Four-point-two million dollars in unclaimed property will be sent to about 44-thousand residents in the coming weeks. State Treasurer John Schroder says they now have the ability to work with the Department of Revenue to find individuals who have money owed to them for various reasons…
cut 15 (09) “…..deal with internally”
Go to la-treasury-dot-com to search for unclaimed money.

The jackpot for tonight’s Powerball drawing is a whopping 550-million dollars. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison says thousands of residents will purchase a ticket today hoping to win the grand prize, but the multi-state lottery game also features several prizes if your ticket doesn’t match all of the numbers….
cut 12 (08) “…prize tiers”
The drawing is at 9:59 tonight and sales end an hour before that time.

Starting next school year, Avoyelles Parish public schools will hold classes four days a week, instead of five. Avoyelles School Superintendent Blaine Dauzat says the Tuesday through Friday schedule hasn’t received a warm reception from everyone.
Cut 4 (10) “…parents and community.”
But Dauzat says a four-day school week will help attract teachers. Caldwell Parish also has a four-day week and Dauzat says they’ve seen school performance scores rise for nine of the 11 years it’s been in place.

A survey finds PlayStation is Louisiana’s favorite gaming console and in fact the Bayou State had the highest percentage of PlayStation users in the United States. PC Magazine Associate features editor Rob Marvin says Louisiana was just one of nine states that picked Play Station as its top choice…
cut 8 (06) “….xbox”
X-Box is the top video game console for 27 of the 50 states, with 31-percent of US consumers voting X-Box as their favorite.

The state Treasury Department is mailing out a second round of unclaimed property checks. Just over 44,000 checks went out this week, totaling $4.2 million dollars. State Treasurer John Schroder says they had issues with the first wave of checks, as some folks thought it was a scam…
Cut 13 (08) “…to the bank.”
A new law allows Schroder’s office to work with the Department of Revenue for the sole purpose of returning unclaimed property.

The Powerball is up to 550 million for tonight’s drawing. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison says if you don’t win the grand prize, don’t toss out your ticket, because you may have won one of the smaller prizes…
Cut 10 (12) “…check your tickets”
The 550-million jackpot is the eighth largest in Powerball history, 11th highest in American lotto history.

Which video game console is the most popular in Louisiana? Matt Doyle has the answer…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

LSU basketball begins play tomorrow in the NCAA Tournament when they face Yale in the first round. How far can the Tigers go, junior guard Skylar Mays believes they have the necessary ingriedients to make a long run…
cut 17 (09) “…whole thing”
Tip time is at 11:40.

The state department of treasury has sent over 44-thousand checks to Louisiana residents who are owed money. State Treasurer John Schroder says the four-point-two million dollars in checks comes from the state’s unclaimed property program…
cut 14 (07) “….citizens fo Louisiana”
Dollars in the unclaimed property fund are old checking accounts, payroll checks, insurance proceeds and other payments that are not claimed by their owners. The maximum check sent out is 15-hunded dollars.

A survey finds that Louisiana has the highest percentage of PlayStation users in the U-S, as 38-percent of gamers in the Bayou State say PlayStation is their favorite gaming console. Associate features editor of PC Magazine Rob Marvin says men and women also have different tastes in their video game console of choice….
cut 9 (07) PC gaming”

Starting next school year, the Avoyelles school system will adopt a four-day week. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A state parks official tells the Advocate that a sign in front of a popular state owned plantation that read slaves were well taken-care of and happy has been taken down. It’s unclear how long the sign was posted at the Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville. About 850 people were enslaved there before the Civil War.

Starting next school year, the Avoyelles Parish School System will become the second school district in the state to have classes just four days a week, instead of five. Superintendent Blaine Dauzat says a primary reason for the change is to attract more teachers to Avoyelles Parish, which is last in the state for teacher salaries..
cut 5 (11) “…we currently have”
Dauzat says starting in August an extra hour will be added to each school day and classes will be held Tuesday through Friday.

Third-seeded LSU is in Jacksonville getting ready for tomorrow’s first round NCAA match-up with 14th seeded Yale. Junior guard Skylar Mays says both teams like to play an up tempo style and that should benefit the Tigers
Cut 16 (11) “for us”
Will Wade remains suspended as the team begins its journey through March Madness.

You could receive a check from the Department of Treasury soon? …
voicer 3 (32) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Ferriday native and Rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis has cancelled upcoming shows including an appearance at Jazz Fest as he recovers from stroke suffered last month.

Starting next school year, the Avoyelles school system will adopt a four-day week.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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Which gaming console is the most popular in Louisiana? Matt Doyle has the answer…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Could you be getting a check from the Department of Treasury soon?  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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Starting next school year, the entire school system in Avoyelles Parish will have a four day week. The decision was made in an effort to recruit teachers to the area. Avoyelles School Superintendent Blaine Dauzat says the Tuesday through Friday schedule hasn’t had a warm reception from everyone.

Cut 4 (10) “…parents and community.”

Mondays were selected as the day off as the school district believes it would be optimal for students in making doctor and dental appointments.

Dauzat says the parish is last in salaries for teachers in the state and an attempt to collect a tax aimed at giving teachers a raise failed a few years ago.

Cut 5 (11) “…we currently have.”

The schedule change means every weekend is a three day weekend and the school days will be extended by an extra hour. Among the concerns about the change is what parents will do for childcare for their kids for Mondays. Dauzat says conversations schools are not in the babysitting business.

Cut 6 (09) “…at this point.”

Caldwell Parish is the only other system in the state to adopt the four day week, doing so eleven years ago and has seen their district performance score rise for nine of those years.

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Louisiana has the highest percentage of PlayStation fans in the country, per a survey by PC Magazine that asked gamers to name their top  console. The poll nabbed 2,000 responses, and let people chose from Xbox, Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, or none. Associate features editor Rob Marvin gives the breakdown on how to Bayou State prefers to game…

Cut 7 (09) “…don’t game”

Louisiana had nearly half as many PC first gamers as the rest of the nation, and less than half the average number of Americans who picked Nintendo as their top system.

Taking a look at the breakdown, it’s not a regional trend, and Louisiana was among only nine states that picked PlayStation as their top choice.

Cut 8 (06) “xbox.”

The survey also got a chance to take a look at how different demographics pick their gaming systems. Marvin says it’s clear men and women have different tastes in gaming.

Cut 9 (07) “…gaming″

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The Powerball is up to 550 million for today’s drawing, and as that number rises, so do the amount of people playing, all trying to chase that elusive life changing big ticket. But, Lotto spokesperson Dustin Annison says even if you don’t take home the grand prize, don’t toss out your ticket.

Cut 10 (12) “…check your tickets”

The half billion dollar drawing is the 8th largest jackpot in the history of Powerball, and the 11th highest in American lotto history.

Already this year the Lotto has seen a million dollar ticket go unclaimed, meaning that money is now back in Lotto hands. To avoid another incident like that, Annison says double check your results after the drawings, because statistically, you’re actually more likely to win 50,000 dollars than a couple hundred mil.

Cut 11 (07) “though.”

Most folks play for the big prize, so it’s normal to only see the winning Powerball numbers displayed after a drawing, but Annison says go to the lotto’s website after the drawing to see what else you may have scored before tossing a potential life changing ticket in the trash.

Cut 12 (08) “…prize tiers.”

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The Department of Treasury is mailing out a second round of unclaimed property checks. Just over 44,000 checks are being mailed out this week, totaling $4.2 million dollars. State Treasurer John Schroder says they had some issues with the first wave of checks, with people not believing they had come into a large sum of money.

Cut 13 (08) “…to the bank.”

The checks range in value and could be worth upon to $1500. Any greater value will result in a claim form being mailed to the recipient.

Schroder says every parish in the state has residents receiving some sort of money.

Cut 14 (12) “…citizens of Louisiana.”

Schroder encourages residents to keep an eye on your mailbox and keep an eye on the department’s website. He adds more money is coming.

Cut 15 (09) “…deal with internally.”

For those that are curious to see if anything has been found in their name, head over to LATreasury.com and click on “unclaimed property” at the top of the page.

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Third-seeded LSU is in Jacksonville getting ready for tomorrow’s first round NCAA match-up with 14th seeded Yale. Junior guard Skylar Mays both teams like to play an up tempo style and that should benefit the Tigers

Cut 16  (11) “for us” 

Will Wade remains suspended as the team begins their journey through March Madness. Mays say they miss Wade, but the talent on the floor is good enough to reach the Final Four, especially when it comes to guard play between him, Tremont Waters and Javonte Smart…

 cut 17 (09)   “whole thing” 

Mays even though the Tigers didn’t win a game in the SEC Tournament, they remain confident heading into the Big Dance

Cut 18 (13) we play” 

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser gave an update on the status of the four New Orleans Confederate monuments today on Talk Louisiana, saying he’s working to get the city to transfer control of them. Rumors circulated after the monument’s removal that private citizens were cutting deals to have the statues transferred to their property, but Nungesser says none of those efforts were ever completed. Despite the initial failures, the Lt. Governor says some private citizens are still making an attempt.
Cut 4 (07) “…there″
DCFS Division of Family Support Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says those who normally get their SNAP on the 10th through the 14th will instead get their funds on the 9th next month. Guillory says they had to make the change to make sure some of their recipients did not end up going too long without their food assistance.
Cut 10 (09)“…issuances.”
_____________________________________________
Motorists in Alexandria will begin seeing changes to the speed limit on I-49 beginning today.
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris attacked Governor Edwards re-election claims that taxes have gone down during his term at today’s joint legislative budget committee, noting that taxes are higher than when Jindal left office, and says business taxes are up as well…
Cut 14 (10) “…three years ago”
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the increase was necessary to cover the Jindal budget shortfall.

Many Food Stamp beneficiaries will be receiving their funds on a modified schedule next month as the program wraps up it’s government shutdown inspired scheduling changes. DCFS Division of Family Support Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says those who normally get their SNAP on the 10th through the 14th will instead get their funds on the 9th.

Cut 9 (11) “…freak out”

House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris used today’s joint legislative budget committee to question Governor Edwards re-election claims that taxes have gone down during his term. The state representative from Alexandria says taxes are actually higher than they were when Edwards took office…

Cut 12 (07) “…in taxes.”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser gave an update on the status of the four New Orleans Confederate monuments today on Talk Louisiana, saying right now the monuments are still being stored, and are not in the best condition at the moment, so he’s pushing to have the them transferred to a historic preservation group comprised of historical experts and academics who understand the history of the old statues.

Cut 5 (10)  “…forward.”

The monuments were taken down in 2017, sparking an intense series of standoffs in front of the statues in multiple areas of the city.

Motorists on I-49 in the urbanized areas of Alexandria will see an increase in the speed limit. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says the change will see plenty of benefits as many of the drivers are already accustomed to driving the new speed limit.

Cut 7 (11) “…things like that.”
From about Broadway Avenue north to the US 71 interchange, the speed will increase from 60 to 65, and 60 to 70 elsewhere.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser gave an update on the status of the four New Orleans Confederate monuments today on Talk Louisiana, saying he’s working to get the city to transfer control of them. There’s one major roadblock though, and that’s P.G.T Beauregard, who isn’t controlled by the city…

Cut 3 (11) “…forward”

The monuments were taken down in 2017, sparking an intense series of standoffs in front of the statues in multiple areas of the city.

Motorists on I-49 in the urbanized areas of Alexandria will see an increase in the speed limit. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says today crews are changing out the speed limits signs in the area.

Cut 6 (09) “…to 65 mph.”

The remaining portions in the Alexandria will see an increase from 60 to 70 miles per hour.

Many Food Stamp beneficiaries will be receiving their funds on a modified schedule next month. DCFS Division of Family Support Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says this should be the last month featuring disturbances to the usual SNAP cycle, after months of having to continually modify the schedule due to SNAP gaps caused by the shutdown.
Cut 11 (09)   “…in may”
Those who normally get their SNAP benefits the 10th through the 14th will instead get their funds on the 9th.
House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris used today’s joint legislative budget committee to question Governor Edwards re-election claims that taxes have gone down during his term. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says a combination of cuts and tax increases were needed to overcome a massive budget deficit. Dardenne reminds Harris that deeper cuts to the state budget could have been made, but the state legislature never presented a plan.
Cut 13 (07) “…those things.”

The Lt. Governor says he’s working to get New Orleans to relinquish control of the four Confederate monuments taken down in 2017, and turn them over to a group dedicated to historic preservation. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”
Motorists on I-49 in the urbanized areas of Alexandria will see an increase in the speed limit to 70. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says says speed studies were conducted to calculate the optimal new speed for the area.
Cut 8 (12) “…feel comfortable driving.”
_______________________
House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris used today’s joint legislative budget committee to question Governor Edwards re-election claims that taxes have gone down during his term. The state sales tax is about a half-cent lower than it was last year, but still higher than the four-percent during the Jindal administration. Harris points out some business taxes have also increased…
Cut 14 (10) “…three years ago”
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says a combination of cuts and tax increases were needed to overcome a massive budget deficit.
DCFS Division of Family Support Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says those who normally get their SNAP on the 10th through the 14th will instead get their funds on the 9th in April, to insure some did not go without food for too long.
Cut 10 (09)“…issuances.”

Many Food Stamp beneficiaries will be receiving their funds on a modified schedule next month as the program wraps up its government shutdown inspired scheduling changes. DCFS Division of Family Support Deputy Assistant Secretary Sammy Guillory says those who normally get their SNAP on the 10th through the 14th will instead get their funds on the 9th.

Cut 9 (11) “…freak out”

House Republican Caucus Chairman Lance Harris used today’s joint legislative budget committee to question Governor Edwards re-election claims that taxes have gone down during his term. The state representative from Alexandria says taxes are actually higher than they were when Edwards took office…

Cut 12 (07) “…in taxes.”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser gave an update on the status of the four New Orleans Confederate monuments today on Talk Louisiana, saying he’s working to get the city to transfer control of them. Rumors circulated after the monument’s removal that private citizens were cutting deals to have the statues transferred to their property. Despite the initial failures, the Lt. Governor says some private citizens are still making an attempt.
Cut 4 (07) “…there″

The monuments were taken down in 2017.

Motorists on I-49 in the urbanized areas of Alexandria will see an increase in the speed limit. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says the change will see plenty of benefits as many of the drivers are already accustomed to driving the new speed limit.

Cut 7 (11) “…things like that.”

From about Broadway Avenue north to the US 71 interchange, the speed will increase from 60 to 65, and 60 to 70 elsewhere.