The Louisiana Department of Health launches a task force to fight waste, fraud and abuse. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Senator Kirk Talbot’s bill that would result in homeowners receiving a individual income tax credit of up to ten-thousand dollars, if they voluntarily pay to install a fortified roof on their home has been approved by the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee. Talbot says a fortified roof could mean fewer claims for insurance companies…

Cut 10 (10) “…know that.”

Meta is getting the word out to parents about Teen Accounts for Instagram. Meta Spokesperson Stephanie Otway says they put safeguards on the accounts and parents can check their teens account. She says Meta is taking a hands-on approach and using AI to identify Teens on Instagram.

Cut 5 (12) “…restrictive state.”

Cyclists from across the state and beyond are gathering in Lafayette for Cycle Zydeco this week. It gets underway tomorrow, and organizer Scott Schilling says there are non-stop activities with a little bit of cycling mixed in.

Cut 13 (07)  “…culture down here.”

If you can’t make all five days, there’s a weekend option Saturday and Sunday.

Ruston Police have identified the victim of a fatal shooting in the parking lot of Y2 Kuts Barbershop. Authorities say 30-year-old Deontrell Hunter was shot and killed Sunday night. Nearby Ruston Police officers heard the shots and responded immediately. After interviewing witnesses, police believe the incident was a result of an ongoing dispute among extended family members. Investigators say multiple individuals were involved and armed with handguns. Five bystanders received superficial injuries and were transported by private vehicle for treatment.

The Louisiana Department of Health is working to fight waste, fraud and abuse with a new task force. Undersecretary Drew Maranto says One initiative involves collaborating with the Office of Motor Vehicles to ensure that no Louisiana Medicaid recipient has an active driver’s license in another state. Another involves a partnership with U-L Lafayette to use artificial intelligence for state-specific data analysis.

Cut 7 (09) “…within the system.”

Meta’s Teen Accounts look to safeguard minors and notify parents of what their kids are doing on Instagram.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Cycle Zydeco gets underway tomorrow in Lafayette. Organizer Scott Schilling says cycling is just one component of the five-day event. And if you think you’re too out of shape, you’ll be in good company.

Cut 14 (08) “…the sweet spot.”

For those who can’t participate for all five days, there is a weekend option for just Saturday and Sunday.

If River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot’s bill is passed, Louisiana homeowners could receive a individual income tax credit of up to ten-thousand dollars, if they voluntarily pay to install a fortified roof on their home.

Cut 9 (08)  “…three years.”

The bill was approved by the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee.

A new task force to fight waste, fraud and abuse is being launched by the Louisiana Department of Health. Undersecretary Drew Maranto says one initiative involves working with the attorney general’s office to identify questionable billing practices.

Cut 8 (08) “…to this conduct.”

Instagram has Teen Accounts with protective safeguards and parental notification and Meta wants to be sure parents of teens under the age of 16 years are aware. Spokesperson Stephanie Otway says 97-percent of teens aged 13–15 are complying with their settings that do not allow teen accounts to be public. Meta also put additional requirements on Teen Accounts for changing age.

Cut 4 (11) “…their birthday.”

Cyclists from across the state and beyond are gathering in Lafayette for Cycle Zydeco this week. It gets underway tomorrow, and organizer Scott Schilling says cycling is just one component of the five-day event.

Cut 12 (08) “…to the other.”

There is a weekend option on Saturday and Sunday.

Two are dead after crashing their Jeep while speeding away from pursuing troopers in Alexandria. State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace says police tried pulling the Jeep over early Saturday morning along the U.S. 165 frontage road.

Cut 3 (11) “…improper lane usage.”

Wallace says the driver would not slow down and it eventually ended up in a bayou. 33-year-old Aaron Watson of Amite and 30-year-old Brandon Wright of Pineville were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Yesterday marked 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Louisiana Coast killing eleven workers including five Louisianans. Lt Governor Billy Nungesser says he still thinks about the families who lost loved ones.

Cut 13 (09)  “…close to home.”

Christians are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88. LSU Professor of Religion Michael Pasquier says there will be a time of mourning and after his funeral, bishops from around the world will meet behind closed doors to choose the next pope…

Cut 8 (12) “…Catholic Church.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week and police are out in full force looking for people driving dangerously through work zones. In Louisiana, all fines for moving violations within work zones are doubled. DOTD secretary Joe Donahue says depending on where you are, those fines could be even higher

Cut 11 (11) “…fines for traffic.”

In 2023, the latest year in which statistics are available, 14 people were killed in Louisiana work zones, with 898 killed nationwide.

A 16-year-old girl is shot and killed in Caddo Parish. It happened last night inside a home in Vivian. 17-year-old Wyatt Sanders and another 16-year-old girl are each facing charges in connection with the girl’s death, including negligent homicide and illegal possession of a handgun. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Lieutenant Breck Scott says the circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation.

Cut 14 (03) “…to the juvenile.”

It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week. This year’s theme is, “Respect the zone so we all go home.” Lisa Freeman, the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says construction workers are putting their lives on the line for the safety of the rest of us.

State Police Colonel Robert Hodges says when you’re going through a construction zone, 100-percent of your attention and focus needs to be on driving safely.

Cut 10 (12) “…dark at night.”

In Louisiana, all fines for moving violations within work zones are doubled.

On Easter Monday, Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, died at 88 after a 12-year papacy defined by humility, advocacy for the marginalized, and reform.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting a case of measles in the Region 1 of the state which includes New Orleans, and the parishes of Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines. LDH says the infection appears to be linked to international travel and the individual is in isolation but not hospitalized. LDH is working to identify and notify those who may have come in contact with the patient since measles is highly contagious. This is the first known case of measles in Louisiana this year. There were three travel related cases in 2024, also in the Greater New Orleans area.

Two men are dead after crashing their Jeep while speeding away from pursuing troopers in Alexandria. State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace says police tried pulling the Jeep over early Saturday morning but they sped up and turned onto England Drive, a narrow, winding road that leads to Alexandria International Airport.

Cut 4 (08) “…goes through there.”

The Jeep was later found partially submerged in a bayou, and 33-year-old Aaron Watson of Amite and 30-year-old Brandon Wright of Pineville were ejected from the vehicle. Wallace says it’s unclear which one was the driver and unknown why the two were running from police.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, has died at the age of 88. He led the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years and took on controversial issues like climate change, inequality and he welcomed gays and lesbians into the Catholic Church.  LSU Professor of Religion Michael Pasquier says his stance on these issues upset some American Catholics…

Cut 6 (12) “…American prospective.”

DOTD has a message for all you drivers – “Respect the zone so we all go home.” Andrew Greenstein is at DOTD headquarters in Baton Rouge with more.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

It was 15 years ago yesterday when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off Louisiana’s coast sending 134 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the worst offshore oil spill in the nation’s history. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says the marshes impacted by the oil were restored, but several islands that would serve as nesting grounds for pelicans were lost.

Cut 12 (13) “…to our coast.”

A 16-year-old girl is shot and killed in Caddo Parish. It happened last night inside a home in Vivian. 17-year-old Wyatt Sanders and another 16-year-old girl were arrested and charged with negligent homicide and illegal possession of a handgun. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Lieutenant Breck Scott says investigators do not know the exact nature of the relationship between the three.

Cut 15 (03) “…at this time.”

They don’t believe there was an intent to harm the victim. The investigation is ongoing

The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting a case of measles in the Region 1 of the state which includes New Orleans, and the parishes of Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines. LDH says the infection appears to be linked to international travel and the individual is in isolation but not hospitalized. LDH is working to identify and notify those who may have come in contact with the patient since measles is highly contagious. This is the first known case of measles in Louisiana this year. There were three travel related cases in 2024, also in the Greater New Orleans area.

Yesterday Pope Francis extended Easter greetings and today Christians are mourning his death.  He was 88. LSU Professor of Religion Michael Pasquier says Pope Francis wasn’t without controversy and was seen as doctrinally lenient by some. He says the Pope initiated reforms in Vatican finances, expanded roles for women and highlighted mercy and inclusivity, often clashing with traditionalists.

Cut 7 (12) “…those standards.”

Yesterday marked 15 years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Louisiana Coast killing eleven workers including five Louisianans. Lt Governor Billy Nungesser says he still thinks about the families who lost loved ones.

Cut 13 (09)  “…close to home.”

Ponchatoula police announce the arrest of six individuals in a shooting last Saturday that wounded two teenagers at the Strawberry Festival. The alleged gunman is 18-year-old Camryn Finley as he’s charged with attempted second-degree murder and terrorizing. All those arrested are between the ages of 18 and 21 years old. The victims are expected to recover, and Police Chief Bry Layrisson says the goal is to make sure a shooting at the Strawberry Fest never happens again…

Cut 14 (08) “…2026 Strawberry Festival.”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is predicting international tourism to Louisiana will be down this year because of tariffs. Nungesser says Canadians make up 40-percent of Louisiana’s international tourists and he is seeing cancellations from Canadian residents. Nungesser hopes the trade war gets resolved soon…

Cut 5 (10) “… Louisiana greatly.”

It’s the biggest crawfish weekend of the year; and as Andrew Greenstein reports, prices are down.

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The top ranked LSU gymnastics team falls short of reaching the NCAA Championships as they struggled to hit on many of their routines in the semifinals and will not have a chance at defending its title. Coach Jay Clark says a great season ends in disappointment

Cut 9 (14)  “…this year.”

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser is concerned Tariffs on Canada could harm Louisiana’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. He says Canada is the state’s largest international tourism market. However, he says President Trump’s tariffs have discouraged travel, leading some Canadian officials to cancel upcoming visits.

Cut 3 (11) “…cancel this year”

Pickup truck drivers will want to be sure everyone one in the vehicle is buckled for safety and because police will be paying closer attention to people in trucks. Through April 27th, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is sponsoring “Buckle Up In Your Truck.” Why single out pickup trucks? Spokesman Greg Fischer says on average, seatbelt use in pickup trucks trails that in all other vehicles.

Cut 15 (12) “…their belt on.”

Louisiana’s overall seatbelt use is behind the national average of 91-percent.

LSU won’t see a repeat as national champions in gymnastics this year as they failed to get past the semifinals but LSU freshman Kailin Chio (KAY-lin Chee-oh) is a champion as she won the vault title with a score of 9.975. Thursday night turned out to be the final meet for Haleigh Bryant, who goes down as the best gymnast in the history of LSU. The five-time SEC champion and national all-around champion in 2024 says it’s hard to say good-bye

Cut 10 (05) “…five years.”

LSU won its first national championship in gymnastics last year. The enter this year’s national championships as the favorites to win it after winning the Southeastern Conference regular season title.

If ever there was a weekend to enjoy some tasty tiny crustaceans, this is it. This is the biggest weekend of the year for crawfish – and Laney King, the founder of The Crawfish App, says crawfish prices are very low this Easter weekend.

Cut 6 (13) “…dollars a pound.”

Six people have been arrested in connection with last weekend’s shooting at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Laryisson says tips from community members helped their investigation

Cut 12 (10) “…good old detective work”

Those arrested were between 18 and 21 years old. Camryn Finley and Dealvin Davis are charged with attempted second-degree murder and terrorizing. Courtney McGee, Markus Dokes, Quentrel Smith, and Quenton Smith are charged with terrorizing.

In St. Mary Parish, anonymous tips led to the arrest of a Patterson man, arrested Friday morning for cruelty to animals-aggravated. St. Mary Sheriff’s Office says 44-year-old Gerard Harris shot and severely wounded a dog. The dog was found severely malnourished and tied to a tree with multiple injuries.  Sheriff Gary Driskell said, “Animal abuse is a crime against the defenseless. Those who commit these horrific acts will be arrested and prosecuted.”

LSU’s quest to repeat as national champions in gymnastics ended Thursday night as they failed to get past the semifinals. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Easter Weekend is typically the biggest weekend of the year for crawfish – and Laney King, the founder of The Crawfish App, says crawfish prices are very low but she doesn’t expect them to be the lowest they will be this year.

Cut 8 (06) “…month of May.”