Mandeville Senator Patrick McMath has met with Governor Landry about revamping the state’s child welfare system. McMath introduced legislation last week that would dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services, moving most of its functions within the Louisiana Department of Health and having State Police run the child abuse hotline.

Cut 10 (06) “…doesn’t exist now.”

McMath is also proposing that the attorney general’s office would handle child support enforcement.

Love The Boot week got underway on Saturday and runs through this Sunday. It’s the fifth year for the initiative and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says four years ago, he got the legislature to move Keep Louisiana Beautiful under his office.

Cut 7 (09) “…all 64 parishes.”

Governor Landry makes a generous announcement in Shreveport in the wake of Sunday’s tragedy. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

If you drive a pickup truck in this state, make sure that you’re wearing your seatbelt. This week is “Buckle Up In Your Truck Week,” which is an extension of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says the name of the week-long enforcement period is self-explanatory.

Cut 13 (14)  “…numbers this week.”

Governor Landry makes a generous announcement in Shreveport in the wake of Sunday’s tragedy. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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This week is the fifth annual Love The Boot week – the state’s largest litter cleanup and beautification effort. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Mandeville Senator Patrick McMath and Governor Landry say it was a productive meeting as they discussed McMath’s proposal to dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Out of unspeakable tragedy comes some good. Governor Landry has announced that the Love One Louisiana Foundation, which is led by his wife Sharon, will be paying for the funerals of all eight children killed in Sunday morning’s mass shooting. In making the announcement in Shreveport, Governor Landry said he hopes the gesture will bring some comfort during a very trying time.

Cut 4 (14) “…in this world.”

The First Lady’s foundation also sprung into action following the terror attack on Bourbon Street early New Year’s Day last year. Landry says he’s thinking 0f everyone affected by Sunday’s tragedy, especially the two women who remain in critical condition after being during the rampage carried out by the father of seven of the eight children.

Cut 5 (14) “…City of Shreveport.”

In addition, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana has set up two funds. The CEO is Kristi Gustavson.

Cut 6 (10) “…prevent domestic violence.”

You can learn more or make a donation on the foundation’s website at cfnla-dot-org.

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This week is Love The Boot week. It actually got underway Saturday and runs through this Sunday. This is the fifth year for the initiative; Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says four years years ago, he got the legislature to move Keep Louisiana Beautiful under his office.

Cut 7 (09) “…all 64 parishes.”

Nungesser recalls when he went to a Chamber of Commerce announcement years ago when he was in private business, where he expected the president of Nissan to announce that he was going to build a plant in New Orleans East. What he said instead had a profound effect.

Cut 8 (08) “…employees living here.”

Nungesser mentioned a new law that allows people to anonymously report people who litter, and they’re issued tickets. He says those citations are very effective in preventing repeat occurrences of littering.

Cut 9 (05)  “…likely to litter.”

Throughout the week, more than 28-thousand volunteers will participate in over 12-hundred cleanup and beautification efforts throughout all 64 parishes.

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Mandeville Senator Patrick McMath has met with Governor Landry about revamping the state’s child welfare system. McMath introduced legislation last week that would dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services, moving most of its functions within the Louisiana Department of Health and having State Police run the child abuse hotline.

Cut 10 (06) “…doesn’t exist now.”

McMath is also proposing that the attorney general’s office would handle child support enforcement.

Cut 11 (10) “…abuse and neglect?”

McMath, Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow and other state lawmakers have been critical of DCFS for not taking the proper steps in preventing deaths of several toddlers, despite receiving calls from the public about their safety before they died.

Governor Landry expressed frustration last week about not being informed about McMath’s proposal before he presented it to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. McMath says since then, he’s had a good meeting with Landry and DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris, and the plan is to pass legislation that dramatically changes how the state handles child welfare problems.

Cut 12 (05) “…change is necessary.”

Senate Health and Welfare meets tomorrow, and it’s possible it will vote on McMath’s bill at that time, or it could wait until next week.

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If you drive a pickup truck in this state, this is the week when you will want to especially make sure that you’re wearing your seatbelt. That’s because this week is “Buckle Up In Your Truck Week,” which is an extension of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says the name of the week-long enforcement period is self-explanatory.

Cut 13 (14)  “…numbers this week.”

Fischer says they’re taking a week to single out pickup trucks because the latest survey shows that almost one of every five pickup truck drivers in Louisiana do not wear their seatbelts.

Cut 14 (09) “…for whatever reason.”

Fischer says that may explain the disproportionate percentage of unrestrained pickup truck drivers who die in crashes.

Cut 15 (13) “…wearing their belts.”

Pickup truck drivers pulled over for not wearing their seatbelts this week will be issued 50-dollar tickets.

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LSU baseball was swept for the second straight SEC series over the weekend, getting outscored 22-8 by Texas A&M. With the team’s recent struggles this season, head coach Jay Johnson says his philosophy will undergo some changes in the near future.

Cut 16 (20) “…a big way.”

LSU leads the SEC in wild pitches with 59 on the season, which is 21 more than the second-most in the conference. Johnson says both the pitchers and catchers have to do a better job of limiting them.

Cut 17 (12)  “…on a positive.”

The Tigers haven’t missed the postseason since 2011, but they now find themselves in real jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament, sitting at just 6-and-12 in SEC play. The typical mark to reach the postseason is around 13 conference wins, putting added pressure on LSU to pick up key victories down the stretch. Johnson still believes there’s a chance his team can turn things around.

Cut 18 (13)  “…and help guys.”

The Tigers look to get back on track against UNO tonight at 6:30 p.m.

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UL-Lafayette dropped two of three games to Troy over the weekend. Coach Matt Deggs says the outcome came down to a few missed opportunities, including a misplayed ball in the outfield that sparked a five-run sixth inning for the Trojans in Friday’s 7-6 loss.

Cut 19 (16) “…with the series.”

The Cajuns look to get back in the win column tonight when they host Grambling at 6 p.m.

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ULM baseball has now dropped its last three Sun Belt series. The Warhawks lost two of three games to Arkansas State over the weekend and managed just six runs across the entire series. Coach Ford Pemberton says his team needs to get back to being more disciplined at the plate.

Cut 20 (10) “…in some moments.”

ULM is at Northwestern State tonight. First pitch is set for six p.m.

Somber day at the capitol as many lawmakers were thinking about the tragic event that occurred Sunday in Shreveport where a father of seven killed all his children and another child. The mass shooting happened in the district of state representative Tammy Phelps…

Cut 28 (13) “…as well”

The gunman, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was killed during a police pursuit. Shreveport police say he also shot his wife and another woman. The two women were the mothers of the children involved in the shooting. The police say the shooting stemmed from an argument between Elkins and his wife, who were apparently going through a divorce.

Shreveport Senator Sam Jenkins says legislation to prevent domestic violence is talked about at every session and it’s taking on a greater importance…

Cut 7 (11) “…at every level”

A vote could take place tomorrow on Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Patrick McMath’s proposal to dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services, moving most of its functions within the Louisiana Department of Health and have State Police manage the child abuse hotline.

McMath is also proposing that the attorney general’s office would handle child support enforcement…

Cut 11 (10) “…neglect.”

Governor Landry expressed frustration last week about not being informed about McMath’s proposal before he presented it to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. McMath says since then, he’s had a good meeting with Landry and DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris and the plan is to pass legislation that dramatically changes how the state handles child welfare problems

Cut 12 (05) “…necessary.”

The LSU Tigers were swept for a second consecutive time in SEC play for the first time since 2021 as Texas A&M dominated the Bayou Bengals, outscoring them 22-8. Ole Miss swept LSU the weekend before in Oxford, and Coach Jay Johnson knew this part of the schedule would be difficult.

Cut 17 (17)  “…that storm coming.”

The Tigers will look to get back on track against New Orleans on Tuesday.

Louisiana Tech won its third straight Conference USA series as the Bulldogs took two of three from Kennesaw State. Tech won the rubber match yesterday four to three to improve to 11-and-7 in league play.

UL Lafayette dropped two of three games to Troy this weekend, surrendering 28 total runs in the series.

ULM baseball lost its third straight series, dropping two of three games to Arkansas State.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier underwent testing at the NFL Combine that revealed a cyst on his spine, which was the primary cause of the oblique pain that forced him to miss most of the 2025 season.

Pelissero adds that the cyst was pressing on a nerve, which caused the discomfort in Nussmeier’s oblique. There is a possibility he could undergo a minor procedure that would sideline him for 2–3 weeks while the stitches heal.

Doctors are confident the issue poses no short- or long-term risk for Nussmeier moving forward.

The LSU gymnastics team nearly won its second national championship in three years on Saturday, but Oklahoma performed extremely well on the floor to edge the Tigers by percentage points in Fort Worth, Texas. Coach Jay Clark says it was heck of an effort by his team…

Cut 12 (10) “…was not.”

The country’s worst mass murder in more than two years happened in Shreveport over the weekend and the victims were eight children ranging in age from 3 to 11 years old. Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith says 31-year-old Shamar Elkins shot the children, seven of them were his own children. It happened in two different locations where he also shot the mothers of his children – his wife and his girlfriend.

Cut 3 (08) “…hospital and recovering.”

Smith said the sister of Elkins’ wife climbed onto the roof with two of the kids in an attempt to escape.

Cut 4 (06) “…in stable condition.”

The other child did not make it off the roof and was shot dead. Smith says the shooting stemmed from an argument between Elkins and his wife who were scheduled to appear in court today. They were in the midst of a divorce.

Mandeville Senator Patrick McMath has met with Governor Landry about revamping the state’s child welfare system. McMath introduced legislation last week that would dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services, moving most of its functions within the Louisiana Department of Health and having State Police run the child abuse hotline…

Cut 10 (07) “…exist now.”

McMath is also proposing that the attorney general’s office would handle child support enforcement.

LSU gymnastics team nearly won its second national championship in three years on Saturday falling just short of Oklahoma. It was a historic season for Kailin Chio, who got 13 perfect 10s, including one on the vault on Saturday. And Chio will return next season along with 85-percent of the scoring from this year’s squad…

Cut 14 (12) “…this year.”

We’re getting updated information on yesterday’s tragedy in Shreveport. Andrew Greenstein got an updated timeline on the mass shooting that killed eight children.

Cut 1 (51) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Governor Jeff Landry accuses the two male Republican candidates in the U-S Senate race of not being “southernly.”  Landry, who is supporting Julia Letlow in the U-S Senate Republican primary, says attack ads against the Congresswoman from candidates, Incumbent Billy Cassidy and Treasurer John Fleming are crossing the line but he’s impressed Letlow continues to do well in the race, despite the negative ads against her…

Cut 11 (10) “…to tell you.”

Landry made these comments in an interview with Jim Engster on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana”.

The LSU gymnastics team nearly won its second national championship in three years on Saturday, but Oklahoma performed extremely well on the floor to edge the Tigers by percentage points on in Fort Worth. Coach Jay Clark says it was a heck of an effort by his team…

Cut 12 (10) “…was not.”

Cut 7 (11) “…and I’m sorry.”

Shreveport Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor was beside herself and the city of Shreveport is in morning for eight children who were shot dead in the country’s worst mass murder in more than two years. Police say Shamar Elkins executed his children and another relative. He also shot his girlfriend in two different locations. Police say the wife’s sister was injured when climbed onto the roof with two children in an attempt to escape shooting and jumped from the roof. One of those children was also shot and died. Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith says the shooting stemmed from an argument between Elkins and his wife. This tragedy is bringing the issue of domestic violence to the forefront. State Representative Sam Jenkins…

Cut 7 (09) “…woman power.”

LSU gymnastics just missed out on winning its second national championship on Saturday. Jeff Palermo reports the Tigers plan to be in the hunt again next year for a natty…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

During an interview with Jim Engster on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana.” Governor Jeff Landry came to the defense of Representative and U.S. Senate candidate, Julia Letlow, accusing the two male Republican candidates in the race as not being “southernly.”  He says the attack ads against Letlow from the other two candidates, Incumbent Bill Cassidy and Treasurer John Fleming, cross the line and their narratives about Letlow are false…

Cut 10 (05) “…disingenuous.”

Officials provided more information today on Sunday’s horrific tragedy where eight children were killed execution style in a domestic incident in Shreveport. Two women were also injured in the shooting that took place at two different houses.  Shreveport police chief Wayne Smith says they are recovering…

Cut 3 (08) “…hospital and recovering”

Thirty-one-year-old Shamar Elkins has been identified as the gunman. He was killed during a police pursuit. Smith says Elkins was the father of seven of the children killed…

Cut 5 (09) “…taken

Smith says it appears that while one of the women Elkins shot was his wife, he was still carrying on a relationship with the other woman, who was the mother of his other children.

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Governor Jeff Landry says the two male candidates in the Senate Republican Primary are not being very Southerly to the woman candidate, Julia Letlow. In an interview on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana,” Landry said he’s impressed Letlow continues to do well in the race, despite the negative attacks against her by Bill Cassidy and John Fleming…

Cut 11 (10) “….to tell you”

LSU gymnastics fell a little short of winning its second national title on Saturday as Oklahoma edged out the Tigers. It was a historic season for Kailin Chio, who earned 13 perfect 10s, including one on the vault on Saturday. Chio will return next season along with 85-percent of the scoring from this year’s squad…

Cut 14 (12) “…this year.”

It’s the worst mass murder in the U.S. in more than two years. Eight children were shot to death in Shreveport early yesterday morning – seven were siblings, and an eighth was a cousin. Shreveport Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says the three boys and five girls range in age from three to 11 years old.

Cut 4 (08) “…is Shamar Elkins.”

The 31-year-old Elkins was killed during a police pursuit that ended in Bossier Pairsh. He also wounded two women, including his wife.

State Representative Tammy Phelps, whose district includes the location where this incident occurred, says this tragedy is gut-wrenching for the entire community, especially those who were called to the scene.

Cut 8 (16) “…mentally as well.”

Governor Jeff Landry accuses the two male Republican candidates in the U-S Senate race as not being “southerly.”  Landry, who is supporting Julia Letlow in the U-S Senate Republican primary, says the attack ads against the Congresswoman from Incumbent Billy Cassidy and State Treasurer John Fleming are crossing the line…

Cut 9 (07)  “…Southerly.”

Landry made the comments during an interview with Jim Engster on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana.”

The LSU gymnastics program nearly won their second national championship in three years on Saturday, but the Sooners won by percentage points over the Tigers. It was the Tigers’ fourth runner-up finish in program history, while Oklahoma won its eighth national championship. Coach Jay Clark says  O-U is the gold standard, but LSU is not going away…

Cut 13 (07) “…next year.”

Investigators say the man who shot eight kids, including seven of his own, to death was suffering from mental health issues, including PTSD. Shreveport Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says 31-year-old Shemar Elkins shot his wife inside one home, then went into another home and shot a woman and eight children. Bordelon says a ninth child was able to escape.

Cut 5 (05) “…to get away.”

Shreveport officers later shot Elkins to death following a chase that ended in Bossier City.

This tragedy is also shining a massive spotlight on domestic violence that continues to plague the entire country. State Senator Sam Jenkins, whose district includes the location where the shooting occurred, said there needs to be a proactive approach to ending the cycle of domestic violence.

Cut 23 (09) “…witnessed here today.”

The Louisiana House last week approved a budget proposal that doubles the funding of the LA GATOR scholarship program. That’s the state’s voucher program that mainly serves low-income families, providing state tax dollars for children to attend a private school. Senate President Cameron Henry continues to oppose doubling the size of LA GATOR.

Cut 13 (08)  “…year just because.”

But Governor Jeff Landry said on WRKF’s Talk Louisiana that one of his main objectives is to provide more options for parents who have children with disabilities.

Cut 16 (15) “…decide to do.”

The Senate will discuss the budget for the next several weeks; the legislature has until June 1st to get it onto Landry’s desk.