Passenger rail service from New Orleans to Mobile is closer to getting on track, as soon as February 2025. Chair of the Southern Rail Commission Knox Ross says Amtrak and the City of Mobile will begin finalizing the paperwork over the next week so platform work can start in Mobile.
Cut 6 (11) “…downtown New Orleans.”
And the goal Ross says is to have service up and running in time for the 2025 Superbowl in the Big Easy.

St. James Parish sugarcane farmer Bryce Gautreau says rainfall totals are way up over last year when the sugarcane struggled to grow because of drought conditions….
Cut 4 (11) “…last year.”
LSU Ag Center sugarcane specialist Doctor Kenneth Gravois says sugarcane production has been increasing in Louisiana and that trend will continue this year.

The investigation continues into Thursday’s fatal shooting of a Lafayette Police Officer. Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette was gunned down while trying to end a hostage situation in Jeanerette. The 35-year-old was one of four officers shot and his wounds were fatal. State Police Trooper Peggy Bourque says L-S-P is leading the investigation…
Cut 10 (12) “…available.”
Media outlets in Lafayette have identified the shooter as 31-year-old Nyjal Hurst. There will be a vigil tomorrow night for Corporal Jolivette at the Lafayette Police Department. Visitation is Wednesday night at Our Saviors Church in Opelousas. The funeral is Thursday afternoon.

Two people were killed over the weekend when two boats collided on the Tickfaw River near Kings Point in Livingston Parish. A 25-foot pontoon boat and a 25 foot Sea Fox boat hit each other around midnight on Saturday night, causing significant damage to the pontoon boat. A 27-year-old female and a 36-year-old male died and six others suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Standardized test scores from other states indicate students are behind due to the pandemic, but the latest LEAP scores show Louisiana public school students are performing at pre-COVID levels. However, Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says it’s still not a cause for celebration.
Cut 19 (08) “…big challenge.”
2024 LEAP scores show a slight improvement in English scores, but math scores held steady.

Tributes and condolences continue to pour in for Lafayette Police officer, Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette, who was fatally shot in the line of duty while conducting a SWAT operation in Jeanerette last Thursday. Interim Lafayette Police Chief Paul Trouard is appreciative of the support his department has received…
cut 12 (10) “…greater Acadiana community”
Jolivette leaves behind a wife and five children. The suspect in the shooting is behind bars. Authorities say he has a long criminal history.

Rain chances are down this week compared to the last couple of weeks and all of the rain that has fallen in south Louisiana this month has helped the state’s sugarcane crop. South Louisiana crop consultant Blane Viator says rainfall totals are way above normal…
Cut 3 (15) “…in maturity.”
LSU Ag Center sugarcane specialist Doctor Kenneth Gravois says sugarcane production has been increasing in Louisiana and that trend will continue this year.

LEAP scores show Louisiana hasn’t fallen behind other states, but it’s also not time to let the foot off the gas. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

According to NOLA.com, UNO president Kathy Johnson has ordered each school to cut its budget by 15-percent and the athletic department will reduce its spending by 25-percent. There’s been a steep decline in enrollment at UNO. Enrollment last fall was 66-hundred that’s down from a peak of 17-thousand in 2003.

The investigation continues into last Thursday’s fatal shooting of Lafayette police officer, Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette, a 35-year-old, who leaves behind a wife and five children. State Police is the lead investigating agency and Trooper Peggy Bourque says they are asking for the public’s assistance…
cut 11 (12) “…hotline”

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging the public to avoid mosquito bites….
cut 15 (12) “…really important”
L-D-H Epidemiologist Therese Sokol says four people from Winnsboro were diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease after they were bitten by a mosquito.

Two people were killed over the weekend when two boats collided during the middle of the night on the Tickfaw River near Kings Point in Livingston Parish. A 25-foot pontoon boat and a 25 foot Sea Fox boat hit each other around midnight on Saturday night, causing significant damage to the pontoon boat. A 27-year-old female and a 36-year-old male died and six other suffered serious injuries.

The Lafayette Police Department is mourning the death of Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette who was killed in the line of duty. Colleen Crain has the story…
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Standardized test scores from other states indicate students are behind due to the pandemic, but the latest LEAP scores show Louisiana public school students are performing at pre-COVID levels. However, Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says it’s still not a cause for celebration.
Cut 7 (12) “…big challenge.”

The Tiger Athletic Foundation is now working with LSU’s NIL Collective, Bayou Traditions, to help provide more funding towards NIL efforts and donors can get priority points for donating to Bayou Traditions. T-A-F President Matt Borman says many past collective donations were from a few large historic donors but hopes the agreement will make supporting student-athletes more accessible to all Tiger Fans…
Cut 6 (13) “…numbers here.”

The tropics are showing signs of getting active again. Bill Jacquemin has more on a disturbance in the Atlantic…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Bill Jacquemin”

Crews are working to cleanup an oil spill in Bayou Lafourche. The oil is from Crescent Midstream Crude Oil Facility and Lafourche Parish government became aware of the problem on Saturday morning and the leak was contained Saturday afternoon. But officials say the spill has killed 17 aquatic salamanders and two turtles and several ducks and alligators were spotted with oil on them.

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says he’s committed to improving math scores after not seeing an increase in the percentage of students who scored mastery or above on the math portion of the LEAP test. Council for a Better of Louisiana President Barry Erwin says the state has seen a slight improvement in English scores, because there’s been more of emphasis on early literacy…
cut 9 (08) “…able to read”

The Tiger Athletic Foundation has created a new subsidiary that will help LSU’s NIL Collective Bayou Traditions raise money so it can provide enhanced NIL opportunities for student athletes. TAF President Matt Borman says the Tiger Athletic Foundation has been raising money since 1987 for capital projects for LSU athletics now they’ll assist with NIL efforts…
Cut 4 (12) “…database management.”

The investigation continues into Thursday’s fatal shooting of a Lafayette Police Officer. Senior Corporal Segus Jolivette was gunned down while trying to end a hostage situation in Jeanerette. The 35-year-old was one of four officers shot, but his wounds were fatal. State Police Trooper Peggy Bourque says L-S-P is leading the investigation…
Cut 10 (12) “…available.”
Media outlets in Lafayette have identified the shooter as 31-year-old Nyjal Hurst.

The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed four human cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Winnsboro. LDH Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says West Nile can result in a range of diseases with 80-percent showing no symptoms, nearly 20 percent showing flu-like symptoms called West Nile fever, and only 1 percent experiencing neuroinvasive disease which can kill 1 out of 10 people who develop the disease.
Cut 14 (07) “…of the disease,”

LEAP scores show Louisiana hasn’t fallen behind other states, but it’s also not time to let our foot off the gas. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Department of Education has has announced Elise Boutin of Acadia Parish as the Louisiana Teacher of the Year. Boutin is a senior English Teacher at Rayne High School and she’s been a teacher for 14 years. The Principal of the Year is Doctor Amanda Austin, who was selected to reopen North Iberville High School and has created a thriving STEM magnet program.