The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, or A+PEL (“AY-pel”), is working to clear up what it says are misconceptions about Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16th ballot. A+PEL Executive Director Dr. Keith Courville says Amendment 3 would pay down debt within the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana to fund permanent pay raises for teachers of at least 2,250 dollars.

Cut 7 (08) “…to teacher pay.”

A political action committee that supports Republican Rick Edmonds in the fifth congressional district race says it’s produced the first-ever A-I political ad in state history. Lionel Rainey with The Louisiana First Victory Fund says because it’s so unique, it will get the voters’ attention.

Cut 11 (11) “…in the ad.”

Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating one of its own. “Sinners,” which was filmed in and around New Orleans, took home four Oscars last weekend, including Best Actor. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says winning Oscars is nothing new for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (12) “…State of Louisiana.”

The McNeese men’s basketball team aims for an upset in the NCAA Tournament as it faces fifth-seeded Vanderbilt today at 2:15 p.m. The Cowboys rank second in the nation in turnovers forced, averaging nearly 17 per game, and coach Bill Armstrong says his team will look to frustrate the Commodores on defense.

Cut 13 (13)  “…teams as well.”

A lot of the attention on the May 16^th ballot is on the Senate Republican Primary, but the ballot also includes a measure involving teacher pay. Constitutional Amendment would pay down teacher retirement debt so the state can give teachers a permanent 22-hundred dollars pay raise. It’s currently a stipend….

Cut 9 ()5) “…taxes”

That’s Doctor Keith Courville, the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana Executive Director.

According to a political action committee, the state’s first ever 100-percent A-I generated political advertisement will be seen on television in the fifth Congressional district. The Louisiana First Victory Fund produced the ad, which is supporting Rick Edmonds in the Republican 5^th Congressional District race. Political consultant Lionel Rainey says A-I-generated political ads can cost less than your traditional commercial, and they can be produced faster.

Cut 12 (08) “…or four days.”

The NCAA Tournament begins in earnest today and for the third straight year the McNeese State men’s basketball team is in the Big Dance. The 12^th seeded Cowboys face 5^th seeded Vanderbilt at 2:15 PM in Oklahoma City. Senior guard Javohn Garcia says it will be critical for McNeese to start the tournament off hot…

Cut 15 (11) “….of the tournament”

The Southern women’s basketball team plays tonight against Samford in a First Four matchup.

The LSU baseball team plays its SEC home opener tonight against eighth ranked Oklahoma. The Tigers fielding percentage ranks 14^th in the SEC and Coach Jay Johnson says the Sooners like to pressure you with their speed….

Cut 17 (16) “…with this team”

First pitch is at 7 PM.

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, or A+PEL (“AY-pel”), is working to clear up what it says are misconceptions about Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16th ballot. There’s been some chatter that some money in the funds that would be retired under this amendment is intended for things like early childhood programs and classroom initiatives. A+PEL Executive Director Dr. Keith Courville says it’s actually not being used at all.

Cut 8 (06) “…teachers a raise.”

It’s said to be the first-ever A-I political ad in Louisiana history.  It was produced by a political action committee to highlight Republican Rick Edmonds who’s one of four candidates competing in the May 16^th primary.  Lionel Rainey with The Louisiana First Victory Fund says the commercial is one of only a handful of such adds to run in a congressional race nationwide; so it should get the attention of voters.

Cut 11 (11) “…in the ad.”

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Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating the four Oscars won by “Sinners.” Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

A forest in Winn parish yesterday burned thousands of acres and forced some 250 residents to evacuate.  But crews managed to get the fire contained before bedtime last night. Winnfield Fire Chief Brian Montgomery said the fire started just after noon.  Thankfully no homes were lost and no injuries reported.

A political action committee that supports fifth district Republican congressional candidate Rick Edmonds says it’s produced what it claims is the first-ever A-I political ad in the state’s history. Lionel Rainey with The Louisiana First Victory Fund says the commercial features four A-I generated characters that are worried about Edmonds’ conservative platform.

Cut 10 (05) “…where he stands.”

The McNeese men’s basketball team is looking to shock college basketball today with an upset over fifth-seeded Vanderbilt today in the NCAA Tournament.  Senior guard D.J. Richards says the Cowboys are solely focused on surviving and advancing.

Cut 14 (13) “…care of itself.”

Gametime is set for 2 pm.

——————————

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana is clearing up what it says are misconceptions about Amendment 3, which would give teachers in Louisiana a permanent pay raise. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating after a movie, filmed in and around New Orleans won four Oscars on Sunday.  “Sinners” was nominated for 16 Oscars, which is a new record for a single film. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says that kind of haul is going to be a major boost to what’s already a very robust film industry in the state.

Cut 5 (12) “…the same thing.”

Coming soon to a television in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District — the state’s first 100-percent A-I generated political advertisement. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating after “Sinners,” which was filmed in and around New Orleans, won four Oscars, including Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says it reinforces the fact that Louisiana is a great place to shoot a major feature film.

Cut 4 (09) “…best caterers here.”

————————–
The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, or A+PEL (“AY-pel”), is working to clear up what it says are misconceptions about Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16th ballot. A+PEL Executive Director Dr. Keith Courville says Amendment 3 would pay down debt within the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana to fund permanent pay raises for teachers of at least 2,250 dollars.

Cut 7 (08) “…to teacher pay.”

The McNeese men’s basketball team aims for an upset in the NCAA Tournament as it faces fifth-seeded Vanderbilt this afternoon. The Cowboys rank second in the nation in turnovers forced, averaging nearly 17 per game, and coach Bill Armstrong says his team will look to frustrate the Commodores on defense.

Cut 13 (13)  “…teams as well.”

Tip off is set for 2:25.

Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating the four Oscars won by “Sinners.” Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

____________________________________________

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana is clearing up what it says are misconceptions about Amendment 3, which would give teachers in Louisiana a permanent pay raise. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

Coming soon to a television in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District — the state’s first 100-percent A-I generated political advertisement. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

______________________________________________

Louisiana’s film industry is celebrating after “Sinners,” which was filmed in and around New Orleans, won four Oscars, including Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor. Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack says it reinforces the fact that Louisiana is a great place to shoot a major feature film.

Cut 4 (09) “…best caterers here.”

“Sinners” was nominated for 16 Oscars, which is a new record for a single film. Waggenspack says that kind of haul is going to be a major boost to what’s already a very robust film industry in the state.

Cut 5 (12) “…the same thing.”

Waggenspack says winning Oscars is nothing new for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (12) “…State of Louisiana.”

____________________________________________________

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, or A+PEL (“AY-pel”), is working to clear up what it says are misconceptions about Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16th ballot. A+PEL Executive Director Dr. Keith Courville says Amendment 3 would pay down debt within the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana to fund permanent pay raises for teachers of at least 2,250 dollars.

Cut 7 (08) “…to teacher pay.”

There’s been some chatter that some money in the funds that would be retired under this amendment is intended for things like early childhood programs and classroom initiatives. Dr. Courville says that’s not what the money is being used for – in fact, he says that money is currently not being used for anything.

Cut 8 (06) “…teachers a raise.”

Courville says passing this amendment will not cost taxpayers a dime.

Cut 9 (05)  “…raising any taxes.”

________________________________________________________

A political action committee that supports fifth district Republican congressional candidate Rick Edmonds says it’s produced what it claims is the first-ever A-I political ad in the state’s history. Lionel Rainey with The Louisiana First Victory Fund says the commercial features four A-I generated characters that are worried about Edmonds’ conservative platform.

Cut 10 (05) “…where he stands.”

Edmonds is one of four well-known Republicans competing in the May 16th Republican primary election. Rainey says this 100-percent A-I-generated political advertisement is one of only a handful of such ads to run in a congressional race nationwide; and because it’s so unique, it will get the voters’ attention.

Cut 11 (11) “…in the ad.”

Rainey says A-I-generated political advertisements on television are the wave of the future, because they can cost less than your traditional commercial, and they can be produced faster.

Cut 12 (08) “…or four days.”

Rainey says while candidates and political action committees are not allowed to misrepresent their opponent using A-I, a regular citizen can, so be aware of that when seeing A-I productions on social media.

___________________________________________________________

The McNeese men’s basketball team aims for an upset in the NCAA Tournament as it faces fifth-seeded Vanderbilt today at 2:15 p-m. The Cowboys rank second in the nation in turnovers forced, averaging nearly 17 per game, and coach Bill Armstrong says his team will look to frustrate the Commodores on defense.

Cut 13 (13)  “…teams as well.”

McNeese is looking to shock the college basketball world this season with a deep run. Senior guard D.J. Richards says the Cowboys are solely focused on surviving and advancing.

Cut 14 (13) “…care of itself.”

For a Cinderella run, McNeese must take down one of the SEC’s hottest teams in Vanderbilt. History favors the Cowboys, as at least one 12-seed has won a game in 34 of the last 40 tournaments. Senior guard Javohn Garcia says it will be critical for McNeese to start the tournament off hot.

Cut 15 (11) “…of the tournament.”

_____________________________________________________________

The LSU baseball team looks to win its first SEC series of the season this weekend as the Tigers host eighth-ranked Oklahoma, starting tonight at 7 p-m. Coach Jay Johnson says LSU’s pitching staff will need to limit long innings against the Sooners’ talented offense.

Cut 16 (08) “…momentum on offense.”

LSU’s defense ranks 14th in the SEC out of 16 teams with a .964 fielding percentage. Coach Johnson says the Tigers need to be much more solid on defense, especially this weekend.

Cut 17 (16)  “…with this team.”

LSU will face a familiar opponent on Thursday, when former Tiger Cam Johnson takes the mound for Oklahoma. Johnson played at LSU as a freshman in 2022 before transferring after the season. Jay Johnson says he’s looking forward to seeing Cam this weekend.

Cut 18 (12)  “…found some success.”

____________________________________________________________

The Southern women’s basketball team faces Samford tonight at 6 in the First Four in the NCAA Tournament. It marks the Lady Jags’ second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Carlos Funchess attributes the program’s continued success to recruiting the right players.

Cut 19 (12) “…support each other.”

If the Lady Jags win, they will be slotted in as the 16th seed in the Sacramento 4 Region and will face top-seeded South Carolina in the First Round Saturday.

Samford sophomore guard Briana Rivera leads the nation with 109 three-pointers this season. Coach Funchess says his squad will need to contest shots from beyond the arc.

Cut 20 (09) “…tough for them.”

State Senators are fed up and want solutions on how the Department of Children and Family Services can be more effective in preventing serious injuries or deaths after the state agency gets involved in child abuse cases. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says there have been 12 child deaths this year, after 53 child deaths in 2025.

Cut 9 (10)  “…that child.”

State lawmakers are seeking solutions from DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris on how the agency can be more effective. Republican Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressly says the state legislature stands ready to assist.

Cut 11 (11) “…help you”

Lawmakers have asked Harris to present a plan on how to improve DCFS in two weeks.

A bill making what’s known as stolen valor a crime in Louisiana cleared the Senate unanimously and now moves to the House. While stolen valor is a federal offense, there is currently no stolen valor law in Louisiana. And Louisiana V-A Secretary Charlton Meginley says bringing a federal complaint against someone misrepresenting military service can be a waste of time.

Cut 4 (07) “…types of cases.”

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, or A+PEL (“AY-pel”), is working to clear up what it says are misconceptions about Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16th ballot. A+PEL Executive Director Dr. Keith Courville says Amendment 3 would pay down debt within the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana to fund permanent pay raises for teachers of at least 2,250 dollars.

Cut 7 (08) “…to teacher pay.”

According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is hiring former Tennessee national championship quarterback Tee Martin as an offensive analyst. Martin spent the last five seasons in Baltimore where he coached the Ravens wide receivers from 2021-2022 and MVP Lamar Jackson and the quarterbacks from 2023-2025.

Last night, LSU baseball earned a 7-1 victory over Grambling. The Tigers’ pitching staff showed improvement, striking out 15 batters while issuing just three walks. LSU will face eighth-ranked Oklahoma in its SEC home-opening series, starting tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Southeastern baseball pulled off the biggest upset of the night on Tuesday with a 3-0 shutout win over Oklahoma. The Lions only gave up four hits in the win.

Lats night, Louisiana Tech baseball extended its winning streak to four games with a 5-4 victory over Central Arkansas. Monroe native Zeb Rudell hit a three-run home run in the win.

Saints veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan made some notable comments regarding free agency on Terron Armstead’s “The Set” podcast on Monday. Jordan said that just because he loves the city of New Orleans doesn’t mean the city or the organization has to love him back. Jordan currently ranks 19th on the all-time sack list with 132. While he could become one of the few defensive linemen to spend his entire career with one team, The Baton Rouge Advocate’s Matt Paras believes Jordan’s priorities have shifted from where they were a couple of years ago.

Cut 18 (10)  “…a Super Bowl.”

25^th-ranked UL-Lafayette baseball begins a week-long trip in Texas tonight, facing Houston at 6:30 p.m. before heading west to take on Texas State in a weekend series.

ULM baseball will look to extend its win-streak to four games tonight when the Warhawks host UNO at 6 p.m.

Almost two weeks ago, Bill Cassidy challenged Julia Letlow to three debates ahead of the May 16th primary. So far, Letlow hasn’t committed to any one of them, only saying she cannot make the middle one in Baton Rouge due to her commitments in the House of Representatives. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says with Letlow being the endorsed candidate of President Trump, what she’s doing is not uncommon.

Cut 6 (07) “…to disrupt things.”

John Fleming, meanwhile, has said he would debate Cassidy anytime, anywhere.

A happy homecoming for a pair of U.S. Army soldiers, as Rick Domec and Jonathan Brasseaux surprised their kids in front of their classmates at J. Wallace James Elementary School in Scott. Domec says it’s always a welcome treat to return home following a deployment.

Cut 15 (05) “…going to do.”

State senators are demanding changes from the Department of Children and Family Services to prevent child abuse deaths. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein says an estimated 21-thousand people in Louisiana will lose Medicaid coverage when new work requirements for the program take effect next year. The new rule is the result of federal legislation that calls for certain Medicaid recipients to prove they are working, are in school, are in job training or volunteering.

State Senators are demanding an action plan from the Department of Children and Family Services on how the agency can prevent child abuse deaths. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow says 12 children have died this year after 53 children died last year in cases where D-C-F-S was contacted about possible child abuse in the home…

Cut 10 (10) “…the baby”

Rebecca Harris has led DCFS since August. She reorganized the child welfare division in October. The secretary says there are other areas where they can improve…

Cut 12 (09) “…and families.”

Senators have asked Harris to come up with ideas that can improve the effectiveness of the agency and want to see those recommendations in two weeks.

U-S Senator Billy Cassidy continues to criticize Congresswoman Julia Letlow for not yet agreeing to a televised debate. Letlow is challenging Cassidy in the May 16^th Senate Republican Primary Election and state treasurer John Fleming is also running. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says if the debates end up a heads-up battle between Cassidy and Fleming, there’s one way that Letlow’s absence could hurt her.

Cut 8 (08) “…Julia Letlow.”

That said, Hogan says since Letlow is Trump’s endorsed candidate, not as many people would tune in to the debates if she’s not on stage.

The Louisiana Senate has approved legislation that could result in prison time if you lie about serving in the military. It’s known as stolen valor and Louisiana Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley says this is a way of protecting the integrity of the military service of Louisiana’s veterans, including himself.

Cut 5 (07) “…service means something (2x).”

Depending on the severity, penalties range from small fines to five years in prison.