Legislation to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban has been filed for the regular session, the same bill that failed to make it out of committee last year. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
The body of a driver missing after a crash in Assumption Parish has been found near Bayou Lafourche. 64-year-old Gilbert Bunch Jr. and a passenger were driving down Highway 398 on March 2 when they crashed into Bayou Lafourche. The passenger was able to swim to the bank. Bunch’s body was found about six miles south of the crash location on Friday.

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Streamlining the state’s constitution will be another topic up for debate during the regular session. Louisiana’s constitution was adopted in 1974 but has been amended more than 200 times. Governor Jeff Landry has discussed with Republican lawmakers about taking some items out of the state’s constitution and putting them into state law. Pinsonat says a bill to condense the constitution has yet to be filed…

Cut 6 (12) “…overhauling Louisiana.”

You might have heard about the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 17 years and the other every 13 years, could coincide this year. But LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like that will happen here in the Bayou State but elsewhere…

You might have heard about the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 17 years and the other every 13 years, could coincide this year. But LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like that will happen here in the Bayou State…

Cut 13 (11)  “…specifically.”

From Cicadas to circadian ryhthms, you may be feeling a little more tired this week

after Springing forward over the weekend. Studies show that humans are most vulnterable to circadian misalignment this time of year after losing an our of sleep with the transition to Daylight Saving time. Experts say 25 percent of us may have trouble falling asleep due to the time change, but the good news is your body should re-adjust within a week.

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State lawmakers get back to business today as the regular session kicks off at noon. Insurance reform will be tops on the agenda as Homeowners in Louisiana pay about two thousand dollars a year for insurance and Louisiana ranks second only to Florida when it comes to highest car insurance rates.

Cut 5 (11) “…as automobiles.” 

A bill requiring automated enforcement devices to take a photo of the speeding driver not just the license plate of the vehicle is on the agenda this legislative session. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says Deshotel says he’s not a fan of enforcement cameras, but the bill would provide a better chance to get the ticket to the right person. He believes an officer should be the ones writing tickets because cameras can’t do what they do to keep the community safe.

Cut 11 (11) “…for speeding.” 

The regular session begins at noon today and insurance reform will be a major topic. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”
“Oppenheimer” won big at the 2024 Oscars, last night earning awards in three major categories. The film walked away with the best picture title, Cillian Murphy won the award for best actor, and Christopher Nolan walked away with the title of best director. In all “Oppenheimer had 13 nominations at last night’s Academy Awards.
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New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is trying again to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban. Even though Boyd’s mother, who was raped in her teens and gave birth to her at age 15, she still advocates for exceptions.

Cut 7 (10) “…to term.”

House Bill 164 would allow physicians to terminate a pregnancy if it’s a result of rape or incest.

A bill requiring automated enforcement devices to take a photo of the speeding driver not just the license plate of the vehicle has been filed for the session. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says the current procedure that snaps a photo of the license plate and automatically sends a ticket to the vehicle’s registered owner isn’t fair because the driver may not be the registered owner.

Cut 10 (08) “…vehicle owner.”

The 2024 legislative session begins at noon today. Insurance reform is a hot-button issue up for debate. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers want to do something to lower insurance rates.

Cut 4 (12) “…lower insurance.”

New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is trying again to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban.

House Bill 164 would allow physicians to terminate a pregnancy if it’s a result of rape or incest.  In last year’s regular session, Boyd’s bill never made it out of committee.

Cut 8 (12) “…is born.” 

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Automated enforcement devices that measure speed and automatically send citations to vehicle owners may have to change if a bill gets through this legislative session. Colleen Crain has the details…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

Be extra careful as you hit the roads today especially if you feel a little less rested than usual after Springing forward over the weekend. Studies show that humans are most vulnterable to circadian misalignment this time of year after losing an our of sleep with the transition to Daylight Saving time. Experts say 25 percent of us may have trouble falling asleep due to the time change, but the good news is your body should re-adjust within a week.

Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among the those from more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. Officials say 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations that will last through about mid-June. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle)Collins says among they will likely assist with patrols and enhancing obstacle placements along the border.

Cut 5 (08) “…Texas National Guard.”
The legislature approved and Governor Landry has signed off on LANG’s request for $3 million to cover their expenses and pay allowances for Operation Lone Star.

33 new troopers graduated from the Louisiana State Police 103^rd cadet training academy yesterday. The state now has nearly 900 troopers working in patrol, criminal investigation, and public safety services. But Captain Nick Minale says they’re always looking for qualified applicants to join the ranks.
Cut 8 (06) “…process started.” 
Anyone interested can apply at www.lsp.org.
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In case you missed it, Louisiana has some new state champions in boys basketball. Avoyelles Charter won its second straight as the Vikings defeated J-S Clark 40-38. Zwolle won its second in a row as the Hawks took down Anaccoco again. Franklin won its first state title in 66 years with a 50-45 win over Lakeview. . Wossman defeated Iowa 70-65…after that game, Head Coach Rob Melanson announced his retirement. In his 30 plus year career, he took three schools to the state tournament.

The Saints have re-signed veteran and former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu to a two year contract that will keep him in his hometown of New Orleans through 2025. Mathieu was selected by the Saints as their nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his  community service work. He’s also playing well…but says he’d still like to lead the Black and Gold to the playoffs

Cut  14 (12) “..opportunity”

A select of group of men and women graduated from Louisiana State Police Training Academy yesterday.  Here’s Teiko Fox.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

At the boys basketball state championships…Avoyelles Charter won its second straight as the Vikings defeated J-S Clark 40-38. Zwolle won its second in a row as the Hawks took down Anaccoco again this year.Wossman defeated Iowa 70-65 and Franklin won its first state title in 66 years with a 50-45 win over Lakeview.

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Early voting for the March 23rd presidential preference primary begins today. President Joe Biden has already locked up the Democratic Party’s nomination and former President Donald Trump has secured the Republican Party’s nomination. Secretary of State Nancy Landry still expects Republicans and Democrats to have their voices heard.

Cut 11 (09) “…should be.”

Meanwhile, soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among those from more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle) Collins says 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations beginning March 15^th.

Cut 4 (09) “…to Texas.” 

Soldiers from the 2-108^th Cavalry Squadron in Shreveport will participate in the first rotation and soldiers from the 61^st Troop Command, based in Carville will round out the two remaining rotations.

The Louisiana National Guard is preparing to assist in Operation Lone Star. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Louisiana State Police graduated 33 new troopers graduated from its 103^rd cadet class yesterday . Captain Nick Manale says the cadets of diverse new troopers began their training six months ago and will now continue their training with veteran troopers

Cut 7 (08) “…state troopers.”  

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Early voting for the March 23rd presidential preference primary starts today. But there will be more on the ballot that day, with local elections in 24 parishes. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says she expects  a 20 – 25 percent of voter turnout for this election.  A higher turnout is expected for the hotly contested Caddo Parish Sheriff race.

Cut 10 (13) “…that turnout.”
The Saints have re-signed veteran and former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu to a two year contract that will keep him in his hometown of New Orleans through the 2025 season. The 31-year-old will reportedly make 13-million dollars over the next two seasons. He signed with the Saints as a free agent prior to the 2022 season and says retiring as a Saint is appealing.

Cut 13 (13) “…part of it”  

Early voting for the March 23rd presidential preference primary begins today. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says Democrats and Republicans will only be allowed to vote for presidential candidates in their respective party.

Cut 9 (10) “…remind everybody.” 

Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among the more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle) Collins says 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations.

Cut 3 (09) “…requiring.”  

Collins says Texas has asked for Louisiana guardsmen to arrive no later than March 15^th.

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It’s a big week for the Louisiana State Police as 33 new troopers graduated from their 103^rd cadet class. Captain Nick Manale says the cadets began their journey nearly six months ago.

Cut 6  (12) “…leadership skills.” 

The Saints have re-signed veteran and former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu to a two year contract that will keep him in his hometown of New Orleans through the 2025 season. The Honeybadger is happy he’s staying with the Black and Gold…

Cut 12 (12)  “…to me”  

Governor Jeff Landry is calling the crime special session a great success, Democrats says it failed to address the root causes of crime. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

State Fire Marshall deputies are investigating a couple of deadly housefires that happened yesterday. The first happened was a mobile home fire in Desoto parish yesterday morning around four. The second fatal fire happened in Claiborne Parish around 11:30. Fire officials are still investigating, but say neither home had working smoke detectors.

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The CDC says you no longer need to isolate for five days if you have COVID. The new guidelines advise you still stay home if you’re sick, but you can return to work or school if you are feeling better and have been fever-free for 24 hours. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Fred Lopez says the CDC still encourages you to play it safe for five days, especially if those around you at work or school are vulnerable to the virus or have family members who are.

Cut 14 (09) “…distancing.”

While the new guidelines are welcome news Lopez says COVID still presents a significant threat and remains highly contagious.

Cut 15 (09) “…better phase.”

If you are among the more vulnerable populations, Lopez recommends staying up to date on your booters and along with vaccinations for other respiratory illnesses.

The CDC says you no longer need to isolate for five days if you have COVID. The new guidelines advise you still stay home if you’re sick, but you can return to work or school if you are feeling better and have been fever-free for 24 hours. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Fred Lopez says this mirrors other respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV.

Cut 13 (09)  “…as well.”

Governor Jeff Landry is speaking out on the success of the special session on crime. Lawmakers approved several tough on crime measures, including expanding the methods used to carry out executions, lowering the age one can be charged with a felony from 18 to 17 years old, and toughening up restrictions on parole and probation.

Cut 10 (11) “…that process.”

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The first U.S. manufacturing plant for Japanese Chemical Company UBE, which makes components for electric vehicle batteries, is coming to with a direct investment of half a BILLION dollars.  President of Jefferson Parish Economic Development Jerry Bologna says the synergy from Cornerstone Energy Park played a vital role in UBE’s decision to choose Jefferson Parish. He says they also liked the logistics the area provides…

Cut 4 (10) “…their capital.” 

The project intends to bolster the domestic battery components supply chain and reduce the current reliance on Asian imports. Bologna says the plant in Jefferson Parish will manufacture key elements for EV batteries.

Cut 5 (12) “…those batteries.”

Louisiana offered a competitive incentives package that includes workforce development in order to secure the project.