New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry has filed a bill for the upcoming session that would decriminalize prostitution. Landry says many victims of human trafficking are afraid to tell authorities because they fear they’ll get arrested, and she says decriminalizing prostitution would also lead to safer sex practices among sex workers and their customers…

Cut 5 (11)“…example.”
The Office of Motor Vehicles is warning Louisianans against falling for “imposter” OMV sites they’ve seen popping up in larger numbers recently. OMV spokesperson Matt Boudreaux says many of the sites will charge you more and keep your personal data. He says there’s one tell-tale sign you’re on an imposter site.

Cut 11 (07) “…a bell.”

Nursing home and adult residential facility visitation guidelines have been relaxed. Matt Doyle spoke with AARP about the welcome changes…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

Wednesday the Board of Trustees at Oregon State University meets to review LSU’s Husch Blackwell report because their current school president, F. King Alexander served at LSU during the time the report investigated Title IX issues. Last week the Board of Trustees said they’d review the reports’ findings with Alexander and report their conclusions to the Oregon State community.

New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry wants to decriminalize prostitution in the next legislative session, to help reduce human trafficking Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

_______________________________

Nursing home and adult residential facility visitation guidelines have been relaxed. Matt Doyle spoke with AARP about the welcome changes…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

____________________________

Don’t fall for one of many new “imposter” sites pretending to be the official Office of Motor Vehicle renewal portal. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (28)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

____________________________

A New Orleans lawmaker wants to decriminalize prostitution in Louisiana in the next legislative session. Representative Mandie Landry says by doing so it would allow victims of trafficking to go to law enforcement for help instead of being arrested for prostitution.

Cut 4 (12)“…their will.”

Landry says often sex workers are the victims of violence, by the police and others in the community, and are unable to get assistance because they fear arrest.

In addition to reducing human trafficking, Landry says decriminalizing prostitution would also lead to safer sex practices among sex workers and their customers.

Cut 5 (11)“…example.”

Landry says when you remove the crime of prostitution it becomes much more obvious who is in the profession by choice versus against their will and if it is consensual between adults why is the government involved?

For many sex workers, Landry says it is a matter of economics and when people are hurting financially, they often make decisions that they wouldn’t otherwise. In Louisiana, white women make an average of 67-cents on the dollar compared to men and for Black women, it’s even less.

Cut 6 (10) “…52-cents.”

The session begins April 12^th.

________________________

The Louisiana Department of Health mandates allowing indoor visitation at all times at nursing home and adult residential facilities.

LDH says declining community spread means it’s safe for responsibly managed indoor visitation. AARP Louisiana Associate Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl…

Cut 7 (11)  “…status.”

Parishes with positivity rates of above ten percent will not be included in the new, relaxed guidelines as will facilities where fewer than 70 percent of residents are vaccinated. As of the most recent numbers, all parishes qualify.

Muhl says this is a big win for residents and their families, some of whom have not seen each other in a year.

Cut 8 (09) “…pandemic.”

The new regulations went into effect Friday…

Cut 9 (06) “…guidelines.”

_____________________________

The Office of Motor Vehicles is warning Louisianans against falling for “imposter” OMV sites they’ve seen popping up in larger numbers recently.

OMV spokesperson Matt Boudreaux says some privately-owned companies are paying to host websites that offer renewal services. The problem is they charge extra fees, and even worse…

Cut 10 (09) “…careful.”

These websites have often paid google to be the top listing for any searches related to “renew my vehicle registration”.

Boudreaux says there’s one tell-tale sign you’re on an imposter site.

Cut 11 (07) “…a bell.”

Boudreaux says there’s one safe way to mitigate any risk of falling for an imposter…

Cut 12 (10) “…org ”

OMV encourages you to report any fraudulent or imposter websites to State Police.

_____________________________

After the State Fair of Louisiana was put on hold last fall, this year, we’re getting a twofer. Fair President Chris Giordano says rather than cancel they decided to postpone the 114^th Fair to April 29^th through May 9th and have a spring fair for the first time ever.

Cut 13 (06) “…November.”

The annual event in Shreveport will be held again this fall, October 28^th through November 14^th.

Giordano says they had to adhere to the state guidelines for festivals and fairs to open this spring. He says the fair will be different than in the past, with additional space for distancing, sanitizing stations, and face coverings will be required but can be removed in two designated areas of the grounds.

Cut 14 (05) “…beer gardens.” 

Regulations require alcohol to be limited to designated areas and attendees will not be allowed to drink outside of beer gardens.

Giordano says Crabtree Amusements, the same company that provides rides in the fall will be there for the spring event, but instead of the usual 60 rides…

Cut 15 (08)“….distancing.”

The spring fair will run for 11 straight days and close at 10 p.m. each night. The spring fair will open at noon on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends.

_________________________________________

LSU kicks off Spring Football today and one position battle that fans will be keeping an eye on is the quarterback position.  Myles Brennan. Max Johnson and TJ Finley started at quarterback and won football games last season. Tiger Rag Assistant Editor William Weathers says it will come down to who can run the new system the best.

Cut 16 (13) “…asked of them.”

Spring practice will be especially important this year because of the number of new assistant coaches on the staff. The Tigers have new defensive, offensive, and passing game coordinators. Weathers says the coaches have been gearing the players up for a new playbook

Cut 17 (15) “…schemes.”

There’s not a lot of positions up for grabs on the team with a ton of veterans returning, but Weathers says there are a lot of receivers on the roster pushing for playing time, plus they need to find a new starting tight end because Arik Gilbert transferring out of the program…

Cut  18 (12) “…guys there.”

________________________________________

The LSU men’s basketball team is in Indianapolis preparing for its first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against St. Bonaventure on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers are coming off a good showing at the SEC Tournament and Forward Trendon Watford believes they can make another run in the Big Dance…

Cut 19 (18) “…love LSU.” 

LSU played as well they’ve played all season in the SEC Tournament, beating Ole Miss and Arkansas and losing by one point to Alabama to the championship game. Coach Will Wade on what he saw from his team in Nashville…

Cut 20  (10) “…cleared up.” 

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is retiring from the NFL and many are saying thank you for the 15 years he gave to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Governor John Bel Edwards released a video message and says he’s excited to see what Brees does next…

Cut 10 (07) “…your family.” 

Brees will stay close to football by working as an NFL analyst for NBC.

Since the state has moved to Phase Three, and New Orleans has also eased restrictions, more tourists are returning. But Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser the state is also competing against neighboring states that have eased restrictions even more and conventions remain on the fence about Louisiana.

Cut 3 (12)  “…our doors”  

Nungesser says having the state and the Crescent City on different restrictions is adding to the confusion for tourists.

LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward says he “totally agrees” with the decision to suspend two athletic department administrators for less than a month as a result of the Husch Blackwell Report. Members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus slammed what they called an unacceptably small punishment. Woodward was not AD at the time the incidents occurred but told Jim Engster…

Cut 13 (11)“…this”

New Orleans-based brass band the Nightcrawlers took home the GRAMMY for Best Regional Roots Album last night for their 2020 hit “Atmosphere”. Nightcrawlers saxophonist Jason Mingledorff says while last year has been especially tough for musicians, on the upside the downtime means everyone has been practicing…

Cut 8 (10) “….music”

“Atmosphere” was finished just as the pandemic began.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is retiring from the NFL and many are saying thank you to number nine for the 15 years he gave to Crescent City and the state of Louisiana. Governor John Bel Edwards released a video message shortly after Brees announced his playing days are over.

Cut 9 (10) “…very challenging”

LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward said on “WRKFs” Talk Louisiana this morning that he agrees with LSU interim President Thomas Galligan’s decision to suspend two athletic department administrators because of the Husch Blackwell Report. Woodward says the school and athletic department are committed to changing the culture through education.

Cut 15 (10) “…this.” 

Lt Governor Billy Nungesser says while individual hotel bookings are starting to increase in New Orleans, current restrictions need to be modified so bars and restaurants can allow people to sit at the bar and live music restrictions also be eased so more visitors will come and enjoy the New Orleans experience.

Cut 5  (10)  “…money” 

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles is warning residents about imposter third-party websites that overcharge for vehicle registration services and gather personal and credit card data. While third-party websites often have advertisements, the Office of Motor Vehicles website does not, and it allows residents to renew their registration online using their renewal notice or previously issued registration. Registration can also be renewed by mail or in person.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is retiring from the NFL and many are saying thank you to number nine for the 15 years he gave to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Governor John Bel Edwards released a video message and says he’s excited to see what Brees does next…

Cut 10 (07) “…your family.” 

Brees will stay close to football by working as an NFL analyst for NBC.

New Orleans-based brass band the Nightcrawlers took home the GRAMMY for Best Regional Roots Album last night for their 2020 hit “Atmosphere”. Nightcrawlers saxophonist Jason Mingledorff says the last year has been especially tough one for musicians. But on the upside of so much downtime means everyone’s been practicing…

Cut 8 (10) “….music”

“Atmosphere” was finished just as the pandemic began.

The city of Shreveport is looking at removing jail time for some small marijuana-related offenses. Under the bipartisan proposal people, 18 and older who are found in possession of 14 grams or less would receive a fine of $50 or given community service. Under the current Louisiana law, such offenders could get up to 15 days in jail and up to $300 in fines. The proposal also has the support of Mayor Adrian Perkins and is on the March 23^rd council agenda.

Since the state has moved to Phase Three, and New Orleans has also eased restrictions, more tourists are returning. But Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser the state is also competing against neighboring states that have eased restrictions even more and conventions remain on the fence about Louisiana.

Cut 3 (12)  “…our doors”  

Drew Brees is hanging up his cleats as the future hall of famer announces he’s retiring after 20 seasons. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

In a statement from Brees, the former quarterback says he’s only retiring from football, not New Orleans. This is not goodbye but rather, a new beginning and now his real life’s work begins. Brees announced this morning that he will be going to work for NBC Sports as a football analyst.

Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins is among a group of Republican U-S House members who are in Texas today to assess the increase of unauthorized crossing attempts from Mexico. Higgins says what was a manageable situation during the Trump administration has turned into a crisis
Cut 10 (10) “…illegal crossings” (2x)

Gas prices have returned to pre-pandemic levels and continue to increase at the pumps. According to Gas Buddy’s Senior Petroleum Analyst, Patrick DeHaan it is usually the summer months when gas prices typically increase, and it looks like they could reach the $3-mark nationally but living in the Bayou State does have its perks.

Cut 6 (10) “…Louisiana.”

According to Gas Buddy-dot-com, the statewide average for regular gasoline is $2.54, a 60-cent increase since the beginning of the year

LSU is facing calls for additional punishments for those involved in the mishandling of sexual misconduct cases. Don Molino has more…

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Don Molino”  

On Friday, the state department of health reported COVID hospitalizations under 500. Another milestone for a week that is the one-year anniversary of the first reported case and death from the pandemic in Louisiana. More people in the state have now completed their vaccinations than the number of reported positive cases in the state since the pandemic began.

Early voting ends Saturday for the two special congressional races for the second and fifth districts. JMC Analytics Pollster John Couvillon says the second district race is likely headed to a run-off, but the fifth district could be won outright when the election is held on March 20th. He says Republican Julia Letlow is the favorite…

cut 11 (09) “…before”
Early voting will end Saturday at 6 PM.

The weather looks great for boating this weekend. Lieutenant Dean Aucoin, with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Department, says before going on the water, make sure your safety equipment is in good shape…
cut 8 (10) “…everybody on board”
There is a marginal risk for severe weather in northeast Louisiana on Sunday.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the homicide of a 77-year old caretaker and the suspect is the special needs woman she cared for. Sheriff Joseph Lopinto says the incident happened around 10 a.m Friday at a home in Terrytown.
Cut 12 (10) “ …sitter”

Lopinto says the suspect, who is nonverbal, has been taken to a psychiatric ward.

Saturday is the last day for early voting and in the predominantly New Orleans Democratic-based 2^nd Congressional District, JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon predicts a runoff for Troy Carter and most likely Karen Carter Peterson, or possibly with Gary Chambers or…

Cut 10 (09) “…party.” 

There’s also a Congressional race in the 5^th district, election day is March 20^th.

It was a week ago that the Husch Blackwell report on LSU’s mishandlings of sexual assault cases was released.  During a legislative hearing this week attended by victims and students, state lawmakers were furious the report didn’t result in any firings. LSU interim President Thomas Galligan says he welcomes their scrutiny.

Cut 5  (12)  “…this situation” 

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and fisheries is urging boaters to practice safe boating after already seeing seven boating fatalities in 2021.  At this time in last year, we only saw two boating fatalities.  Lieutenant Dean Aucoin says boaters need to be aware of their surroundings.

Cut 6 (12) “..everybody else safe”

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the homicide of a 77-year-old caretaker and the suspect is the 32-year old special needs woman she cared for. Sheriff Joseph Lopinto says it happened around 10 this morning in Terrytown and the suspect, who is nonverbal, has been taken to a psychiatric ward.

Cut 13 (10)“…why.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and fisheries is urging boaters to practice safe boating after already seeing seven boating fatalities in 2021.  Lieutenant Dean Aucoin says anyone 16 years of age or under must wear an approved life jacket, and it could have made a difference in the number of fatalities so far this year.

Cut 7 (11) “…concerning to us”

Baton Rouge TV stations are reporting a State Trooper Jacob Brown has resigned from L-S-P. Brown is accused of beating a Monroe man during an arrest in 2019. Brown was charged in December with second-degree battery and malfeasance in office.

Early voting for the March 20^th elections for two congressional seats in the 2nd and 5th districts ends Saturday and projected turnout is 15 to 20 percent. Taylor Sharp has more.

Cut 2 (31) …I’m Taylor Sharp.”  

Saturday is the last day for early voting and in predominantly New Orleans Democratic-based 2^nd Congressional District, JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon predicts a runoff for Troy Carter and most likely Karen Carter Peterson, or possibly with Gary Chambers or…

Cut 10 (09) “…party.” 

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and fisheries is urging boaters to practice safe boating after already seeing seven boating fatalities in 2021.  At this time in last year, we only saw two boating fatalities.  Lieutenant Dean Aucoin says boaters need to be aware of their surroundings.

Cut 6 (12) “..everybody else safe”

Governor Edwards has declared Sunday a Day of Remembrance in honor of the one-year anniversary since the state reported its first COVID death…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

The state reports COVID hospitalizations have dropped below 500 to 478.