A national animal rights group is weighing in on how St. Landry Parish had considered a push to make cockfighting legal once again. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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The ice storm of 2026 is coming. It’s not just the ice with the storm heading to north and central Louisiana, it’s also the very cold temperatures. Jeff Palermo has more.
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LSU baseball media day is today, and Sulphur native Jake Brown talks about what it will take for the Tigers to repeat as national champions. Andre Champagne has more.
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The effort in St. Landry Parish to make cockfighting legal once again has garnered quite a reaction. Wayne Pacelle (puh-SELL-ee), the president of Animal Wellness Action, says those advocating for that are not doing the parish or the state any favors.
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A resolution to contact State Representative Dustin Miller to introduce a bill to repeal or modify Louisiana’s cockfighting ban failed by a vote of 7-to-6, with the council chairman casting the tiebreaking vote. Before the vote, one woman told the council that cockfighting was wholesome entertainment, with families gathering for potlucks without guns or drugs. Pacelle says that woman couldn’t have been more off-base.
Cut 5 (10) “…illegal firearms.”
Pacelle says cockfighting is universally condemned, pointing out when Louisiana voted to outlaw it in 2007, only one representative and four senators voted against it. Furthermore, he says one of Louisiana’s U.S. Senators is leading a push to bolster the existing federal ban on cockfighting.
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Major accolades for a diet that has its roots in Baton Rouge. The DASH Diet, which was developed in part by scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is ranked as the second-best overall diet by U.S. News and World Report. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Dr. Cathy Champagne is among the original researchers behind the diet.
Cut 7 (12) “…higher in protein.”
That formula has led to the DASH Diet being the best heart-healthy diet and the best for high blood pressure among the 36 diets the publication examined. Dr. Champagne says one of the biggest benefits of the DASH Diet is that it’s largely non-restrictive.
Cut 8 (10) “…desserts in general.”
Champagne says besides helping people lower blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular events, the DASH Diet can also, obviously, help in weight loss.
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Are you ready for the ice storm of 2026? State Climatologist Jay Grymes says the icy conditions will begin to develop tonight.
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The I-20 corridor to the Arkansas border will be under a winter storm warning from six p-m tonight to noon on Sunday. Grymes says a combination of freezing rain, sleet and son can be expected.
Cut 11 (13) “…some significant problems.”
Grymes says central Louisiana will see freezing rain as well. Even the towns of Leesville and DeRidder could see up to a quarter inch of ice Saturday night into Sunday. The National Weather Service says a glazing of ice is possible along the I-10/I-12 corridor west of Hammond.
Grymes says north Louisiana will get the triple whammy — freezing rain, sleet and snow.
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With the incoming ice storm, Governor Landry has declared a state of emergency. Landry says while Louisiana had a historic snow event last year, snow is easier to deal with than ice.
Landry says his state of emergency declaration allows for additional resources in north and central Louisiana. The declaration also contains a waiver that will bring additional gas to areas seeing shortage. The governor says everyone needs to look after each other.
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The last time Louisiana had a major ice storm was February 2021. Some were without power for two weeks, and the state reported at least six fatalities tied to the storm. Landry says once the wintry precipitation starts falling, stay off the roads.
Cut 15 (13) “…is extremely dangerous.”
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LSU transfer wide receiver Jackson Harris of Hawaii was the first player to commit to the Tigers in the transfer portal cycle. Harris met Lane Kiffin on his visit and says he has the utmost respect for his new coach.
247Sports rates Kiffin’s transfer portal class the best in the nation. Harris says Kiffin is able to earn the respect of his players by putting in the long hours.
The 6-3, 205-pound receiver caught 49 passes for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Rainbow Warriors last season. Harris says he brings a variety of skills to Baton Rouge.
247Sports had Harris as its number-40 wide receiver in the transfer portal.
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LSU baseball is three weeks away from starting its national title defense against Milwaukee. After winning the 2025 College World Series, junior outfielder Jake Brown says the biggest emphasis for the returners was making sure this year’s team chemistry was just as strong as last year’s.
Last year, the Tigers hit 103 home runs in 68 games, which was tied for 17th in the country. In addition to returning Jake Brown, Steven Milam and Cade Arrambide, LSU added more power to the lineup with transfers Trent Caraway, Zach Yorke, Seth Dardar and Brayden Simpson. Brown says he expects the long ball numbers to go up this year.
Cut 20 (08) “…balls this year.”