Louisiana’s Agriculture Commissioner is sounding the alarm over the lack of crawfish peelers.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Several tornadoes knocked down trees and caused power outages north of Lake Pontchartrain last night. Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller says the power situation is improving…

Cut 13 (12) “…power line”

The International Energy Agency is releasing 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves as gas prices for regular gasoline in Louisiana is around $3.25 a gallon and diesel has surpassed $4.50 a gallon. But LSU Center for Energy Studies director Greg Upton says opening strategic reserves will have a small impact on the global oil price…

Cut 7 (12) “…these disruptions”

Upton says motorists should be prepared for elevated gas prices through the summer driving season.

The McNeese Men’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season after beating Stephen F Austin 76-59 in the Southland Tournament Championship game. Coach Bill Armstrong took over for Will Wade and keeps the streak of Big Dance invitations going, but Armstrong credits the players…

Cut 3 (12) “…work to do.”

The McNeese State men’s basketball team is going back to the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys secured their third consecutive Southland Tournament Championship with a dominant 76-59 win over Stephen F. Austin yesterday. Senior guard Javohn Garcia erupted for a career-high 31 points in the win. Garcia says the Cowboys were not going to let the Lumberjacks end their 27-game winning streak at home.

Cut 4 (10): “came out victors.”

The McNeese State women’s basketball team will try to clinch its bid to the NCAA Tournament today when it takes on Stephen F. Austin at 4 p.m. in the Southland Tournament Championship game.

The Lady Techsters are now just two wins away from earning their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2011 after defeating Delaware 72-43 yesterday.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball opens Conference USA Tournament play against Middle Tennessee today at 5:30 p.m.

The number-13 LSU baseball team ended its two-game losing streak Tuesday with an 8-4 win over Creighton. After missing the last 15 games with a hand injury, LSU senior outfielder Chris Stanfield made his return to the lineup. Coach Jay Johnson says having Stanfield in the lineup makes the Tigers better.

Cut 18 (15)  “…to be made.”

Johnson says whether or not Stanfield will start this weekend is still up in the air.

In high school basketball, twelfth-seeded Northside pulled off the biggest of the day yesterday with a 65-61 win over top-seeded Madison Prep in Division II select.

In Division I select, top-seeded John Curtis defeated Catholic High 47-39 yesterday to advance to the state title game.

Tonight in Division I Non-select, top-seeded Zachary and fourth-seeded Denham Springs square off against each other while sixth-seeded Central will take on second-seeded Ruston.

One state lawmaker wants voters to decide whether to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour. Business groups have said, let the market determine wages, but Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says $7.25 is not a livable wage…

Cut 14 (07) “…7.25 a n hour”

Barrow’s proposed constitutional amendment would set Louisiana’s minimum wage to $10.25 an hour, and it would task a state agency to adjust it annually based on the consumer price index.

The McNeese Men’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season after beating Stephen F Austin 76-59 in the Southland Tournament Championship game. Coach Bill Armstrong took over for Will Wade and keeps the streak of Big Dance invitations going, but Armstrong credits the players…

Cut 3 (12) “…..work to do”

Armstrong becomes the first coach in Southland history to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in his first season as a Division One head coach.

Small businesses reported higher sales in February according to the monthly survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business. NFIB State Director Leah Long says small businesses are starting to see stronger sakes and she’s eager to see how the Louisiana Legislature can continue to help small businesses…

Cut 8 (08) “….workforce in Louisiana”

The One Door policy helps those individuals on government assistance receive job training and placement.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has charged two crawfish farm workers for allegedly killing whooping crane in Evangeline Parish. Corporal Tib Guillory says many of these birds are tracked, because there is not a lot of them in the wild. He says this particular whooping crane’s transmitter stopped sending data on February 28^th…

Cut 5 (10) “…check on them”

The whooping crane was fatally shot in Evangeline Parish and the two men face civil restitution totaling 15-thousand dollars.

Small business owners are keeping a keen eye on Baton Rouge now that the legislative session is underway. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Entergy is reporting 16-thousand customers in Louisiana are without power because of the severe weather that rolled through the state last night. Tangipahoa Parish has numerous trees down and they’ve delayed the start of school.

McNeese is heading back to the Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Cowboys beat Stephen F Austin yesterday for their third consecutive Southland title.

Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow wants voters to decide whether to raise the minimum wage from the current wage of $7.25 an hour. The wage has not changed since 2009 and previous attempts to raise it have been defeated, with business groups telling lawmakers it will raise costs and lead to fewer jobs. But Barrow says the business owners she spoke with, say that’s not the case…

Cut 15 (12) “…with your employees”

Barrow’s proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour and adjust it annually based on the consumer price index will be debated sometime in this session.

A bill advancing to the Senate floor would allow the Louisiana Wildlife Fisheries Commission to establish a recreational alligator hunting season. LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth there’s a commercial alligator hunting season which the reality show Swamp People made popular, but they want to open it up to five-thousand recreational hunters…

Cut 12 (08) “…want to experience”

A lottery would determine who can hunt alligators.

One lawmaker wants to let voters have the final say on the minimum wage. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Gas prices increased a few more pennies over night to a statewide average of $3.23 for a gallon of regular gasoline. According to AAA, gas prices are 33-cents higher than this time last week and 72-cents higher than a month ago. The International Energy Agency says it will release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserve, but analysts say that will not help bring gas prices back down.

Two men are cited for allegedly shooting and killing a whooping crane in Evangeline Parish last month. LDWF agents cited 36-year-old Logan Thrasher of St. Landry and 33-year-old Manuel Luis of Mexico for violating the migratory bird treaty act in killing the bird. Wildlife and Fisheries Corporal Tib Guillory says whooping cranes are federally protected.

Cut 4 (06) “…lot of them”

Louisiana could soon have a recreational alligator hunting season. There’s a commercial alligator hunting season, but Franklin Senator Robert Allain says with the number of alligators increasing in the state, he would like to open alligator hunting to recreational hunters.

Cut 10 (09) “…to hunt alligators.”

According to the bill that’s heading to the senate floor, recreational hunters would not be allowed to shoot alligators; it would be hook and line harvesting from land.

A Senate committee approves legislation that would make it a crime to conduct a disruptive protest inside a church or near a place of worship. Ponchatoula Senator Bill Wheat says with his legislation, he’s not trying to infringe upon the First Amendment right to protest…

Cut 9 (09)  “…day of it.”

The legislation, which is headed to the Senate floor, is in response to a protest that took place at a Minneapolis church last January where the pastor was an ICE officer.

Meghan Garvey with the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers says the U-S Supreme Court has already ruled it is unconstitutional to ban someone from protesting on a public sidewalk. Garvey says the bill also needs to do a better job in defining what is “disruptive” so it does not infringe on free speech rights…

Cut 11 (12) “…disruptive.”

The measure heads to the Senate floor for more discussion.

Louisiana could soon have a recreational alligator hunting season. There’s a commercial alligator hunting season, but Franklin Senator Robert Allain says with the number of alligators increasing, he would like to open alligator hunting to recreational hunters…

Cut 10 (09) “…alligators.”

About 50 years ago, the state’s alligator population was below 100-thousand, but thanks to conservation efforts there are now more than three-million gators in the state. The Senate Natural Resources Committee approved the bill to create a recreational alligator hunting season, it now heads to the Senate Floor for more discussion.

A state lawmaker wants to give voters the opportunity to decide if the minimum wage should be raised from $7.25 an hour. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says that’s just untenable.

Cut 13 (07)  “…a decent life.”

That’s why Barrow is proposing a constitutional amendment not only to increase the minimum wage immediately, but also to make sure it keeps up with inflation. Previous attempts to raise the minimum wage have been defeated because opponents say it will lead to higher costs and fewer jobs.

The LSU men’s basketball season came to an end today as the Tigers fell 87-82 against ninth-seeded Kentucky in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. LSU finishes the season 15-and-17, which is head coach Matt McMahon’s second consecutive and third total losing season in Baton Rouge.

McNeese women’s basketball defeated Texas Rio Grande Valley 67-52 to win their 21st straight game. With the win, the Cowgirls advance to the Southland Tournament championship game, where they will play either Lamar or Stephen F. Austin tomorrow at 4 p.m.

The Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team throttled Delaware, 72-43, this afternoon to advance to the Conference USA Tournament semifinals. The Lady Techsters will face either Liberty or Sam Houston on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Grambling State fell 68-65 to seventh-seeded Jackson State in the second round of the SWAC Tournament to end the Tigers’ season.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team will open Conference USA Tournament play tomorrow against Middle Tennessee at 5:30 p.m.

The Saints’ several new free agency signings are now official. New Orleans addressed a key positional need by signing offensive guard David Edwards. Edwards, who spent the past three seasons with Buffalo and won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2022, is expected to start at left guard. According to WWL Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak, Edwards’ addition gives the offensive line the potential to be something special next season.

Cut 17 (14)  “…looking offensive line.”

The thirteenth-ranked LSU baseball team ended a two-game losing streak last night after defeating Creighton 8-4.

UL-Lafayette baseball improved to 13-and-4 last night after beating Texas Rio Grande Valley 11-7.

Louisiana Tech only tallied one hit in its 6-0 shutout loss to Lamar last night.

There’s a strong line of thunderstorms moving across the state. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says it could get rough across southeast Louisiana after bedtime…

Cut 8 (11) “…across the area”

There’s a medium risk for damaging wind gusts, tornadoes and isolated flash flooding.

A Senate committee advances a bill that would make it a crime to stage a disruptive protest inside a place of worship. Ponchatoula Senator Bill Wheat says his bill would not prohibit someone from holding a sign in front of a place of worship; but causing a disruption would lead to a 500-dollar fine and up to 15 days in jail.

Cut 10 (12) “…disruptive service.”

Free speech advocates say the legislation is unconstitutional.

Senator Bill Cassidy says Congress can no longer sit on the sidelines as it needs to come up with legislation to regulate NIL deals in college athletics. Cassidy says legislation needs to be put in place protect student athletes who are signing these deals that result in agents receiving a 40-percent commission.

cut 12 (12) “…go to pros”

Former Auburn football coach and current Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville was part of the discussion. Tuberville says he supports student-athletes getting paid, but believes President Trump should issue an executive order to put restrictions in place…

Cut 14 (11) “…more money.”

Cassidy says Congress needs to tackle this issue, because he says an executive order can be overturned by the next president.