Senator Bill Cassidy is downplaying the growing controversy over a group chat plotting military action against Yemen. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Board of Regents has approved a proposal to move the University of New Orleans from the University of Louisiana system to the LSU system. UNO is struggling with finances and its enrollment has declined. The state Legislature must approve the move.

The Landry administration has announced a 39-million-dollar investment in the Renaissance Juvenile Facility in Alexandria. The money will increase the number of beds from 12 to more than 50. State Senator Heather Cloud says by expanding the number of beds, more juvenile offenders from central Louisiana can be rehabilitated in Alexandria…

Cut 10 (14) “…sustainable funding”

Monroe Police has arrested a sixth person for their role in a gang shooting at Hibbett Sports at Pecanland mall last month. 27-year-old Christopher Winfield of Monroe was the latest suspect arrested. Police Chief Victor Zordan says anyone with information is urged to contact Monroe P-D or Crimestoppers…

Cut 14 (13) “…paid for that”

Two people were shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

As controversy is ramping up over the inadvertent inclusion of a magazine reporter in a group text in which top cabinet members were plotting military action in Yemen, Senator Bill Cassidy appears to be downplaying it. Cassidy says since no Americans got killed, no one should be fired.

Cut 4 (08) “…withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

The Monroe Police Department has made significant arrests this week in two major cases. Monroe Police Chief Victor Zordan says Delarrious Jones, a suspect in a double homicide from September of 2020, was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico, yesterday.

Cut 11 (11) “…fingerprints didn’t lie.”

Additionally, 23-year-old Christopher Winfield was arrested in connection with a gang-related shooting at Hibbett Sports on February 8th. Two people were shot, neither of them fatally. Winfield is the sixth person arrested in the case. He’s charged with attempted second-degree murder and other crimes.

The Shreveport City Council has approved a 30-year lease of the Stageworks of Louisiana building to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.  The former expo hall will serve as a studio for film and television production for G-Unite Films and Television. Council member Jim Talifaferro says the now vacant building will be a hub for entertainment and sports…

Cut 6 (13) “…restaurants.”

Rent will start at 200-dollars a month and Jackson’s company will assume all operational expenses, which will save the city about 50-thousand dollars a year.

Former Four-term Louisiana U-S Senator J Bennett Johnston has passed away at the age of 92. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat was Johnston’s executive assistant in charge of Louisiana political operations and says the Democrat worked with Democrats and Republicans to bring back federal dollars to Louisiana…

Cut 14 (09) “…priority.”

Johnston also served in the Louisiana Legislature from 1964 to 1972.

Louisiana’s Senior US Senator Bill Cassidy says no one should get fired over military a group chat leak where national security officials accidentally included a journalist from the Atlantic in a text chat that discussed military strikes in Yemen. Cassidy says it was a mistake and no Americans died from this…

Cut 4 (07) “…Afghanistan”

Not everyone in Ascension Parish is happy that Hyundai will build a massive steel manufacturing plant there. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Shreveport City Council has approved a 30-year lease of portions of the Stageworks of Louisiana to Curtis “50 cent” Jackson who plans to transform the facility into a hub for entertainment and sports. The media mogul and rapper has said he wants to bring basketball, boxing, MMA fights, car shows and concerts to the Stageworks building in downtown Shreveport.

While some people are ramping up their outrage over the inadvertent inclusion of a reporter for The Atlantic in a group text in which U.S. officials were plotting military action against Yemen, Senator Bill Cassidy appears to be downplaying the controversy. 

Cut 3 (07) “…from the mistake.”

The Atlantic published the texts that its reporter received after the White House said there was no classified information contained. However, some sources are now saying that some of the information in those texts were indeed classified.

State officials were in Alexandria to announce a 39-million dollar investment for the Renaissance Juvenile Facility. Governor Landry says these types of facilities give juveniles an opportunity to rehabilitate

Cut 9 (07)  “…never fill.”

The money will result in the construction of a modern, secure facility on Renaissance’s campus, increasing the number of beds from 12 to more than 50.

Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment (QUINT-maw) says the upcoming arrival of a Hyundai steel plant is a huge win for the parish. Cointment points out that the plant will be producing green steel – that is, steel produced without using fossil fuels.

Cut 5 (07) “…attractive to us.”

But not everyone in the parish is convinced.  Ashley Gaignard (GAN-yard) is the president of the group Rural Roots Louisiana. She says she would like the plant to be put up somewhere else.

Cut 6 (09) “…about the people.”

The 5.8-billion-dollar steel plant will anchor the RiverPlex MegaPark, which at 17-thousand acres is the largest undeveloped tract along the deep-water Mississippi River. The plant would occupy one-tenth of that area. The plant is expected to result in the creation of more than five-thousand direct and indirect jobs.

When it comes to honesty in seafood labeling, Louisiana restaurants are actually doing much better than neighboring states. Studies by SEED Consulting show that two-thirds of Louisiana restaurants are being honest about whether their seafood is imported or not. President David Williams says there are reasons some restaurants in Louisiana serve imported shrimp.

Cut 10 (09) “…for the product.”

Some mega changes for Mega Millions. Starting April 5th, Mega Millions will cost five dollars per ticket and will have a higher starting jackpot and improved odds. Kimberly Chopin with the Louisiana Lottery says if the five-dollar ticket is out of your price range, you still have other options for playing a multi-state lottery…

Cut 12 (12) “…and Saturdays.”

Former four-term Louisiana U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnson has passed away at age of 92. Jeff Palermo looks back at his 24 years in the U-S Senate…

Cut 3 (40) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

An 81-year-old woman in New Orleans is mauled to death by three dogs who broke through a fence. All three dogs were impounded; one of them has been euthanized.

Former Four-term Louisiana U-S Senator J Bennett Johnston has passed away at the age of 92. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat was Johnston’s executive assistant in charge of Louisiana political operations and says the Democrat worked with Democrats and Republicans to bring back federal dollars to Louisiana…

Cut 14 (09) “…priority.”

Johnston also served in the Louisiana Legislature from 1964 to 1972.

Environmental groups say Louisiana is sacrificing the health of Ascension Parish residents by allowing Hyundai to build a five-billion dollar steel mill in Donaldsonville. Rural Roots Louisiana and The Bucket Brigade are concerned this plant will be a big polluter with little government oversight. But Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment (QUINT-maw) says  the plant will produce green steel – which means they are not using fossil fuels.

Cut 5 (07) “…attractive to us.”

How honest are restaurants when it comes to disclosing where their shrimp comes from? A new report from SEAD (“seed”) Consulting shows Louisiana is actually doing quite well. SEAD Consulting President David Williams says they found a relatively small percentage of Louisiana restaurants being dishonest about where their shrimp is coming from – claiming that it’s coming from the Gulf Coast when in fact it’s not.

Cut 8 (10) “…quite a lot.”

The study found that 58-percent of restaurants in Shreveport are misleading customers into thinking that they’re eating Gulf shrimp when they’re not.

Starting April 5th, Mega Millions will see Mega changes.  Kimberly Chopin with the Louisiana Lottery says Mega Millions will have a higher starting jackpot, improved odds, and a built-in prize multiplier.

Cut 11 (12) “…on their ticket.”

The cost of a ticket is also going up from two dollars to five dollars.

Bennett Johnston has died at the age of 92. The Shreveport native represented Louisiana in the U-S Senate for four terms from 1972 to 1997. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat, who worked for Johnston, says Johnston was a powerful senator who fought hard for federal resources for Louisiana…

Cut 15 (10) “….by the budget”

Johnston also served as chairman, or a ranking member of the energy and natural resources committee and he supported more nuclear power plants and expanded drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not everyone in Ascension Parish is happy a Hyundai steel plant is coming. Ashley Gaignard (GAN-yard), the president of the environmental group Rural Roots Louisiana, says having the steel mill along the Mississippi River in Donaldsonville will just add to the pollution in Ascension Parish.

Cut 4 (06) “…in the water.”

Officials say the new facility will be a ultra-low carbon steel production plant.

A new report from SEAD Consulting found that 58-percent of the restaurants in Shreveport are misleading customers into thinking that they’re eating Gulf shrimp when they’re not. SEAD Consulting President David Williams says they perform what’s known as the Rapid ID Genetic Highly accurate Test, or RIGHTTest, right at the dinner table.

Cut 9 (11)  “…shrimp-producing states.”

Williams says a big reason that restaurants, including those in Louisiana, serve imported shrimp is because it’s much less expensive than the shrimp found off the Gulf coast.

Starting April 5^th, the cost of a Mega Millions lottery ticket will increase from two to five dollars and the minimum jackpot will go from 20-million to 50 dollars. Officials believe these changes and more will result in average jackpot sizes of 800-million dollars. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin has this advice for all lottery players…

Cut 13 (12) “….keep it fun”

Former four-term Louisiana U-S Senator J. Bennett Johnston has passed away at the age of 92. After serving in the Louisiana Legislature from 1964 to 1972, the Shreveport native served in the U-S Senate from 1972 to 1997. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat worked in Johnston’s office for several years and says Johnston was known as someone who could bring back federal dollars to Louisiana, including the money used to build I-49….

Cut 16 (10) “…I-49”

Johnston died at his home in Sperryville, Virginia.

We found this week Hyundai will build a five-billion-dollar steel plant in Ascension Parish. Environmental groups say the governor offered a South Korean company a massive tax break to build a toxic plant in Donaldsonville. But Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment (Quint-maw) says….

Cut 7 (08) “…the country”

If your favorite restaurant tells you that it serves Gulf shrimp, can you take their word for it? A new study shows while in other states the answer is generally “no”, in Louisiana it’s largely a different story. Colleen Crain reports…

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

A man wanted for killing two people in Monroe in 2020 has been arrested in New Mexico. U-S Marshals apprehended Delarrious Jones in Albuquerque. Jones was allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of two people at Parkview Apartments. Shortly after the shooting, Monroe police arrested two other individuals.

Four-term Louisiana U-S Senator J Bennett Johnston has passed away at the age of 92. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat was Johnston’s executive assistant in charge of Louisiana political operations and says the Democrat worked with Democrats and Republicans to bring back federal dollars to Louisiana…

Cut 14 (09) “…priority.”

Johnston served in the U-S Army in the 1950s. Served in both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature from 1964 to 1972.

The president of Ascension Parish is hailing the upcoming construction of Hyundai’s new steel mill. President Clint Cointment (QUINT-maw) says the new 5.8-billion-dollar steel mill will have a huge impact on the entire region.

Cut 9 (10)  “…the surrounding parishes.”

Former LSU football coach Les Miles’ effort to get 37 wins restored to his coaching record is not going well. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Last weekend, a vendor at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival was caught selling crawfish imported from China without a sign at the booth indicating so. Organizer Cisco Gonzales says the issue was rectified quickly, and he’s going to push for the festival to require that only Louisiana-harvested crawfish can be sold from now on.

Cut 4 (05) “…Louisiana crawfish only.”

A suspect in a double murder, on the run for almost 5 years, is in custody today. The Monroe Police Department says U.S. Marshalls and authorities in Alburquerque, New Mexico arrested Delarrious Jones in Alburquerque. Jones is the third suspect in a double homicide that occurred in Parkview Apartments on September 1, 2020. Jones is accused of shooting Lamarcus Plater multiple times then chasing down, Malacra O. Smith, and fatally shooting him. In 2020, Daniel Towns and Mario Jones were arrested for their alleged involvement in the murders.

An Abbeville man is cited for allegedly killing a black bear in Vermilion Parish. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 50-year-old Shannon Parker admitted to shooting at a dark silhouette, thinking it was a wild hog and not the ten-year-old 200-pound female bear that she actually was. Corporal Derek Logan says Parker also lacked written permission to hunt at night and failed to notify the Sheriff’s Office.

Cut 7 (09) “…failed to do so.”

The president of Ascension Parish is hailing the upcoming arrival of Hyundai’s first North American steel mill. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The LSU women’s basketball team looked like one of the best teams in the nation last night as they outscored Florida State 31-6 in the third quarter as they blew out the Seminoles 101-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Mikaylah Williams led the way with 28 points. The Bossier City native says it was great team basketball…

Cut 12 (12) “…Sweet 16.”