A Denham Springs representative has a plan to address the shortage of school resource officers, and it has advanced to the full house. Kellee Dickerson’s bill to allow military veterans to serve as SROs passed unanimously in the House Education Committee. Dickerson says her bill is designed to improve overall public safety, not just in schools.

Cut 6 (09) “…our veterans.”

A Pelican Institute for Public Policy report finds electricity costs are rising quickly, and they say, costs will keep going up unless changes are made to the regulatory framework. Melissa Landry, with the Pelican Institute, says according to data from the Public Service Commission, the average utility bill in March was about ten dollars more than last year.

Cut 13 (08)  “…approved by regulators.”

Landry says costs will only continue to rise unless state lawmakers or regulators step in and approve reforms that introduce cost discipline, expand access and provide options to help attract private capital.

Elmer Chocolate’s Heavenly Hash and Gold Brick Eggs are popular Easter treats. There are three different flavors of Heavenly Hash and two different flavors for the Gold Brick Eggs. CEO of the Ponchatoula-based candy maker, Rob Nelson, says they plan to add additional flavors next year and the public has a chance to decide by going to their social media channels…

Cut 4 (09) “…results are”

Toasted Marshmallow and Satsuma Orange are two of the flavors they are considering for Heavenly Hash.

The LSU baseball team begins a three-game series at Tennessee at 4:30 today. The Tigers are coming off a series victory over Kentucky and Right fielder Jake Brown credits clutch hitting…

Cut 20 (15) “….next guy”

LSU is 4-and-5 in the SEC, while the Vols are 3-and-6.

LSU Health New Orleans unveils its plan to end cervical cancer in Louisiana by 2035. It’s called the Bayou Blueprint, and it consists of three main pillars. Dr. Donna Williams, the associate director for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center says the first one is prevention through the HPV vaccine.

Cut 10 (11) “…cancers or more.”

The plan aims to increase HPV vaccination rates among Louisiana girls between the ages of 13 to 17 from the current 67-percent to 80-percent by 2035.

Are you planning to have some crawfish this Easter weekend. Crawfish App co-founder, Laney King says, expect to pay about $3.50 a pound for live crawfish and just over six dollars a pound for boiled crawfish.

Cut 8 (08) “…than previous years.”

According to data from the Louisiana Public Service Commission, utility bills for March were on average 10-dollars higher than March 2025. Director of the Center for Energy at the Pelican Institute, Melissa Landry, says power costs will only continue to rise…

Cut 14 (13) “….percent by 2030”

Landry says in order keep electricity rates in check, changes need to be implemented within Louisiana’s existing regulatory framework.

Ponchatoula-based Elmer Chocolate has been making candy in Louisiana for 170 years and their Heavenly Hash, Pecan Egg and Gold Brick Egg are popular treats for Easter. Currently there are three different flavors of Heavenly Hash and two classic flavors for Gold Brick Eggs, but CEO Rob Nelson says they are looking to add additional flavors….

Cut 3 (06) “…about that.”

Toasted Marshmallow and Satsuma Orange are two of the flavors they are considering for Heavenly Hash.

Easter weekend is the biggest weekend of the year for crawfish in Louisiana. Andre Champagne tells us how much we can expect to pay for our world renowned delicacy this weekend.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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LSU Health New Orleans releases its plan to end cervical cancer within the next ten years. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Electricity bills are rising and a Pelican Institute for Public Policy Report recommends changes to the existing regulatory framework to keep electricity rates in check. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Legislation that would keep private the income college athletes receive in a revenue sharing agreement with a public university is heading to the House floor. A federal settlement involving the NCAA gave universities the ability to pay their athletes directly starting with this athletic year. Lafayette Representative Tehmi Chassion is author of the legislation — his daughter is a former college athlete.

Cut 4 (08) “…a safety precaution.”

The Public Affairs Research Council opposes the bill because it says the revenue-sharing agreements use public money, and citizens have a right to see how public money is spent. No one voted against the legislation when it was debated in House Education, but Houma Representative Beryl Amedee had a concern.

Cut 5 (10) “…losing necessary transparency.”

Three reporters, including Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne, recently filed a lawsuit against LSU arguing the revenue sharing agreements should be made public. Louisiana Radio Network and Tiger Rag are owned by the same company, Kingfish Communications.

LSU says releasing the information puts the athletic department at a competitive disadvantage and infringes on the privacy of student athletes.

Chaisson, whose daughter was a walk-on on the UConn women’s basketball team during the 2020-21 season, says for safety reasons, what a student makes from the university should not be made public.

Cut 6 (08) “…targeting my daughter.”

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Crawfish prices have held steady over the past week with Easter being this Sunday. Laney King, the co-founder of The Crawfish App, says that’s not unusual.

Cut 7 (07) “…meet the demand.”

King says on the biggest weekend of the year for crawfish, you can expect to pay about $3.50 a pound for live crawfish and just over six dollars a pound for boiled crawfish.

Cut 8 (08) “…than previous years.”

King says one reason crawfish is more expensive this Easter than usual is because Easter falls on an earlier date this year. But she says there are other factors to consider as well.

Cut 9 (08)  “…fishing the ponds.”

King says the lowest prices of the year will be around Mother’s Day weekend, like they usually are, as crawfish season wraps up.

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LSU Health New Orleans unveils its plan to end cervical cancer in Louisiana by 2035. It’s called the Bayou Blueprint, and it consists of three main pillars. Dr. Donna Williams, the associate director for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center says the first one is prevention through the HPV vaccine.

Cut 10 (11) “…cancers or more.”

Dr. Williams says the second pillar is screening and early detection.

Cut 11 (13) “…the test anymore.”

Williams says the third pillar is follow-up and treatment.

Cut 12 (15) “…and completely curable.”

Currently, the cervical cancer rate in Louisiana is 8.9 cases per 100-thousand women. Williams says the goal is to reduce that rate to less than three cases per 100-thousand, which would make it so rare that it would be considered eliminated.

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A Pelican Institute for Public Policy report finds electricity costs are rising quickly, and they will keep going up unless changes are made to the regulatory framework. Melissa Landry, the director of the Center for Energy at the Pelican Institute, says according to data from the Public Service Commission, the average utility bill in March was about ten dollars more than last year.

Cut 13 (08)  “…approved by regulators.”

Landry says Louisiana has historically enjoyed some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation, but utility customers began to experience a sudden spike in 2025 as the cost of electricity rose 14-percent from 2024, more than doubling the nationwide average. Landry says power costs will only continue to rise.

Cut 14 (13) “…percent by 2030.”

Landry says the Pelican Institute is proposing a series of recommendations to improve the regulatory framework to help keep energy bills from becoming unaffordable.

Cut 15 (07) “…all Louisiana customers.”

Landry says a big problem now is that utilities can recover costs automatically; and in order to avoid competition, the incentive is to build more, not to build efficiently.

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LSU is getting ready to close out its second week of spring football practice. Senior defensive end Princewill Umanmielen (OOH-mon-me-el-in), who played under Lane Kiffin last season at Ole Miss, says the Tigers are looking to win right away.

Cut 16 (10) “…mindset right now.”

One of the key returners despite LSU’s significant roster turnover is running back Harlem Berry. The rising sophomore rushed for 491 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman last season. Berry says he always wanted to stay in Baton Rouge, even through the coaching change.

Cut 17 (13)  “…something real special.”

Last season, LSU’s rushing offense ranked 124th nationally, averaging just 104 yards per game. The offensive line also allowed 29 sacks. Berry says this year’s unit has already shown tremendous improvement.

Cut 18 (12)  “…a great thing.” 

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The LSU baseball team begins a crucial three-game series in Knoxville against Tennessee this weekend. Junior outfielder Jake Brown says he enjoys playing on the road, even if it means playing in hostile ballparks.

Cut 19 (12) “…is really fun.”

After starting SEC play slowly at the plate, the Tigers have scored 44 runs in their last four games. Brown says the team has done a great job of taking exceptionally better at-bats throughout the lineup.

Cut 20 (15) “…the next guy.”

The first pitch this afternoon is scheduled for 4:30.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that requires the Secretary of State to cross reference information of registered voters with a federal database to make sure noncitizens cannot vote in Louisiana. The bill’s author is New Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu…

Cut 8 (07) “…agree with that”

That was the voice of Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan at the end of that soundbite. Democrats oppose the measure over concerns the proposal will disenfranchise voters. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says this legislation is another way to check a person’s immigration records, which could result in a legal citizen not voting…

Cut 7 (11) “…in Louisiana.”

The bill passed on a 74-29 vote and it heads to the Senate.

Louisiana’s two-month window for medical early release is the shortest in the country, but a proposal would allow the state to release an inmate 120 days prior to the inmate’s expected death. The bill’s author Houma Republican Jerome Zeringue.

Cut 29 (14) “…members as well.”

The measure heads to the House floor.

The House Education Committee approves a bill that would shield from the public revenue sharing contracts and how an athlete makes in a revenue sharing deal with a university. Lafayette Representative Themi Chaisson…

Cut 6 (08) “….daughter”

Chaisson says if it’s known how much money athletes are receiving from universities; it could lead to harassment. The bill heads to the House floor for more discussion.

The Louisiana House approves legislation that requires the Secretary of State to cross reference information of registered voters with a federal database to make sure noncitizens cannot vote in Louisiana. The bill’s author is New Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu…

Cut 8 (07) “…agree with that”

That was the voice of Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan at the end of that soundbite. Democrats oppose the measure over concerns the proposal will disenfranchise voters. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says this legislation is another way to check a person’s immigration records, which could result in a legal citizen not voting…

Cut 7 (11) “…in Louisiana.”

The bill passed on a 74-29 vote.

The National Weather Service says there’s a good chance a majority of the state will see an inch of rain or more through Saturday night. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says rainfall is certainly needed as more than 80-percent of the state currently has drought conditions and one-fourth of the state is in extreme drought….

Cut 4 (10) “…so to speak”

Louisiana Tech has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Air Force Sustainment Center. Officials say this partnership is designed to create a pipeline of highly skilled graduates prepared to contribute to the Air Force Civilian Service in aircraft and warfighting sustainment and logistics readiness. La Tech President Jim Henderson says even if graduates don’t pursue a career with the military the experience they get opens them up to other careers.

Cut 12 (13) “…the job market”

The Louisiana House has approved legislation that requires the Secretary of State to cross reference information of registered voters with a federal database to make sure the person is a legal citizen. Democrats voted against the legislation. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says that same database marked 25-percent of the naturalized citizens in a Texas County as a non-citizen because the database did not have up to date information…

Cut 9 ()9) “…database”

Louisiana Tech launches a new partnership with the Air Force Sustainment Center to create a pipeline for graduates to contribute to the Air Force Civilian Service in sustainment and logistics readiness. Louisiana Tech President Dr. Jim Henderson says the Air Force Sustainment Center’s main goal is to ensure that warfighters are prepared to deliver their mission.

Cut 10 (10) “…to come by.”

As we move into the second quarter of 2026, the vast majority of the state is excessively dry. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The U-S Attorney’s Office has charged two young men from Columbia for setting fire to the only Catholic Church in Caldwell Parish. It happened last year on the Friday before Holy Week. Prosecutors say 19-year-old Anthony Dillon and 21-year-old James Dale Smith stole televisions and the church’s sound system before setting fire to St. John Chapel.

The Louisiana House approves legislation requiring the Secretary of State to annually cross-reference voter information with a federal database to make sure that every registered voter in Louisiana is a U-S citizen. New Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu is the author the legislation…

Cut  6 (06) “…illegal vote”

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says Louisiana recently ran voter data through what is known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements and they found 403 noncitizens on Louisiana’s voter rolls.

A line of showers and thunderstorms is moving through northwest Louisiana at this hour and there’s a good chance of rain through Saturday statewide. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says latest data from the U-S Drought Monitor shows that more than 80-percent of Louisiana is in a drought

Cut 3 (12) “…soils moistened up”

There is a marginal risk for severe weather for most of the state on Saturday.

Despite the rising cost of producing chocolate, Ponchatoula-based Elmer’s Chocolate is seeing brisk sales of their Easter Candy. CEO Rob Nelson says Gold Brick Eggs and Heavenly Hash continue to be among the most popular Easter candies in the Gulf South.

Cut 15 (06) “…in the country.”

Next year they plan to introduce new flavors for Gold Brick Egg and Heavenly Hash. If you go to Elmer’s social media channels, you can choose what you would like to see next year or give a suggestion.

And the Humane Society of Louisiana is urging parents to choose chocolate rather than live chicks or bunnies for Easter baskets and gifts. HSLA Executive Director Jeff Dorson says live animals require a commitment…

Cut 11 (12) “…of a bunny.”

A bill is moving through the House that would allow the state to release an inmate 120 days prior to his or her expected death, instead of the current 60-day window. Department of Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott supports the legislation. Westcott says inmates up for medical early release are either terminally ill, brain dead or incapacitated.

Cut 7 (06) “…of their life.”

Louisiana’s two-month window for medical early release is the shortest in the country.

Nicholls State chemistry students are discovering a way to make biodiesel using algae and oyster shells. Samia Elashry (SAHM-yah eh-LASH-ree) says this method can slash the cost of making the fuel in Louisiana by as much as 85-percent.

Cut 5 (04) “…to collect them.”

She says since algae grows abundantly in Louisiana, this could one day be a lucrative business in the state.

The Humane Society of Louisiana is urging parents to choose chocolate instead of a live animals this Easter. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Gulf South loves Gold Brick Eggs and Heavenly Hash but according to Investors Observer, Easter Candy prices have increased 67-percent since 2020. Ponchatoula-based Elmer Candy’s CEO Rob Nelson says it has still been good year for Elmer Chocolate.

Cut 14 (09) “…be very brisk.”