The Louisiana Department of Agriculture has begun issuing licenses for the production, processing and transportation of industrial hemp. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain is glad the regulatory framework has been finalized before planting season, which is between mid-April and early May…
cut 5 (11) “….of the way”
The first license went to the Powell Group, which owns several agricultural businesses.

A study commissioned by Louisiana’s Board of Regents finds there is a lack of evidence to warrant the establishment of a law school in Shreveport. Higher Ed Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed…
Cut 6 (10) “…conversation around dental.”
The state’s higher education board has also determined the region doesn’t need a dental school either.

The big Mardi Gras weekend has arrived and dozens of parades will roll this weekend. There will be a children’s parade in Alexandria tomorrow. Alexandria Convention and Visitor’s Bureau spokesperson Anne Savage says it’s perfect for a more laid back carnival experience.
Cut 12 (10) “…crowds.”
The parade will roll in downtown Alexandria at 10 AM.

Expect to see more law enforcement on the highways in an effort to crack down on intoxicated Carnival goers who get behind the wheel….
cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Governor Edwards announces plans to spend a billion dollars a year building and restoring the coast over the next four years. Edwards’s ambitious coastal restoration plan also calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Restore the Mississippi River Delta campaign director Steve Cochran says if the world can begin reducing it’s greenhouse gas emissions we could begin reversing the effects of coastal land loss.
Cut 10 (09) “…time.”
The Climate Initiatives Taskforce has been formed to develop proposals to reduce emissions.

Cleco customers will see a drop on their power bill starting in March with the removal of the storm restoration fee…
cut 7 (11) ” each year”
That’s Cleco spokesperson Jennifer Cahill, who says customers have been paying the fee for several years as the money went towards the rebuild following the damage done caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Over 200 state troopers are descending upon New Orleans this weekend. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

State Police continues to investigate yesterday’s incident in LaFourche Parish where a school crossing guard was struck and killed while directing traffic on Highway 20 near Chackbay Elementary School. The crossing guard has been identified as 67-year-old Larry Boudreaux. The driver that hit Boudreaux is 83-year-old Jerry Matt of Thibodaux. No charges have been filed.

Over two hundred state troopers around Louisiana are being deployed to New Orleans for Carnival 2020. This is an uptick from last year as crowds are expected to be bigger. Trooper Monroe Dillon says many of the troopers will be positioned in the metro area and the French Quarter.
Cut 13 (09) “…keep them safe.”
Dillon says to get the latest information on parades, use route-wise-dot-nola-dot-gov.

Governor John Bel Edwards proposes spending one-billion dollars a year over the next four years on important coastal restoration projects. Restore the Mississippi River Delta Director Steve Cochran says that money would fund proposed sediment diversions that will redirect river sediment into the wetlands…
cut 12 (11) “…pulses”

The coronavirus virus is expected to be in St. Tammany Parish within the next three weeks for study at the Tulane Primate Research Center. Matt Doyle has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The mumps outbreak on and around the LSU campus has grown to 16 people. The 16 people infected reportedly had the mumps vaccine before getting the illness.

The NFL Owners have agreed to the terms of a new collective bargainning agreement between the league and its players association. The players and their representatives will meet on a conference call tomorrow to discuss the proposed C-B-A and potentially finalize a new agreement. The players would see more revenues, but they might not go along with a 17-game regular season schedule, which the owners are seeking. Also, the playoff format would change, instead of 12 teams making the playoffs, it would go to 14, with only the team with the best record receiving a first round bye.

After a long layoff the Pelicans returned to the practice court today. Tomorrow New Orleans will visit the Portland Trail Blazers to begin a three-game west coast trip that also includes games versus the Warriors and Lakers. New Orleans is 5.5 games back from Memphis, who occupies the final playoff spot in the West. There are 27 games left in the season.

Georgia upset 13th ranked Auburn in SEC basketball action. That means, LSU, Auburn and Florida are tied for second place in the league, two games back of first place Kentucky. The Tigers are at South Carolina on Saturday.

Nicholls won its fourth straight game last night as the Colonels beat Northwestern State 73-69 in Natchitoches. Warith Alatishe had a double-double 16 points and 10 rebounds. McNeese’s losing streak has reached five in a row as the Cowboys fell to U-I-W 65-59.

Tulane snapped its nine-game losing streak by beating SMU 80-72 and ULM defeated Arkansas State 66-52. The Warhawks are 4-and-12 in the Sun Belt.

In college baseball, LSU made a bunch of mistakes and lost to Nicholls four to two. The Tigers made two errors in the field, walked eight hitters, hit three others and only had five hits. Tyler Theriot gave up one run in 5.1 innings in his best pitching performance in his Nicholls career.

58-year-old Geraldine Carmouche has been identified as the woman who was struck and killed by a moving float at the Nyx Parade in New Orleans last night. Police are calling it a horrible accident.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre says a school traffic guard was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic on Highway 20 near Chackbay Elementary School this morning. He’s been identified as Larry Boudreaux, an Army Veteran.

Lottery contributions to the state treasury see a downturn due to a lack of big jackpots from multi-state games. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
Summerfield High School Principal Brian Biggs is in the Claiborne Parish jail after being arrested this morning at his home for multiple sex crimes. State Police Trooper Brent Hardy says bond for the 54-year-old is set at $1 million after being booked on a slew of charges.
Cut 12 (13) “… behavior with juveniles.”
Hardy says the investigation began after authorities heard from concerned parents who accused Biggs of acting inappropriately with their child on the internet.

The Board of Regents has revised its minimum admission standards policy in reaction to LSU’s new holistic admission approach which has resulted in more students being accepted to the state’s flagship university…
cut 7 (11) “…policy”
That’s Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed who says the tougher admissions standards now call for campuses to be penalized.

58-year-old Geraldine Carmouche was killed last night at a New Orleans parade after reportedly trying to pass between two floats, tripping, and being run over. The incident has sparked some calls for new safety regulations, but New Orleans Councilwoman Kristian Palmer says it’s just not feasible.
Cut 9 (08) “…would take″
The last time a person was killed by a float at a New Orleans parade was 2008 as Endymion was entering the Superdome.

The lack of huge Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots means fewer dollars are going towards education. That’s according to Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin who says it’s been a while since a multi-state lottery has produced a jackpot over 400-million dollars. She says at least scratch-off ticket sales are up nearly four-percent…
cut 5 (12) “…really well”

The Board of Regents has approved a new policy that could result in financial penalties for universities that do not comply with minimum admissions requirements for incoming students. Higher Ed Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed says a school will be flagged for review if they allow too many students in, who do not meet requirements like minimum GPA, or ACT.
Cut 6 (12) “consider”
Reed says her staff worked on strengthening the policy for admission standards in response to LSU’s new holistic admission approach.

A float in last night’s Nyx Parade in New Orleans hit and killed a woman on Magazine Street. Witnesses say the woman stepped in between the front float and back float of a tandem float, was struck by the second float and died.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre says a school traffic guard has died after being struck by a vehicle in the northern area of the parish. State Police is investigating.

On his monthly call-in radio show Ask the Governor, Governor Edwards addressed the controversy over his decision not to include a specific teacher pay raise in his budget, saying he is confident teachers will ultimately receive another raise next year. Edwards hopes teachers will see a raise from the additional 39-million dollars he proposes for K-through-12 public schools.
Cut 10 (12) “…a pay raise.”
The Humane Society of Louisiana is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person who threw a dog food bag containing eight puppies from a bridge into Bayou Portage in St. Martin Parish on Sunday. Humane Society of Louisiana executive director Jeff Dorson says a nearby fisherman saw the man toss what appeared to be litter into the water…
cut 7 (12) “…in the sack.”
Dorson says the person behind the tossing could face up to eight felony counts, one for each pup.

The Louisiana Lottery says the lack of massive Powerball and Mega Million jackpots recently has resulted in fewer dollars for education. Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says from July to December they transferred about $42-million dollars to the state treasury.
Cut 3 (09) “…of last year.”
Chopin says many people will not buy lottery tickets until the jackpots hit 400-million dollars plus.

In New Orleans, mourners are placing flowers at the spot where a woman lost her life last night when a float in the Nyk parade ran over her. A preliminary report from the NOPD says the woman might have been reaching for beads. The Orleans Parish coroner has yet to release the victim’s name.

Teacher unions are upset Governor John Bel Edwards did not include a line item in his budget proposal that would direct the state legislature to give teachers a pay raise for a second consecutive year. On his monthly Ask the Governor Show, Edwards says his budget includes 39-million dollars for public schools and he’s hoping school systems will use some of that money to pay teachers more. Edwards also says he wanted to invest more into education, but the Revenue Estimating Conference has yet to approve an official revenue number for the upcoming budget.
Cut 12 (11) “… like.”

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has added its first electric car to its vehicle fleet. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Humane Society of Louisiana is asking for the public’s help in finding the person responsible for throwing a dog food bag that contained eight puppies into Bayou Portage from a bridge in St. Martin Parish. Jeff Dorson says the pups will be up for adoption from the Every Paw Animal Rescue in Evangeline Parish.
cut 9 (110 “…available for adoption.