A former St. Tammany Parish lawmaker and current BESE board member is in line to become the new head of the U.S. Mint. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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After an offseason of questions, it’s time for answers. Saints players reported for training camp today. Kace Kieschnick reports.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is holding another black bear hunting season; and as Colleen Crain reports; this year’s will be even bigger than last year’s.
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BESE board member Paul Hollis will soon be leaving his post to become the new director of the U.S. Mint. The former lawmaker from St. Tammany Parish says he’s been an avid coin collector his entire life, ever since his grandmother gave him a coin she had saved from the Great Depression.
Hollis says the U.S. Mint plays an important role in the U.S. economy.
Cut 5 (10) “…collector coins.”
Hollis’ nomination hearings before the Senate will take place in the fall, and he’s not expected to face any resistance. Once confirmed, he says he will act on President Trump’s call to end the minting of the penny, saying it costs more money to mint than what it’s worth.
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The Saints report for training camp today under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. All eyes will be on the quarterback room to see who wins the starting job. NewOrleans-dot-football reporter Mike Triplett says it will be a true open position battle between second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler and second-round pick Tyler Shough (“shuck”).
Triplett highlighted a packed wide receiver room with names like Bub Means, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Michael Tipton, and a crowded defensive tackle spot as other position battles to watch. He says he’ll be keeping an eye on former first-round pick Trevor Penning’s move from tackle to left guard.
The Saints also welcome a nine-player draft class that Triplett says they need to hit on. D-tackle Vernon Broughton, linebacker Danny Stutsman and running back Devin Neal are just a few names that could compete for playing time. Triplett says the development of ninth overall pick, Kelvin Banks, is the most important of any player on the team.
The Saints will hold their first practice tomorrow and begin preseason August 10th in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be holding another black bear hunting season in December. John Hanks, the large carnivore manager for LDWF, says 25 tags will be available in a month-long lottery, starting next Monday.
Cut 10 (10) “…your lottery tag.”
Last year, in the state’s first black bear hunting season since 1987, it was only open in far northeast Louisiana. This year, they’re opening it up in the coastal parishes and the lower and upper Atchafalaya basins.
Hanks says they awarded ten tags last year; and it proved to be successful to the point that they’re able to expand the area and offer additional tags.
Cut 12 (10) “…by our citizens.”
Applicants will pay a 50-dollar non-refundable fee, and the 25 lucky ones who get hunting tags will be required to attend a LDWF bear hunter training course.
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Louisiana has stopped a large-scale coastal restoration project called the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project. The plan was to construct the Mid-Barataria in Plaquemines Parish on the West Bank and use the Mississippi River to rebuild lost wetlands in the Barataria Basin. The chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Gordon Dove, says the cost became too much.
Cut 13 (14) “…three point one billion”
Dove says by canceling the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, they can now use the money they planned to spend on the project to other areas along the coast.
Cut 14 (14) “…affected parishes.”
And Dove says the state will now move forward with a smaller diversion plan called the Myrtle Grove project in Plaquemines Parish.
Cut 15 (09) “…within three years.”
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Northwestern State was picked to finish ninth out of ten in the Southland Conference preseason poll. The Demons were winless in head coach Blaine McCorkle’s first season last year, but he says better days are coming.
The Demons are one of the youngest teams in the country, with 50 incoming and redshirt freshmen. McCorkle says these young talents have been great for building a new culture in Natchitoches, but their development will take time.
Northwestern begins the season at home against Alcorn August 28th.
After ten seasons away from Lake Charles, head coach Matt Viator has returned to McNeese. Viator led the Cowboys to four Southland titles from 2006 to 2015 before taking the head coaching job at ULM. He says he’s happy to be back home competing in the Southland Conference.
The Cowboys were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll after going 6-and-6 last season. Viator says he’s restarted the program from square one since arriving in the spring.
McNeese will kick off the 2025 campaign August 30 against Louisiana Christian in Lake Charles.