As the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament gets underway, many want to know if Lady Tiger stars, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith will stay for another year or go to the WNBA. Colleen Crain has more…

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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A Minden High School Senior has graduated from college before high school and he’s already working on his bachelor’s degree. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Legislation to repeal teacher training requirement as a state law and allow BESE to make the decision heads to the House. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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The First Round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament starts Friday but will this be the last one for Lady Tiger stars, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith? If they enter the WNBA, things will certainly change without their college NIL deals… Reese says brand relationships have been built and will last into the future…

Cut 4 (10) “…past college.”

Reese says whether she stays at LSU or goes to the WNBA, it’s a win/lose situation. She says you have to know what you want and be willing to make the sacrifice because Leaving the Lady Tigers and joining the pros has its cons…

Cut 5 (08) “…of everything.” 

Van Lith says LSU women’s basketball receives great exposure on ESPN, ABC and the  SEC Network. She says  that may not continue to the same degree playing in the WNBA but that doesn’t mean the loss of endorsement dollars…

Cut 6 (12) “…the league.”

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Saturday is election day with the presidential primary on the statewide ballot and some areas have local races. Secretary of State spokesperson Joel Watson says about 170,000 voters have already cast their ballots either by absentee or early voting. And for a spring low-profile election he says that’s a notable.

Cut 7 (13) “…voting period.”

Watson says voter turnout is more prominent in municipalities that have local races. Caddo Parish has had the largest turnout in the state with approximately 25,000 ballots already cast.

Cut 8 (08) “…voting period.” 

And with District Attorney races in St. Tammany and Washington parishes turnout has been significant.

You can always use the Geaux Vote app, that’s G-E-A-U-X, for a sample ballot and to find your voting location. Watson says if you have a local race anyone can vote, but for the presidential primaries…

Cut 9 (11)  “…allowed to vote.”

The polls are open from 7 am until 8 pm.

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Thanks to the Fast Forward program, Raiden Scott has graduated from college before he receives his high school diploma from Minden High School. Principal Becky Johnson says the high school senior started taking classes last year through Bossier Parish Community College and Southern University Shreveport.

Cut 10 (11) “…from high school.”

The dual enrollment program allows high school students to take college courses while in high school and earn college credits at the same time. Johnson says Raiden is planning on going into the medical field.

Cut 11 (08) “…to me.”

And while you might think Raiden spends all his time hitting the books, Johnson says he also excels on the pitch.

Cut 12 (07) “…super impressive.” 

And Raiden isn’t wasting time earning his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, he’s currently taking classes online at LSU-Shreveport.

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House Education approves a bill to repeal state laws requiring educators to teach students about CPR, eating disorders, adoption and substance abuse and more. Instead, BESE would decide if they should be taught Rosepine Representative Charles Owens is the author of the legislation..

Cut 13 (08)  “…our classroom.”

Owens says for teachers to teach these type of lessons, they have to be trained. He says instead of state lawmakers deciding if these are worthy subjects, leave it up to the state’s top school board, BESE…

Cut 14 (10) “…our schools.” 

Owens wants to limit disruptions so that teachers can focus on classroom instruction.

Cut 15 (10) “…extent possible.”

The bill now advances to the House floor.

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The LSU Lady Tigers look to start another postseason run today as they host Rice in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Coach Kim Mulkey has won six NCAA championships, one as a player, one as an assistant coach and four as a head coach. Mulkey on what it takes to be the team that cuts down the nets at the end of the season…

Cut 16 (15)  “…go down fighting.” 

The Lady Tigers are the 3-seed in the Albany Two Regional. They host a Rice team that won four straight games in the American Athletic Conference Tournament to win the championship and receive an automatic bid. Mulkey knows they are facing a team that’s playing its best basketball of the season…

Cut 17 (11) “…play our best.” 

Tipoff is at 3 PM.

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The 5th-ranked LSU baseball team begins a three-game series against the sixth-ranked Florida Gators tonight in a rematch of last year’s College World Series championship series. Coach Jay Johnson says both teams are different, but each squad still has star players…

Cut 18 (17)  “…hit mistakes.” 

The Gators are third in the SEC in home runs with 44. Jac Caglianone is Florida’s top hitter. The junior will also start on the mound on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, he’ll play first base and he’s hitting .414 with nine homers and 21 RBI. Johnson says Caglianone is an outstanding hitter

Cut 19 (18) “…draft boards”  

LSU will have the same weekend rotation as last weekend. Luke Holman starts tonight, Gage Jump Saturday and Thatcher Hurd on Sunday. Johnson believes he’ll get better starting pitching this weekend and he expected the whole team will perform better after a tough experience on the road…

.Cut 20 (20) “…this weekend”

The Senate Education Committee approves legislation that will give all parents the opportunity to receive taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition and other education expenses. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The parents of Lacey Fletcher, who was found melted in a couch after years of neglect, were sentenced to 40 years, with 20 years suspended. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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The Grambling State men’s basketball team keeps making history. The Tigers played in their first ever NCAA Tournament game last night and they rallied to beat Montana State 88 to 81 in overtime. Head Coach Donte Jackson was asked what this means for his program

Cut 3 (11) “…just amazing.”  

The Tigers trailed by nine points at halftime. Jackson says his players were unfazed….

Cut 4 (12) “…right direction” 

Grambling plays again tomorrow night and they’ll take on top-seeded Purdue in Indianapolis. Jackson says his team faces a monumental task in trying to upset the Boilermakers

Cut 5 (12)  “…ready to play”

Tip-off tomorrow night is at 6:25.

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The Senate Education Committee has approved legislation that will one day allow every family to apply for state dollars to pay for private school tuition or other education-related expenses. Carencro Representative Julie Emerson is a co-author of the bill and says parents should have options on how their child should be educated…

Cut 6  (12) “…is educated.” 

The L-A Gator Scholarship Program would begin with the 2025-26 school year and at first would just provide taxpayer dollars to low income families, but income requirements would ease over time and it would be open to all families starting with the 2028-29 school year.

Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill in Senate Education. Jackson-Andrews says families who have children attending a well performing schools should not be eligible for this program. She questioned Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds…

Cut 7 (13) “…their opinion”  

The Louisiana School Boards Association strongly oppose the the creation of education savings accounts. Dannie Garrett handles government relations for the association and says E-S-As spent taxpayer dollars without the accountability demanded of public schools and there’s no evidence it will improve education

Cut 8 (07) “…better” 

The Public Affairs Research Council says the L-A Gator Scholarship Program would cost 650-million dollars annually in five to seven years.

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The parents of Lacey Fletcher, the 36-year-old who was found melted into the couch due to severe neglect in Slaughter, were sentenced to 40 years with 20 years suspended. East Feliciana District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla says he wanted Clay and Shelia Fletcher to receive the maximum of 40 years due to the horrific way their special needs daughter died.

Cut 9 (07) “…the couch.” 

Lacey was found on January 3, 2022, covered in maggots and sores in a couch rotting in her own waste.

During the trial, D’Aquilla says the Fletchers showed no remorse for the haunting death of their daughter.

Cut 10 (12) “…special needs child. “

D’Aquilla says he’d like to bring charges against the friends and fellow church members who testified on behalf of the Fletchers, because they never intervened.

Cut 11 (06) “…10 years.”

The coroner ruled that Lacey died from “acute medical neglect” inflicted over a period dating back to at least 2010.

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Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says crawfish prices keep dropping and supply remains steady. He says prices have been dropping since the start of March, so if you enjoy eating crawfish, get them this weekend ..

Cut 12 (06) “…down again.”

Strain says supply is outpacing demand, which has led to the price drop. He hopes the cool weather this week doesn’t impact supply too much…

Cut 13 (09) “…the traps.”  

The average price for a pound of crawfish in Louisiana is $5.50, according to the crawfish price index. Strain says you can find them at some places, below four-dollars a pound.

A move to do away with the state’s mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists has cleared another legislative hurdle. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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The House Civil Law Committee approves a bill extending the amount of time a civil lawsuit can be filed from one to two years. Jeff Palermo explains why it has the support of the governor…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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Legislation to repeal the state’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law passed the full House in a 60-43 vote. The law has been in place since 2004. Bill’s author, Hornbeck Representative Rodney Shamerhorn says wearing a helmet is a freedom of choice.

Cut 3 (12) “…protect yourself.”  

Under the proposed bill, motorcycle riders 21 and older would have the option of wearing safety helmets if they can prove they have health insurance. Shamerhorn says riders have the right to make the final call.

Cut 4 (12) “…you make.” 

The state’s current law requires both riders and passengers to wear safety helmets regardless of age.

Opponent of the bill, Monroe Representative Pat Moore believes this legislation will lead to more highway deaths. She says insurance company payouts translates to increased insurance rates.

Cut 5 (13)  “…of Louisiana.”

Louisiana is one of 17 states that require full time helmets while riding a motorcycle. Moore says there are benefits that come from wearing a safety helmet.

Cut 6  (06) “…possibly dying.” 

The measure heads to the Senate for more debate.

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In an effort to reduce insurance rates, the House Civil Law Committee unanimously approved a bill that would extend the time from one to two years to file a civil lawsuit. Governor Jeff Landry this says will give an insurer and the claimant additional time to reach a settlement without having to go to court…

Cut 7 (11) “…will go down”  

Landry says he’s heard from the insurance industry that fewer lawsuits can result in lower premiums. He says most of other states have a two year prescriptive period and they see less lawsuits

Cut 8 (09) “…this math.” 

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple looks at this legislation as just part of the solution to solving the insurance crisis that’s seeing rates going up on both auto and homeowners policies. He says other insurance reform efforts are also needed

Cut 9 (10) “…of solution” 

Lawmakers will be discussing a package of tort and insurance reform bills as the season goes on.

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The Lafayette Police Department was involved in the fatal  shooting of a man last night. Sergeant Robin Green says officers had to use lethal force after a suspect in a domestic disturbance incident at a apartment complex tried to injure officers with his vehicle.

Cut 10 (10) “…the scene. “

Green says the suspect initially escaped apprehension when officers first approached him. He was spotted a short time later in a different location and that’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred.

Cut 11 (12) “…shooting occured.”

No officers were injured in the incident. The identity of the deceased suspect has not been released.

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Former Ruston Mayor Dan Hollingsworth, who served four terms died Monday at his home. Hollingsworth served as mayor from 1999 to 20015. Current Mayor Ronny Walker says Hollingsworth was always looking to improve Ruston and spearheaded their downtown revitalization.

Cut 12 (07) “…ever had.”

Walker says Hollingsworth, who was a father of five, was well thought of not only for his accomplishments but for his character as well.

Cut 13 (12) “…for advice.”  

Hollingsworth was the brainchild of the Ruston 21 plan for capital improvements, economic development, and land-use improvements. Walker says Hollingsworth is also remembered for strengthening the town’s relationship with Louisiana Tech.

Cut  14 (07) “…the future.”

The former radio station owner and broadcaster was 89.