Authorities in Florida say they have arrested a man from North Carolina who was planning to carry out a mass shooting at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which starts today. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill. Officials say 200 rounds of ammo was found in his hotel room in Destin, Florida. We will have more on this story as it develops.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Jazz Fest gets underway today at the Fairgrounds Race Track. Rod Stewart, the Eagles and Stevie Nicks are among this year’s headliners….

Cut 11 (10) “…special thing”

That’s Jazz Fest Producer Quint Davis Five-thousand musicians will perform on 14 stages over the course of eight days. The fest runs from Thursday to Sunday to this weekend and next.

And over in Lafayette, Festival International is underway as that five day free festival brings in musicians from around the world.

A solemn moment on the House floor yesterday as Shreveport Representative Tammy Phelps reflected on Sunday’s mass shooting in Shreveport where a gunman killed seven of his children and one of his nephews. First Lady Sharon Landry’s foundation, Love One Louisiana, will cover the funeral costs and Phelps is appreciative of the gesture…

Cut 6 (06) “….you so much”

Several former LSU football standouts are set to hear their names called as the NFL Draft begins tonight. Andre Champagne takes a look at who could come off the board early….

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

An effort to prevent someone from serving as governor for three or more terms failed to get enough votes in the Louisiana House. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham’s proposed constitutional amendment needed 70 votes, but it  only got 67 votes. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry likes the proposal…

Cut 28 (05) “…thanks”

The constitution currently only allows a person to serve two consecutive terms. But if former governors Bobby Jindal or John Bel Edwards wanted to run for governor next year, they could. But Bayham says…

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No one spoke in opposition. Bayham can bring the measure up for another vote to see if he can get the 70 votes to send the proposal to the Senate.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that would allow public universities to keep private how they spend revenue share dollars with their athletes. The measure passed 91 to 4. Revenue share dollars is public money. It includes tax dollars from sports betting. If the legislation is approved, the public will not see how much money athletes are getting directly from the university and how much a sports program is receiving. Supporters have cited safety concerns for the athlete if fans know how much the players are getting paid, and it would cause a competitive disadvantage. Opponents say this is public money and the public has a right to see how it is spent.

There was no discussion on the bill before it was passed to the Senate. But the bill’s author Tehmi Chassion says media members that have filed a lawsuit seeking to see the revenue share dollar allocations have received death threats and he says that’s not right…

Cut 26 (16) “…don’t’ deserve that”

LSU wraps up spring football this week. The Tigers’ offense struggled for most of the spring but has started to find its rhythm over the past few practices. Coach Lane Kiffin says he’s seen significant improvement from the quarterback group in the last week.

Cut 16 (16) “…progression’s really good.”

LSU football received a verbal commitment Monday night from four-star athlete Braylon Calais (COL-ay) out of Cecilia High School. Calais, who grew up as a huge LSU fan, says he is excited to join what he believes is a special program being built by the new coaching staff.

Cut 19 (10) “…part of it.”

The LSU baseball team earned a ten-to-seven victory over UNO last night to get back in the win column after three straight losses. Freshman William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in right field in last night’s win and had an RBI double. Patrick on the advice he got from Brown…

Cut 12 (16) “…up to him.”

ULM picked up a much-needed win last night after defeating Northwestern State 4-1. The Demons have now dropped six straight. The Warhawks will host James Madison this weekend.

Louisiana Tech dropped a 4-3 midweek contest to McNeese State last night. The Bulldogs left 15 runners on in the loss. Tech will host Missouri State this weekend.

A recent poll on the 5^th district Congressional Republican Primary finds that more than half of the likely voters surveyed had not heard of any of the four candidates. New Orleans-based pollster Greg Rigamer surveyed 600 likely voters. Blake Miguez lead the poll with 20 percent, followed by Rick Edmonds with 13-percent, Michael Echols 10-percent and Misti Cordell with three-percent. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the winner of this election may come down to who has the most money.

Cut 11 (13) “…just don’t know”

Rigamer conducted the survey that was paid for by business lobbyist Alton Ashy.

proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to limit a governor to just two terms fails to get enough votes to pass in the Louisiana House. Belle Chasse Representative Mike Bayham’s measure needed 70 votes to pass, it got 67. He can bring the measure up for a vote again.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

LSU freshman baseball player William Patrick from Monroe will have an opportunity to play in right field now that Jake Brown is out for the season with a broken hamate bone in his wrist. Patrick started for Brown in last night’s 10-7 win over UNO and had an RBI double — but not before he got some valuable advice from Brown.

Cut 12 (15) “…up to him.”

LSU begins a series versus Mississippi State Friday night.

DOTD is using the occasion of Love The Boot Week to launch a new program aimed at cleaning litter from busy highways.  Secretary Glenn Ledet (luh-DAY) says it’s called Sponsor-A-Highway.

Cut 3 (05) “…segments of highways.”

Sponsor-A-Highway calls for companies to pay a monthly fee to have a third party vendor clean the sponsored section of highway.

The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them due to poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay the money back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the schools.

Cut 6 (13) “…garnished.”

The measure failed on a 38-62 vote.

We are ten days away from the start of early voting for the May 16^th primary. voters in 20 parishes will also be electing a new person to represent the 5th Congressional district. In a poll of 600 likely voters, State Senator Blake Miguez leads the field in the 5th District Republican Party Primary as 20-percent of the respondents said they prefer Miguez. ULM Political Science professor Pearson Cross says it remains to be seen if Miguez ends up replacing Julia Letlow.

Cut 10 (10) “…in the race?”

Rick Edmonds received 13-percent of the vote in the survey, followed by Michael Echols at 10-percent and Misti Cordell received three-percent.

Monroe’s William Patrick will likely see more playing time now that LSU right fielder Jake Brown will miss the rest of the season with a broken hamate bone. Coach Jay Johnson likes Patrick’s athleticism…

Cut 13 (07) “…a great competitor”

The mayor of Winnsboro is arrested on a Medicaid fraud charge. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

We are ten days away from the start of the early voting period for the May 16th election. Pearson Cross teaches political science at ULM, and he’s expecting a low turnout for the state’s first closed primary election since 2010.

Cut 9 (12)  “…more like 25.”

The gun used by Shamar Elkins to fatally shoot eight children on Sunday in Shreveport was stolen from a man’s truck last month. That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The court papers say Charles Ford was in possession of the gun and suspected Elkins stole it and when he confronted Elkins, he became offensive, so he let it go. Ford is facing charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents. Authorities say Ford originally denied having the gun but changed his story later that day when he met with ATF agents.

It’s Love the Boot week and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is using the opportunity to get the word out about the Sponsor A Highway program. DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet says companies can pay a third party to keep clean a section of highway and the sponsors get road signs with their logos on them…

Cut 5 (13) “….congested areas”

A report from Leaders for a Better Louisiana finds that Louisiana is doing well in creating jobs and lowering crime. The state added nearly 23-thousand jobs last year, ranking third among Southern states. When it comes to crime, Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp says Louisiana’s homicide rate dropped 59-percent from 2021 to 2025, the third largest decline among peer states.

Cut 6 (10) “…pretty big drop.”

The State Library of Louisiana has announced that library cardholders in all 64 parishes can now enjoy free access to visit any of Louisiana’s 21State Parks and 14 historic sites. State Librarian Meg Placke says along with the free passes, library card holders can also check out a Geaux Explore backpack, which contains various items designed to enhance their visit.

Cut 12 (09) “…the Louisiana wildlife.”

For more information, you can visit Check Out Louisiana-dot-org.

Two people have been arrested for killing a three-year-old four years ago this month. A shooting in the street resulted in 30 bullet holes in the house where Devin Page, Jr. was sleeping, one of those bullets struck Page. East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards says the arrests send a signal to anyone thinking about committing violent crime in the state’s capital city.

Cut 14 (11) “…to get you.”

The two people arrested have been identified as 22-year-old Jayden Davis and a juvenile.

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line hits a big milestone…and much sooner than expected. When the service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, started last August, officials were hoping they’d reach 75-thousand riders within the first year.  Now, just eight months later they’re already at 100-thousand. Walt Leger, the president and CEO of New Orleans and Company, says stops in other walkable destinations like Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi has boosted ridership.

Cut 8 (07) “…access our community.”