LSU baseball is not projected to make the NCAA tournament after the initial D-1 Baseball and Baseball America projections have come out. The Tigers need to win four of their next six games in order to have a good chance at making the NCAA tournament and LSU Head Coach Jay Johnson says that his team is excited to take on Alabama this weekend, no matter what the projections say.

Cut 30 (17) “… going for it.”

First pitch between the Tigers and Tide will be on Friday at 6 pm and broadcast on the SEC Network +.

D1 Baseball and Baseball America’s projections also have UL-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech making the tournament with the Ragin Cajuns as a two seed in College Station regional and the Bulldogs as a three seed in the Starkville regional.

And in baseball news across the state, ULM will travel to South Alabama this weekend and LA Tech will have their hands full against Western Kentucky in a battle for first place in the Conference USA baseball standings.

The New Orleans Saints cut former Texas A&M, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns quarterback Kellen Mond. The Saints quarterback room was crowded after the addition of South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler through the draft and the solution was for the Saints to cut Mond. The Saints quarterback room will now include starting quarterback Derek Carr, second year quarterback Jake Haener, NFL veteran Nathan Peterman, and Rattler.

UL-Lafayette softball looked dominant today when they defeated James Madison in five innings. The Ragin Cajuns demonstrated why they were the number one overall seed in the SunBelt tournament, recording 8 runs on seven hits and Cajuns pitcher Sam Landry went four and a third innings, striking out 4 batters, and only allowing 3 hits.

And in the Non-select Division I baseball playoffs, third seeded Sam Houston will take on second seeded West Monroe at 5:30 and thirteenth ranked Benton will take on first seed Barbe at 5:30.

And UL-Lafayette will look to bounce back from a tough series loss against Troy when the Ragin Cajuns take on Georgia Southern this weekend with first pitch on Friday at 5:30 pm.

For the second year in a row, Louisiana ranks dead last in the U-S News and World Report’s best states rankings. Managing Editor for Government Rankings, Gary Emerling, says there are two major reasons why,poor roads and a high crime rate…
cut 5 (08) “….juvenile incarceration”
Emerling says preventable hospital admissions are also 27-percent higher in Louisiana than the national average.

The now bankrupt Steward Health Care group is selling the Glenwood Regional Medical Center. The hospital in West Monroe has been plagued by staffing and supply issues. But complicating the issue is that Medical Properties Trust owns the property. State representative Mike Echols says one of the leaders at Steward is also under investigation….
cut 8 (12) “…my perspective”

Minors might be able to work long hours without having to take a mandatory 20-minute meal break as a result of legislation moving closer to final legislative passage. Brooke Thorington has the story…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Zachary Evans Cryer from Benton High School in Bossier Parish has been named the Louisiana High School student of the year by the Department of Education. Cryer is a leader for 4-H, BETA, student council and the Fellowship of Christian athletes. He also competes on the track and basketball teams, while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

For the second year in a row, U-S News and World Report, ranks Louisiana as the worst state in the country. The ranking is based on several categories that Louisiana did not perform well in, like crime, the economy and its roads. Are there any positives? U-S News and World Report’s Gary Emerling says Louisiana ranked 21st for healthcare access and more children under the age of five are spending time in an education setting…
cut 6 (03) “…pre-school enrollment”

A bill moving along at the state capitol would end the requirement that employers have to give minors a 20-minute meal break if they’ve worked five consecutive hours. Denham Springs Representative Roger Wilder says hard working teenagers would rather make money than take a break…
cut 11 (09) “…of pay”
The bill is heading to the Senate floor for final legislative passage.

The fate of Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe is unclear as the hospital’s owner Steward Health Care has filed for bankruptcy. Brooke Thorington has more from State Representative Michael Echols.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU Football head coach Brian Kelly says there are players just looking to get paid. Kelly made the comments to WAFB-TV in response to the Tigers missing out on two proven defensive tackles who committed elsewhere. Kelly says LSU does have generous NIL opportunities, and LSU can also get you ready for the NFL. Damonic Williams and Simeon Barrow visited LSU, but are heading to Oklahoma and Miami instead.

Louisiana ranks 50th in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 Best States report, and here’s Sean Richardson to take a look at why.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Republican Mike Johnson of Bossier Parish will keep his job as House Speaker as a vote to remove him failed miserably.

Governor Jeff Landry will visit the U-S Southern border today to get a first hand look at Operation Lone Star. Since April Louisiana National Guard soldiers have been assisting with border security efforts.

Steward Health Care has announced its selling Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe. Steward has filed for bankruptcy and is looking to sell several of its 31 hospitals in eight states. The Glenwood hospital has been struggling with staffing and supply issues and State Representative Mike Echols says it’s time for Glenwood to have a new owner…
cut 7 (11) “…Steward Health Group”
Steward says they intend to sell by the end of June.

According to the Violence Policy Center, Louisiana ranks second in the nation for gun deaths. Kristen Rand with VPC says states with weak firearm laws and higher gun ownership consistently have higher gun death rates.
Cut 13 (12) “…of gun deaths.”
Mississippi ranks first for the highest gun death rate followed by Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, and Missouri.

An effort to oust U-S House Speaker Mike Johnson from Bossier Parish has failed. Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene called for the vote…
cut 17 (08) “…boo, boo, boo”
The motion failed 359 to 43. Johnson said afterward he hopes this puts an end to personality politics.

At the state capitol, a bill keeps moving along that ends the mandatory 20-minute meal break for working minors who work more than 5 hours….
cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Dead last is what Louisiana is ranked for the second year in a row in US News and World Report’s 2024 Best States report. Managing Editor for Government Rankings Gary Emerling says the ranking is based on several categories that Louisiana does not perform well in…
Cut 4 (11) “…beneficiaries.”
There are some positives, Louisiana ranks 21st in healthcare access and K-through-12 education moved up to 40. It was at 46 in 2019.

The Violence Policy Center ranks Louisiana second in the county for gun deaths….
cut 14 (11) “…was the Top 10
VPC’s Kristen Rand says based on 2022 data, 53-percent of the homes in Louisiana have firearms and the gun death rate is 28 per 100,000.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly told WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge that they are not in the market to buy players. Kelly’s comments are referring to LSU’s inability to sign defensive tackles out of the transfer portal. Tiger Rag Editor Todd Horne says word on the street is that TCU’s Damonic Williams reeled a very lucrative NIL deal when he committed to Oklahoma Oklahoma…
cut 5 (10) “….demanded seven figures’
Kelly says LSU’s collective offers generous opportunities but LSU also offers the opportunity to be developed.

University Medical Center in New Orleans is looking to hire 100 Nursing Techs this summer. Spokesperson Rachel Nichols says this is a strategic move from UMC and LCMC to build a stronger Healthcare workforce for nursing students.
Cut 6 (07) “…future of healthcare.”
The program helps take nursing students in their junior and senior year and help mentor them in to a nursing staff position. More information can be found at umcno.org.

A Lake Charles domestic and sexual violence shelter will reopen its doors Monday after a complete renovation from the 2020 hurricane season. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A judge has sentenced an 11-year-old Iberia Parish girl to seven years in juvenile detention, 3.5 years are suspended, in connection with the murder of Kameran Bedsole last November. She was originally charged with murder, but those charges were dropped and ended up pleading guilty to obstruction of justice in April.

A bill to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban when the victim is under the age of 17 fails in committee after emotional debate. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A hospital in West Monroe is for sale. Steward Health Care system has filed for bankruptcy and they own Glenwood Regional Medical Center and so the plan to sell that hospital and several others. For over a year, Glenwood has struggled to keep supplies, maintain equipment and staff.

University Medical Center in New Orleans says it wants to recruit and employ 100 nursing technicians this summer in an effort to bolster the healthcare workforce. Spokesperson Rachel Nichols says the program takes nursing students in their junior and senior and help mentor them in to a nursing staff position
cut 7 (05) “…throughout Louisiana”
Phase one of the Nurturing the Future of Nursing begins May 20 and visit U-M-C-N-O-dot-org for more information.

The Oasis A Safe Haven, a domestic and sexual violence shelter, in Lake Charles will resume housing for survivors on Monday for the first time since Hurricane Laura hit the region in 2020. Director Kathy Manuel says since Laura, they’ve housed survivors in hotels or shelters, so they are glad this service has returned to Lake Charles…
cut 11 (12) “…a job”
The shelter was gutted after the storms and now it has new floors, walls, and a new security system.

Federal judges have ordered Louisiana lawmakers to try again and draw up a Congressional map that can be used for the 2024 federal elections. The three-judge panel gave lawmakers until June 3rd to approve a new map or they’ll draw one for them. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this would be the Legislature’s third try…
Cut 15 (05) “…Supreme Court.”
Secretary of State Nancy Landry has said they need to have a map in place by May 15th to adequately prepare for the November Congressional races.

Since the 2020 hurricane season a Lake Charles shelter for domestic and sexual violence victims hasn’t been able to house residents. But Executive director of Oasis A Safe Haven, Kathy Manuel, says that changes on Monday…
Cut 9 (09) “…the shelter.”
Manuel says survivors were either housed in hotels or placed in shelters elsewhere but now they will be able to house residents in Lake Charles.

University Medical Center in New Orleans is launching a summer program to hire 100 Nursing Techs. Sean Richardson has the story.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson”