LSU Alexandria says it’s enrollment surge is continuing, exceeding 54-hundred students. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Super Bowl 58 ended last night with Kansas City beating San Francisco in overtime in Las Vegas. Today Vegas officials handed off the football to New Orleans who will host Super Bowl 59 on February 9, 2025. Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero…

Cut 12 (12)  “..properly”  

Outside of New Orleans one of the busiest spots on the globe Mardi Gras-wise is Calcasieu Parish. Visit Lake Charles spokesperson Matt Young says tonight is a big night with the Royal Gala at the Lake Charles event center. Young says it’s where all the Kings, Queens, and their courts from than 50 krewes are presented.

Cut 10 (10) “…take in.”

The good times continue to roll in Lafourche Parish with four parades set for Fat Tuesday. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Sales and Marketing Manager Ian Wallis says what makes their carnival parades unique is that they are family-friendly, and you never meet a stranger in Lafourche Parish.

Cut 4 (09) “…for us.”

After a weekend of parades, some carnival goers are taking a break on this Lundi Gras, so they can be ready for Fat Tuesday. Visit Lake Charles spokesperson Matt Young says there’s a traditional Mardi Gras celebration in Iowa that begins at 8 AM with a chicken run parade. He says revelers on horseback are essentially gathering ingredients to cook gumbo…
cut 11 (11) “…their lifetime”
Over in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou marketing manager Ian Wallis says their carnival parades are family-friendly, and you never meet a stranger…
cut 4 (09) “….for us”
The weather looks great for Fat Tuesday, sunny skies and high temperatures in the low to mid 60s.

Super Bowl 58 ended last night with Kansas City beating San Francisco in overtime in Las Vegas. Today Vegas officials handed off the football to New Orleans who will host Super Bowl 59 on February 9, 2025. Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero says they are raising money and moving into phase two of their preparation…
cut 12 (12) “…properly”
Cicero expects an economic impact over 500-million dollars.

LSU Alexandria says it’s the fastest growing public university in Louisiana. Chancellor Paul Coreil says LSUA’s enrollment has reached an all-time high 5,405 students, nearly a six-percent increase since the fall semester…
Cut 6 (13) “..the university.”
On-campus enrollment is up nearly 18-percent since Spring 2023, totaling 26-hundred students.

It was a big weekend of Mardi Gras parades, especially in south Louisiana where the weather held up. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Marketing Manager Ian Wallis says parking was not easy for the parades in Lafourche Parish…
cut 5 (09) “….really good”
There’s another parade tomorrow in Golden Meadow, plus Chackbay and Thibodaux have parades.

Outside of New Orleans one of the busiest spots on the globe Mardi Gras-wise is Calcasieu Parish. Visit Lake Charles spokesperson Matt Young says their season got off to a big start Friday with the Merchants parade and on Sunday they celebrated with a children’s parade.
Cut 9 (11) “…environment.”
Tomorrow in southwest Louisiana, you have the Iowa Chicken run and the Mardi Gras Southwest Krewe of Krewes parade.

Federal Judge Shelly Dick has ordered the state’s legislative district maps to be redrawn on the grounds that the map drawn in 2022 violates the Voting Rights Act because it dilutes the black vote. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

It was a big weekend of parades and there are more to come. Tonight there are Lundi Gras festivities and tomorrow there’s a full slate of parades across South Louisiana. Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Sales and Marketing Manager Ian Wallis says they’ll have parades rolling in Thibodaux, Chackbay and Golden Meadow.
Cut 3 (10) “…good time.”

Beginning in August, look for more information on The National Hurricane Center’s cone graphic. The familiar Cone of Uncertainty will still be available, but Department Director Jamie Rhone says
Cut 13 (12) “…particular forecast.”
Rhone says the goal is to give areas away from the coast a better idea of potential wind destruction.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has announced the the state will not participate in the summer E-B-T program. The program uses federal money to help low income families pay for summer food expenses when their children are not in school. DCFS Secretary David Matlock says families deserve a pathway to self-sufficiency and summer EBT is a piecemeal program that does not offer long-term solutions.

The restaurant chain Walk-Ons is moving its corporate headquarters from Baton Rouge to Atlanta….
cut 2 (32) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

Monroe Senator Stewart Cathey believes the special session called by Governor Landry to tackle crime will make a difference.

Cut 4 (12) “…the state.”

Cathey says he’s also in favor of allowing the Attorney General to have an expanded role in prosecuting crimes when local District Attorneys refuse to. The session begins next Monday and wrap on March 6^th.

Federal judge Shelly Dick has ordered the state’s legislative maps to be redrawn because it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the strength of the black vote. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross…

Cut 7 (12) “…in Louisiana.”

Cross believes Governor Jeff Landry will have lawmakers address the legislative maps during a regular session because a timeline was not outlined in the ruling.

Walk Ons Sports Bistreaux is relocating its corporate headquarters out of Baton Rouge to Atlanta. UNO Business Professor Mark Rosa says the state needs a better tax system to retain businesses and compete with other states.

Cut 11 (11) “…eliminating it.” 

In 2022, the company opened a satellite office in Atlanta which is one of the country’s biggest restaurant industry hubs.

The National Hurricane Center says its forecast maps for tropical storms and hurricanes starting in August will be more colorful to contain information on potential impacts inland from strong winds…

Cut 15 (12) “…that community.”

That’s Jamie Rhone with the National Hurricane Center. The new experimental cone graphics will be available within 30 minutes of an advisory release.

Governor Jeff Landry’s call for a 16-day session for lawmakers to tackle the state’s crime issues starts Monday. Monroe Senator Stewart Cathey says  juvenile crime is a major issue. He believes teens who are committing crimes should be tried as adults.

Cut 5 (10) “…crime issues.” 

And while most 17-year-olds who are charged with murder are typically charged as adults, Cathey says it’s still at the discretion of the local district attorney. The session ends March 6^th.

A federal judge has ruled that legislative maps drawn by Louisiana lawmaker violate the Voting Rights Act. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross believes the Republican-controlled legislature would like to avoid redrawing the legislative maps as long as possible.

Cut 9 (09)  “…to do so.”

Walk Ons Sports Bistreaux, a Baton Rouge based franchise, is packing up and moving its corporate headquarters from Baton Rouge to Atlanta to continue its growth trajectory. UNO Business Professor Mark Rosa says the state is losing population and businesses as a result of/because of the existing tax burden.

Cut 10 (11) “…winning areas.”

The first Walk Ons restaurant opened a short distance from LSU’s Tiger Stadium in 2003.

The National Hurricane Center will begin using a new experimental cone graphic that will extend inland and describe more than landfall starting August. Dept Director Jamie Rhone says the current cone graphic does not provide a lot of information and most people infer the impact and their risks with too little information… 

Cut 14 (10) “…step forward.”

The new experimental cone graphics will be available within 30 minutes of an advisory release.

Federal judge Shelly Dick ordered the state legislature had to redraw a new Congressional district map now she’s ruled the state must redo the legislative maps approved in 2022, because there are not enough Black majority House and Senate districts. ULM political science professor Pearson Cross says it’s unclear when Governor Landry will ask legislators to redistrict their own political boundaries…
cut 8 (09) “….few years’
The next round of statewide legislative races is in 2027.

Next week a special session will begin to address crime in Louisiana. Monroe Senator Stewart Cathey says he’s advocating for legislation that will result in more 17-year-olds being charged as adults, instead of juveniles, especially if they are repeat offenders…
cut 6 (11) “…for Louisiana”

Beginning in August, The National Hurricane Center will have a new experimental cone graphic that will provide more information especially for at-risk inland communities. .
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

It was a warm weekend in south Louisiana for the Mardi Gras parades, but it turns colder and breezy today. We also had some severe storms yesterday, golf ball sized hail fell in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. We’re looking at sunny skies for Fat Tuesday with temperatures in the low to mid 60s.

A federal judge has ordered the state’s legislative maps to be redrawn because it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the black vote. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it’s a momentous ruling from Judge Shelly Dick.
Cut 7 (12) “…in Louisiana.”
It’s unclear when legislators will redraw the legislative map.

Beginning in August, look for more information on The National Hurricane Center’s cone graphic. The familiar Cone of Uncertainty will still be available, but Department Director Jamie Rhone says
Cut 13 (12) “…particular forecast.”
Rhone says the goal is to give areas away from the coast a better idea of potential wind destruction.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has announced the the state will not participate in the summer E-B-T program. The program uses federal money to help low income families pay for summer food expenses when their children are not in school. DCFS Secretary David Matlock says families deserve a pathway to self-sufficiency and summer EBT is a piecemeal program that does not offer long-term solutions.

The restaurant chain Walk-Ons is moving its corporate headquarters from Baton Rouge to Atlanta….
cut 2 (32) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

Governor Jeff Landry’s special session to address crime in Louisiana will begin next Monday and wrap on March 6th. Monroe Senator Stewart athey believes the legislation Landry is calling for will make a difference in deterring crime.
Cut 4 (12) “…the state.”
The ACLU of Louisiana says the governor’s policy proposals are not evidenced based and lack data to approve sound crriminal justice policy.

The National Hurricane Center says its forecast maps for tropical storms and hurricanes starting in August will be more colorful to contain information on potential impacts inland from strong winds…
cut 15 (12) “…that community”
That’s Jamie Rhone with the National Hurricane Center.

Federal Judge Shelly Dick has ordered the state’s legislative district maps to be redrawn on the grounds that the map drawn in 2022 violates the Voting Rights Act because it dilutes the black vote. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

As revelers get set for the biggest weekend of Carnival Season, there’s been a fatal shooting in New Orleans French Quarter. That’s despite a heavy police presence.  It happened just before two this morning. The man was found dead at the intersection of Chartres and Dumaine, just a block from Jackson Square and two blocks from Cafe’ Dumonde. New Orleans Police describe the deceased as an adult man, but so far have not released his age or name.

Meanwhile, thousands of people from around the world are in Louisiana to let the good times roll this Mardi Gras weekend. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says there are big parades in all parts of the state where revelers can enjoy elaborate floats. He says there’s a Mardi Gras celebration for everyone, no matter what you’re looking for.

Cut 7 (12) “…over Louisiana.”  
————

Governor Jeff Landry’s proposed 44 million dollar budget is now in the hands of state lawmakers. There is 198-million dollars in the budget to maintain the temporary $2,000 pay raise teachers received last year. And Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras says the governor would like to give more money to fill hard to find math and science teaching jobs or teachers in rural areas.

Cut 5 (12) “..type of qualifications”
It’s Super Bowl Weekend and millions of people are expected to place a bet on the big game, many of those in Louisiana. Remember, you must be 21 years old to bet in our state and only in parishes with legalized gambling. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns reminding us all that while it’s fun to place a bet, do so within your means.

Cut  14 (07) “…our message.”