A report shows one in five Louisiana shoppers have either had their groceries delivered or did curb side pickup through online ordering with a local grocery store. Offers.com editor Kristen McGrath says most services come with a fee and a one to two hour wait time, but it definitely has its perks.
Cut 10 (09) “…delivery.”
The survey showed the top concern about online ordering was that folks can’t inspect the produce, and that it might be spoiled.

Strong storms are moving through southeast Louisiana this morning. Matt Hemingway is a forecaster with the National Weather Service…
cut 8 (09) “….the remainder”
Severe weather in northwest Louisiana has knocked out power for hundreds of SWEPCO customers.

And in St. Landry Parish, firefighters are on the scene of another church fire, the third one in the parish since March 26th.

Republican State Treasurer John Schorder believes the state is headed for financial disaster, because the Edwards administration is failing to say no to more government spending and mathematics indicate a crash is coming…
cut 14 (09) “…their max”
In an interview with USA Today Network, Governor Edwards dismissed Schroder’s claims as political posturing.

Cajun Navy Relief will hold its second annual Search and Rescue Games on Saturday in the Jefferson Davis Parish town of Welsh. The event will also feature hands-on training for those who want to give involved in the organiziation. Cajun Navy Relief President Shawn Boudreaux says for the competition part, they’ll have three divisions and participants will compete for prizes…
cut 6 (09) “…prizes as well”
For more information go to Cajun-Navy-Relief-dot-com.

It comes as no suprise that LSU freshman big man Naz Reid has announced he’s entering the NBA draft and forgoing the rest of his college eligibilty. Reid is the Tigers first one-and-done player since Ben Simmons, who left at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Reid could be the first of several Tigers who leave for the NBA. Tremont Waters is likely to declare for the draft and freshman Javonte Smart and Emmit Williams might also leave.

LSU interim head coach Tony Benford denies reports he’s taking an assistant coaching job at Texas A-and-M. Benford’s good friend Buzz Williams has been named the head coach of the Aggies sparking speculation Benford would leave Baton Rouge for College Station. But Benford tells the Advocate he remains committed to the LSU program.

Julius Randle had 34 points but it wasn’t enough as the Pelicans lost to the Charlotte Hornets 115 to 109 last night. Just three games left in the regular season.

LSU baseball won its fourth straight last night and for the second straight night it was a shutout victory. Five LSU pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout in a two to nothing win over South Alabama. Ma’Khail Hilliard started and struck out five over three innings. Trent Vietmeier was the winning pitcher as he threw two shutout innings and Devin Fontenot earned the save. Antoine Duplantis had two more hits and drove in one run.

Louisiana Tech downed McNeese 10 to four. Both Parker Bates and Steele Netterville each hit two home runs.

The Ragin Cajuns scored five runs in the sixth inning and defeated Southeastern Louisiana nine to eight. Tremaine Spears had a two-run homer and Todd Lott extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Northwestern State blanked Mississippi Valley State nine to nothing as Jerry Maddox pitched five shutout innings to get the win.

Mississippi State clobbered ULM 21 to 8 and it was Louisiana College over Centenary 10 to three.

The Louisiana Good Roads Association is asking the state to steer clear of toll roads as the legislature considers how to raise more funds to build highway projects. President Kenneth Perret says toll roads have generated a lot of money in places like Houston, but only because that city has a large population….
Cut 6 (10) “…in it”
This was in response to those who have called for toll roads instead of a proposed gas tax bill.

Motorists traveling on I-10 near Baton Rouge received a surprise this morning when a small plane landed next to the interstate. State Police Trooper Taylor Scrantz says it happened near the Highland Road exit…
cut 12 (10) “…to his hand”
The plane reportedly took off from Baton Rouge Regional Airport and it was supposed to land at Louisiana Regional near Donaldsonville.

We’ll know around April 16th if the feds will allow those who received SBA loans after the 2016 floods whether they can also access RESTORE flood recovery grant dollars. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

More Louisiana residents believe the state is heading in the right direction compared to last year. Kevin Barnhart has more on a statewide poll conducted by LSU….
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Rouses Markets announces it will move its corporate headquarters from Thibodaux to a 32-acre piece of property located in Schriever. The grocery store chain also plans on opening their first distribution center, which will result in an additional 200 to 300 employees. Rouses employs over 63-hundred people across the Gulf South.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says another meeting on April 16th will take place with US Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Management and Budget as the state’s Congressional delegation attempts to free up federal grant money for thousands of Louisiana residents impacted by the 2016 floods. Cassidy says O-M-B is not willing to follow a federal law that says 2016 flood victims who received S-B-A loans should also be eligible for federal recovery grant dollars…
cut 7 (07) “…us up”
Cassidy says O-M-B’s concern is that disaster victims in the future will not take an S-B-A loan and just wait for the grant money.

Two people have been arrested in Mississippi for the murder of a 21-year-old female whose body was found in shallow water in Madison Parish on April 1st. Twenty-one-year-old Celeste McDonald was reported missing out of Scott County in Misssissippi. The two people arrested are from Jackson, Mississippi and they’ve been identified as 33-year-old Ryan Hopkins and 46-year-old Yolanda Torns.

A poll from LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab finds that more Louisiana residents believe the state is heading in the right direction….
cut 13 (05) “…39-percent last year”
That’s the director for the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs Dr. Jenee Slocum who says education and transportation were the top concerns among those who were surveyed, but the public’s confidence in state government to tackle these problems remain low.

The legislative session begins next week and a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in Louisiana has been pre-filed. Shreveport Senator John Milkovich has proposed legislation that would prohibit an abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Milkovich says he’s ready to debate pro choice lobbyists who are only concerned about…
cut 12 (09) “…generation”
The Center for Reproductive Rights is confident the courts will rule this legislation unconstitutional.

We’ll know around April 16th if the feds will allow those who received SBA loans after the 2016 floods can also access RESTORE flood recovery grant dollars. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

The state fire Marshal’s office is looking to see if there is any connection between two fires in St. Landry Parish that destroyed two historically black Baptist churches. Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas went up in flames on Tuesday and on March 26th, St, Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre was also burned to the ground. Officials say it’s too early to tell if the fires are linked.

State Senator John Milkovich has filed a fetal heartbeat abortion bill, which seeks to prevent abortions in Louisiana if a heartbeat can be detected in a fetus. Milkovich knows the legislation will be challenged in the courts, but the Democrat from Shreveport says the fight is worth the effort…
cut 11 (08) “….wrong thing”
The Center for Reproductive Rights says Milkovich’s measure is a near total ban on abortions and its unconstitutional.

LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab’s 2019 Louisiana Survey finds 47-percent of Louisiana residents believe the state is heading in the right direction, an increase from 38-percent a year ago. Director of the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs Doctor Jenee Slocum says Louisiana residents also have a more positve outlook about their own financial situation…
cut 15 (07) “…a year ago”
Education and transportation top the list of concerns among Louisiana residents.

Strong storms are possible tomorrow. The Storm Prediction Center says much of Louisiana is under a slight risk of severe weather. The main threats are strong wind gusts, hail and isolated tornaodes. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible.

A public hearing to discuss proposed improvements on I-12 in St. Tammany Parish will be held tonight in Mandeville at parish council chambers. Parish president Pat Brister says they recently received a 25-million dollar grant as they look to improve a stretch of highway near the Tchefuncte River, where four people were killed in a multiple vehicle wreck last Memorial Day…
cut 5 (11) “…to that”

Billboards are up in multiple states as the search continues for 15-year-old Domeanna Spell of Port Barre. She was last seen traveling with 47-year-old Shane Disotell, who is believed to be driving a silver 2003 Honda Civic.

The 2019 Louisiana Survey out of LSU finds that 47-percent of the respondents believe the state is heading in the right direction and that’s an increase from 39-percent last year. Director of the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs Doctor Jenee Slocum on Louisiana residents top priorities…
cut 14 (07) “…top concerns” (2x)
But 80-percent of the people surveyed do not expect the state’s elected leaders can solve the state’s biggest problems.

The state transportation department will hold a public meeting today in Mandeville to discuss proposed improvements to I-12. This comes after the state received a 25-million dollar grant from the feds. Four people died on the highway near the Tchefuncte River on Memorial day last year, and Parish President Pat Brister says local residents demanded action.
Cut 4 (11) “…and further.”
Brister hopes they can do a comprehensive overhaul of the I-12 from 1077 to Highway 59, but it will take more than 25-million dollars.

A Shreveport Senator has a bill that would ban Louisiana abortions after a heartbeat is detectable in the fetus…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

US Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy met with federal bureaucrats yesterday in an effort to fix the duplication of benefits problem that has kept thousands of 2016 flood victims from receiving additional assistance. Cassidy says they may need to get Donald Trump involved…
cut 9 (07) “…of Congress”