weather experts say it will intensify, possibly into a Super El Nino. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says not only does El Nino produce a quieter Atlantic hurricane season, it can also produce a wetter and cooler spring if it hangs around that long.

Cut 8 (08) “…and winter.”

Terrebonne Parish is diversifying its economy; and with it will come hundreds of new jobs. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says NovaSpark is expanding by not only adding to its hydrogen generator manufacturing facility in West Monroe, but also establishing an operation in Houma.

Cut 9 (12)  “…future as well.”

The fastest growing city in Louisiana is Carencro, growing by nearly 42-percent between July 1st, 2020, and July 1st, 2025. Carencro is bisected by I-49, and Mayor Charlotte Clavier says that means Carencroians have it easy when it comes to heading into Lafayette.

Cut 4 (09) “…more traffic issues.”

Hayden Federico won a state championship with West Monroe in 2024. Now, he’ll play for a Men’s College World Series Title with Ole Miss in Omaha. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Which city is the fastest growing city in Louisiana? If you said Carencro, you’d be right. According to census data released last month, between July 1st, 2020, and July 1st, 2025, Carencro’s population grew by almost 42-percent, adding almost four-thousand people to a population that now tops 13-thousand. Mayor Charlotte Clavier (klah-vee-AAE) says many of those people are coming from coastal communities, where homeowners insurance is exponentially more expensive.

Cut 3 (09) “…a little less.”

El Nino conditions have officially developed in the tropical Pacific, and weather experts say it will intensify, possibly into a Super El Nino. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the most immediate impact to Louisiana’s weather is the higher chances of a quiet hurricane season.

Cut 6 (10) “…the Atlantic basin.”

The soaring price of everything is certainly forcing families to significantly tighten their belts this summer. Layne McDaniel with the Society of Louisiana CPAs says when you talk to your kids about these tough financial times, there’s no need to give too many complicated details to younger kids.

Cut 8 (08) “…up this summer.”

McDaniel says if your kids are older, that’s when you can more freely give them more details of exactly what’s going on.

West Monroe High School product Hayden Federico is heading to the College World Series with Ole Miss. The sophomore outfielder is the son of Louisiana Tech assistant coach Michael Federico, who says he doesn’t get the chance to watch him play often, so seeing him in Omaha will be special.

Cut 10 (10) “…words for it.”

If you’re a kid attending Vermilion Catholic and you haven’t entered ninth grade yet, you’d better get off social media immediately. Andrew Greenstein explains why.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

Hayden Federico won a state championship with West Monroe in 2024. Now, he’ll play for a Men’s College World Series Title with Ole Miss in Omaha. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

Louisiana has a new voter ID law. Jeff Palermo has the details.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

_________________________________________________________

If you attend Vermilion Catholic and haven’t entered the ninth grade yet, you’d better delete your social media profiles now! That’s because the pre-K-through-12 school has banned social media for all students in eighth grade and below, with the ban extending to ninth grade in the fall of 2027. Father Alexander Albert says social media has proven to do nothing but disrupt the educational and social development of kids.

Cut 4 (08) “…with each other.”

With the school being a private school, it is entirely their prerogative to impose such a restriction on its students. The social media ban is effective 365 days a year as long as the student is enrolled at the school, with incoming students considered to be enrolled in the preceding summer. Father Albert says the policy has gotten positive reviews.

Cut 5 (10) “…easier as parents.”

The school’s policy largely mirrors the policies of the social media platforms, most of which prohibit anyone under 13 years old from creating accounts. Albert says the policy creates a disciplinary mechanism at the school level, and students subject to the policy caught with social media accounts face significant penalties.

Cut 6 (10) “…they consider expulsion.”

___________________________________________________

In case you haven’t noticed, pretty much the price of everything has gone up. And that has taken a huge bite out of families’ budgets. So as we get into the summer travel season, and potentially looking ahead to the holiday shopping season, money will certainly be a lot tighter than in years past. Layne McDaniel with the Society of Louisiana CPAs says in light of that, be prepared if your kids have some tough money questions for you.

Cut 7 (08) “…need to understand.”

McDaniel says when you talk to your kids about these tough financial times, there’s no need to give too many complicated details to younger kids.

Cut 8 (08) “…up this summer.”

McDaniel says if your kids are older, that’s when you can more freely give them more details of exactly what’s going on.

Cut 9 (13)  “…something like that.”

___________________________________________________

West Monroe High School product Hayden Federico is heading to the College World Series with Ole Miss. The sophomore outfielder is the son of Louisiana Tech assistant coach Michael Federico, who says he doesn’t get the chance to watch him play often, so seeing him in Omaha will be special.

Cut 10 (10) “…words for it.”

Michael says he’s been to Omaha as a fan once before, a 1967 trip with some teammates from his Southern Miss baseball team. He says he told his kids he wouldn’t return to the College World Series until he was coaching or one of them was playing in it.

Cut 11 (13) “…coaching in it.”

Hayden is batting .296 and has started all but four games for the Rebels. Michael says he’s going to try to turn off coach mode and be an Ole Miss fan this weekend.

Cut 12 (11) “…a national championship.”

Ole Miss takes on UNC in game two of the Men’s College World Series at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

___________________________________________________

Governor Landry has signed a package of election integrity and security bills designed to enhance election safeguards and further secure Louisiana’s election process. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says one of the measures strengthens the state’s voter ID laws.

Cut 13 (12)  “…vote would count.”

Landry says the new voter ID law lists the acceptable forms of identification needed for a voter to cast a ballot if he or she shows up to vote without a state-issued photo ID.

Cut 14 (09) “…like Costco cards.”

The new law goes into effect on July 1st, 2027. So starting with the statewide elections in 2027, if a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she will need to provide the poll worker with a birth certificate, Social Security Card or certificate of citizenship, along with a voter registration notice, a recent utility bill, bank statement or pay stub.

Landry says the governor also signed a bill that requires Louisiana to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program to help identify any non-citizen that’s registered to vote in Louisiana.

Cut 15 (11) “…rolls remain clean.”

Governor Landry has also signed a bill that prohibits a person from taking a photo of the Election Day precinct registers. That’s the piece of paper you sign, right before you go into the voter’s booth.

___________________________________________________

LSU landed one of the most sought-after talents in the transfer portal in Notre Dame outfielder Bino Watters. The Michigan native hit .362 with 10 homers, 51 RBI and a .610 slugging percentage his sophomore season with the Irish. Bradley Smart covers the ACC for D1Baseball and says he’s only gotten better each year in South Bend.

Cut 16 (17) “…pickup for LSU.”

While Watters certainly has the SEC power profile, he also has exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Smart says in two years and 382 at-bats with the Irish, he struck out just 63 times.

Cut 17 (16)  “…do damage on.”

LSU was in a heated recruiting battle with Texas and Texas A&M for the slugger, but Jay Johnson and his staff were able to bring him to Baton Rouge to address some glaring needs in the outfield next season. Smart says he can be a day one starter for the Tigers.

Cut 18 (14) “…production out of.”

____________________________________________________

Today is the final day of Organized Team Activities for the Saints before minicamp kicks off next week. Head Coach Kellen Moore praised the confidence his team has gained as the offseason has gone on. He says one player that’s stood out is free agent running back Travis Etienne.

Cut 19 (19) “…rotating as much.”

The Saints will rely on a young secondary this year. At outside corner, Kool-Aid McKinstry was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, and Quincy Riley was a fourth-rounder last year who saw significant snaps. Safety Jonas Sanker turned heads as a rookie filling in for an injured Julian Blackmon last year, and McKinstry says he’s made great progress replacing Alontae Taylor at slot corner this season.

Cut 20 (18) “…same exact way.”

For the second time in three days, a shooting rocks an East Baton Rouge Parish school. A student was shot and wounded while leaving Baker High School this morning. Preston Castille, the president and CEO of Helix Community Schools, the charter school network that Baker High School belongs to, says it happened while summer school was in session.

Cut 12 (08) “…still on campus.” 

At the end of the school year, more than 66-percent of students from kindergarten through third grade were reading at or above grade level — compared to just under half at the start of the school year. John Wyble, the CEO of the Center for Literacy and Learning, says this increase can be attributed to a return to the science of reading.

Cut 6 (11) “…what they read.”

A Pittsburgh little league practice became a lifelong memory Monday night when ex-LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes decided to drop in on his day off. Kace Kieschnick reports

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

An 80-million-dollar manufacturing facility is coming to Monroe. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says welcoming Faith Technologies Incorporated to the area is a big win for the city.

Cut 10 (07) “…all day long.”

For the second time in three days, a shooting rocks an East Baton Rouge Parish school. A student was shot and wounded while leaving Baker High School this morning. Preston Castille, the president and CEO of Helix Community Schools, the charter school network that Baker High School belongs to, says it happened while summer school was in session.

Cut 12 (08) “…still on campus.” 

At the start of this school year, just under half of kindergarten through third grade students could read at or above grade level. By the end of the school year, that number rose to more than 66-percent. John Wyble, the CEO of the Center for Literacy and Learning, says along with a return to the science of reading, the progress can be attributed to schools diligently staying on top of students’ progress in their reading abilities.

Cut 7 (10) “…support and interventions.”

An 80-million-dollar manufacturing facility is coming to Monroe. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says welcoming Faith Technologies Incorporated  to the area is a big win for Monroe.

Cut 10 (07) “…all day long.” 

The 50-thousand-square-foot facility will produce electrical assemblies and energy solutions to ship to project sites along the I-20 corridor. It’s expected to be completed next spring.

A little league team in the north suburbs of Pittsburgh got a surprise visit from the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Monday evening. Paul Skenes was driving by Ingomar Franklin Park when he saw the lights on for a little league practice and decided to check it out. Eddie Dubis, a coach in the league and father of two of the kids, says it only took a few minutes for the 6-6 superstar to be noticed.

Cut 3 (10) “…two hours.”

The OMV continues experiencing network outages. It started Sunday when the Office of Technology Services started replacing a legacy piece of hardware. Thomas Mule’ (myoo-LAY) with the OTS says during the migration, some are experiencing connectivity issues.

Cut 13 (09) “…the new system.”

Mule’ says the switch is the equivalent of a 1992 Honda Civic to a 2026 McLaren 750.

Could State Representative Gabe Firment have his sights set on something bigger, like the U.S. House of Representatives? The Republican from Pollock says several people have reached out to him over the past couple weeks asking him if he’d be interested in running for the open seat in the fifth district.

Cut 6 (12) “…an intriguing opportunity.”

Meta announces the launch of America’s Workforce Academy. It’s a nationwide A-I infrastructure jobs training program with a pilot academy in Baton Rouge. Meta Director of U.S. Policy Diana Doukas says participants will receive guaranteed job placement upon graduation from the four to five-week program.

Cut 4 (09) “…to do so.”

The Louisiana America 250 commission is hosting a free Fourth of July concert in downtown Baton Rouge. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says the celebration will highlight the great talent that comes out of the Bayou State.

Cut 10 (11) “…has to offer.” 

The concert will feature performances from local stars Amanda Shaw, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., John Schneider and Wayne Toups.

An East Baton Rouge Parish woman is suing the parents of a 13-year-old boy who allegedly vandalized her property with racist graffiti. Ryan Thompson says what happened last month was actually the culmination of a pattern of racially-motivated acts of vandalism towards Carolyn Morrison-Howard, including puncturing the tires of her caregiver’s vehicle and etching a swastika into the caregiver’s vehicle.

Cut 15 (10) “…community is safe.”

A St. Charles Parish man tries to run from police by jumping into a swamp and ends up getting attacked by an alligator. State Trooper Kyle Wagner says that alligator attack, along with drone technology, helped police capture 40-year-old Victor Rivas. Before being hauled off to jail, Rivas had to be treated for his bout with the alligator.

Cut 6 (06) “…both his arms.” 

Private drivers are seeing relief when it comes to insurance rates, but that’s not the case for commercial drivers. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

For the second time in less than two months, a detainee at a North Louisiana ICE detention facility has died. The latest is a detainee from the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The man had been detained there for four months before he was found unresponsive last Thursday. A recent inspection of the facility uncovered insanitary conditions and substandard medical care.