Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom, and that could lead to a growth in population.  Leaders for a Better Louisiana says six megaprojects are driving construction activity. CEO Adam Knapp says between now and 2030, there will consistently be about ten-thousand people working on projects that include the Meta Data Center in Richland Parish and the Hyundai steel plant in Ascension Parish.

Cut 13 (10)  “…these six sites.”

The state is moving closer to its goal of having an educational attainment rate of 60-percent. The Board of Regents says it’s currently 52.5 percent, more than a full percentage point higher than last year. The education attainment rate is the proportion of people between the ages of 25 and 64 that have a credential beyond a high school diploma. Dr. Tristan Denley…

Cut 7 (10) “…want to get.”

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Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is hosting National Hunting and Fishing Day across the state tomorrow.  Andre Champagne has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

An investigation is underway after a suspect died while in the custody of the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office yesterday.  Louisiana State Police say they got the request to investigate the incident just before noon yesterday. We’re told APSO responded to a disturbance at a home in Kinder where the suspect was taken into custody. We’re told the suspect later showed signs of medical distress, and was taken to the hospital, where they died.

Louisiana continues to make progress towards its goal of having six out of every 10 working adults having a credential beyond a high school diploma. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is in serious financial pinch.  U-L’s Interim President revealed a 25 million dollar structural deficit yesterday.  According to a report by The Current in Lafayette Interim President Jaimie Hebert says university officials have agreed to reduce spending by 10% across most divisions, identifying as much as 15-million dollars in budget savings so far.

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The City of Shreveport is teaming up with rapper 50 Cent to revitalize the downtown area. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is looking to establish a new entertainment district in Shreveport that would be financed with a two-percent sales tax collected inside the specific zone being revitalized. Mayor Tom Arceneaux says even businesses outside the zone will benefit, even though they won’t be eligible for funding.

Cut 4 (10) “…penny for it.”

National Hunting and Fishing Day is tomorrow, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is holding a celebration at four locations where attendees can try their skills at the shooting ranges, fishing ponds and boating activities. LDWF spokesman Trey Iles…

Cut 10 (10) “…they make.”

Louisiana continues to make progress towards its goal of having six out of every 10 working adults having a credential beyond a high school diploma. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is hosting National Hunting and Fishing Day tomorrow at four locations across the state. Andre Champagne has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom — and Andrew Greenstein reports that could lead to a population boom.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The City of Shreveport is teaming up with rapper 50 Cent to revitalize the downtown area. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is looking to establish a new entertainment district in downtown Shreveport that would be financed with a two-percent sales tax collected inside the specific zone being revitalized. Mayor Tom Arceneaux says even businesses outside that specific zone will benefit, even though they won’t be eligible for any funding.

Cut 4 (10) “…penny for it.”

Mayor Arceneaux says while the onus in making this plan work would fall primarily on investors, everyone will benefit in the end.

Cut 5 (10) “…into the fund”

Arceneaux says there are certain requirements to be eligible for the funding.

Cut 6 (05) “…ten new jobs.”

Construction is expected to begin either late this year or early next year.

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The state is moving closer to its goal of having an educational attainment rate of 60-percent. The Board of Regents says it’s currently 52.5 percent, more than a full percentage point higher than last year. The education attainment rate is the proportion of people between the ages of 25 and 64 that have a credential beyond a high school diploma. Dr. Tristan Denley says a college degree or certificate from a tech school is essential in today’s economy.

Cut 7 (10) “…want to get.”

Denley is the deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation at the Board of Regents. Louisiana has set a goal of 60-percent educational attainment rate by 2030. He says this year, 80-thousand graduates earned credentials, which is a new record for the state. Denley says these graduates will on average have significantly higher salaries than peers with only a high school diploma.

Cut 8 (11) “…their communities.”

Denley says a variety of programs and initiatives are working to push Louisiana’s education attainment rate to that 60-percent mark. He says it starts with improving overall student success and expanding education and training for adults.

Cut 9 (09)  “…higher education.”

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National Hunting and Fishing Day is tomorrow, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is holding a celebration at four locations where attendees can try their skills at the shooting ranges, fishing ponds and boating activities. LDWF spokesman Trey Iles says there are also exhibits highlighting their conservation efforts.

Cut 10 (10) “…they make.”

Iles says they will have National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrations at the Waddill Wildlife Refuge in Baton Rouge, Woodworth Shooting Range in Woodworth, the Tom Merrill Recreation Area at Bodcau Wildlife Management Area in Haughton, and Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe.

Iles says that young anglers attending the Baton Rouge event can enter a free fishing contest.

Cut 11 (07) “…keep there.”

Iles says the event will also offer many other opportunities for hunters and fishermen to enjoy outdoors.

Cut 12 (06) “…shooting too.”

For more information on National Hunting and Fishing Day Activities, go to LDWF’s Facebook page.

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Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom, and that could lead to a population boom. Leaders for a Better Louisiana says six megaprojects are driving construction activity and will lead to an increase in population. CEO Adam Knapp says between now and 2030, there will consistently be about ten-thousand people working on the projects that include the Meta Data Center in Richland Parish and the Hyundai steel plant in Ascension Parish.

Cut 13 (10)  “…these six sites.”

Knapp says while there are other industrial construction projects underway, these six projects are by far the biggest projects going on in the state at this time.

Cut 14 (09) “…those six sites.”

Knapp says this industrial construction boom is reminiscent of the one that took place in Louisiana between 2012 and 2018.

Cut 15 (13) “…during that period.”

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Tomorrow is homecoming for ULM, which opens Sun Belt play against an Arkansas State team that the Warhawks have not beaten in 15 years. Head Coach Bryant Vincent is calling for all fans to show up and make a difference.

Cut 16 (22) “…become one.”

ULM sophomore quarterback Aidan Armenta is starting to get more comfortable with the offense through each start. Armenta had one of his best games last week in win over UTEP, throwing for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Vincent says it’s evident Armenta is getting more confident.

Cut 17 (19)  “…this league.”

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The Saints are desperately looking to get into the win column after losing the first three games of the season. In their 44-13 blowout loss to Seattle, New Orleans was charged with 11 penalties for 77 yards, including several false starts. Quarterback Spencer Rattler says the team has to get better with limiting the penalties so that the offense can operate smoother.

Cut 18 (19) “…the game.”

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Fourth-ranked LSU hits the road to Oxford for its first SEC road game of the season tomorrow afternoon against number-13 Ole Miss. LSU senior cornerback Mansoor Delane (MAHN-soor duh-LANE) says he embraces the villain role.

Cut 19 (16) “…to prove.”

Ole Miss is expected to start senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss against LSU over the injured Austin Simmons. Delane says it doesn’t matter who’s at quarterback for the Rebels, but rather how LSU’s defense executes.

Cut 20 (16) “…to do.”

911 service is back to normal throughout the state. It was down for about three hours earlier today due to a cut fiber optic line. During the outage, police departments, fire departments and ambulance companies were advising people in their respective areas of alternate numbers to call. But again, 911 service is back to normal.

State Representative Mike Bayham says he had the honor of a lifetime as he had the opportunity to shake hands and speak with Pope Leo the 14th. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

While the trend is getting better, Louisiana’s truancy rate is still unacceptably high at over 40-percent. Louisiana defines truancy as five or more unexcused absences in a semester. Steven Procopio, the president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says the Louisiana Department of Education and BESE are working on a strategy to boost student attendance.

Cut 10 (11) “…a little bit.”

Construction at the new Buc-ee’s in Ruston is finally underway. Equipment moved in last Friday, and construction workers started turning dirt on Monday. Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker says when it opens in early 2027, it will create hundreds of jobs, and they’re all good-paying jobs.

Cut 7 (05) “…more than that.”

On top of that, Buc-ee’s will offer health benefits and a 401-K.

It’s been nothing short of an eventful week for the Kiffin family. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s daughter, Landry Kiffin, launched her relationship with LSU junior linebacker Whit Weeks on Instagram earlier this week. Kiffin says that he is happy for his daughter and approves of Weeks.

Cut 17 (14)  “…the family.”

The Saints will travel to the Buffalo this weekend to face the reigning MVP Josh Allen and the undefeated Bills. Safety Justin Reid says that Allen is such a good quarterback because of his ability to extend plays.

CUT 21 (23): “….great one.”

UL-Lafayette’s football team has dug itself into a deep hole after starting the season 1-3 before entering conference play. The Cajuns will look to get back on track against Marshall this weekend in what will be a very different rematch of the 2024 Sun Belt Championship. Head coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-moe) says that his team has to continue working on fixing its issues.

Cut 19 (14) “…to work.”

Kickoff on Saturday in Lafayette will be at 7 p.m.

Former LSU and current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes capped off his incredible season on Wednesday evening after shutting out the Cincinnati Reds. Skenes will end his second season in the MLB with a league best 1.97 ERA. Skenes threw 187 and two-thirds innings pitched while striking out 216 batters. Despite having some of the best numbers, Skenes finishes with a 10-10 record, but is still the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award.

While there’s progress, truancy continues to be a problem

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A fourth-grade math teacher at Robinson Elementary School in Monroe has been arrested after he allegedly arranged to have sex with a 15-year-old at an undisclosed site. Authorities say they arrested Boris Braggs after he set up the meet up over the internet with an undercover officer that he thought was a teenage girl. State Police and the FBI were conducting an undercover operation focused on sex trafficking of minors.

U.S. News and World Report has recognized Northwestern State as one of the best public schools among regional universities in the South. Chief Marketing Officer Cole Young says Northwestern has long made a commitment to individual student attention – something large universities may not be equipped to do as easily.

Cut 14 (05) “…to student ratio.”

Young says the quality of students that Northwestern is bringing in has greatly improved in recent years.

Republican State Representative Mike Bayham from Saint Bernard Parish had the thrill of a lifetime as he met Pope Leo the 14th at the Vatican. Bayham says he gave the first American-born pontiff a copy of a state resolution congratulating him on becoming the head of the Catholic church…

Cut 3 (08) “…he appreciated it.”

Leo the 14’s grandparents on his mother’s side got married and lived in the New Orleans 7^th Ward before moving to Chicago.

While the state is making progress on truancy, it still has quite a ways to go. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana says statewide, the truancy rate – that is, five or more unexcused absences in a semester – is more than 40 percent. PAR President Steven Procopio says the truancy rate varies by parish…

Cut 9 (08)  “…an immediate connection.”

Louisiana’s absenteeism rate was 22.5 percent for the latest data available, while Alabama is 15-percent.

During a trip overseas, Saint Bernard Parish state representative Mike Bayham had a chance to have a one-on-one meeting with Pope Leo the 14^th…

Cut 5 (07) ‘…first American pope”

Bayham says he gifted Pope Leo a glass oyster shell, a symbol of St Bernard’s rich commercial fishing heritage.

They’ve finally started turning dirt on the new Buc-ee’s in Ruston. The start of construction of the highly-anticipated road trip staple was delayed for months, but it is now underway. The delays will push the opening back to early 2027, but when it does open, it will create hundreds of good-paying jobs. Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker says the quality of the jobs go far beyond the 18 to 20 dollar an hour starting wage.

Cut 8 (07) “…in North Louisiana.”

LSU football coach Brian Kelly says running back Caden Durham is questionable for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss after suffering an ankle injury against Southeastern. Kelly says the staff will continue to monitor how Durham practices before upgrading or downgrading his status.

Cut 18 (14) “…during practice.”

Breaking news coming into the Louisiana Radio Network newsroom – 911 phone lines are down throughout the state. It’s unclear what’s causing the 911 outage at this time. Individual police departments, fire departments and ambulance companies are putting out advisories on alternative ways to reach them in the event of an emergency. You can also be proactive – go online right now and take down the number of your local police department, fire department or ambulance company’s dispatch center.

Saint Bernard Parish State Representative Mike Bayham recently met Pope Leo the 14th at the Vatican. Along with a copy of a state resolution congratulating him on becoming the first American to be elected head of the Catholic church, Bayham gifted Pope Leo a glass oyster shell, a symbol of St Bernard’s rich commercial fishing heritage.

Cut 4 (09) “…this is unique.”

Louisiana’s truancy rate – defined as five or more unexcused absences in a single semester – stands at more than 40-percent. Steven Procopio, the president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says while that’s down from 2018’s peak, it’s still unacceptably high. When considering the national standard of chronic absenteeism, Procopio says Louisiana actually doesn’t rank too badly nationally.

Cut 11 (06) “…about 22.5-percent.”

After months of delays, construction at the new Buc-ee’s in Ruston is finally underway. Equipment moved in last Friday, and construction workers started turning dirt on Monday. Mayor Ronny Walker says the delays will prevent the massive road trip staple from opening in 2026.

Cut 6 (08) “…fine with us.”

Mayor Walker says when the new Buc-ee’s does open, it will create hundreds of jobs with starting hourly wages of 18 to 20 dollars an hour.