Today is election day.  Four constitutional amendments are on Saturday’s ballot. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has a nonpartisan guide available for voters. PAR president Steven Procopio says Amendment one gives the Louisiana Supreme Court the authority to discipline out of state -lawyers and it gives the Louisiana legislature the authority to create specialty courts not limited to parish and judicial district boundaries…

Cut 11 (11) “…specialized cases.”

LSU President William Tate has announced a hiring freeze for most of the university along with other cost-saving measures.  In a statement Tate said with the university facing unpredictable and unprecedented federal funding changes and shifting financial support in other areas, it’s important to shore up operations and protect the university’s current stream of support.

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The head of the Office of Motor Vehicles has resigned. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Crawfish prices have dropped 25 cents, hitting a new low for 2025. According to the Crawfish App, live crawfish are averaging $3.64 a pound, when it comes to boiled crawfish, you can expect to pay a little more than six-dollars a pound. Prices are dropping, because supply is up. Evangeline Parish crawfish farmer Jonathan Fontenot…

Cut 6 (06) “…more promising.”

A 37-year-old man is facing a negligent homicide charge in a fatal dog attack in New Orleans East on March 20th. Chad Bridges is accused of owning dogs that allegedly broke through a fence and attacked his 81-year-old neighbor, Barbara Stewart. Police say they observed a loose piece of plywood that appeared to have been nailed over a broken portion of the fence between the neighbor’s yards. NOPD gathered witness statements that showed a history of concerns about his dogs and another neighbor told authorities one of the dogs bit her 15-year-old daughter.

Central and Southwest Louisiana are under a flash flood watch through 1:00 Saturday afternoon as a storm system moves into Louisiana from South Texas. National Weather Service Meteorologist Lance Escude says a slight risk for severe weather is expected Sunday for most of the State north of I-10 and most severe conditions are north of I-20

Cut 5 (04) “…or two.”

Saturday, voters will cast their ballot on four constitutional amendments. Amendment two is a big one. It would enact new tax rules like caping the state income tax rate that lawmakers can charge and double the standard deduction for anyone 65 and older. Public Affairs Research Council president Steven Procopio says the measure would also dissolve three education trust funds and use the money to pay down retirement debt.

Cut 12 (11) “…pay raise.”

Crawfish prices have dropped 25 cents, hitting a new low for 2025. According to the Crawfish App, live crawfish are averaging $3.64 a pound, when it comes to boiled crawfish, you can expect to pay a little more than six-dollars a pound. Prices are dropping, because supply is up. Evangeline Parish crawfish farmer Jonathan Fontenot…

Cut 6 (06) “…more promising.”

Four constitutional amendments are on Saturday’s ballot. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has a nonpartisan guide available for voters. PAR president Steven Procopio says Amendment one gives the Louisiana Supreme Court the authority to discipline out of state -lawyers and it gives the Louisiana legislature the authority to create specialty courts not limited to parish and judicial district boundaries…

Cut 11 (11) “…specialized cases.”

A funeral honoring former four-term U.S. Senator from Louisiana, J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. will be held Saturday in Washington D.C. at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church. Johnston passed away Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 92. Johnston was first elected to office in 1972 and in his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, he held the first ever Congressional hearing on climate change. Johnston is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mary Johnston and their four children.

A tornado watch is in effect Friday until 7:00 P.M. for Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vernon Parishes and there’s the potential for heavy rainfall for southwest Louisiana and the Alexandria area today and tomorrow. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin…

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Bill Jacquemin.”

More than half of the Canadians who were scheduled to appear at the Great Acadian Awakening in Lafayette in October have cancelled their plans to attend and President Trump’s tariffs and talk of making the country the 51^st state are the reasons they say. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that he’s very concerned.

Cut 8 (06) “…on that celebration.”

A volunteer softball coach at a Lafayette High School has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a student. Authorities say Ronnie Naomi is charged with incent behavior with juveniles and prohibited sexual conduct between educator and student. Lafayette Parish School System says Naomi was not employed by LPSS but was contracted as Head Softball Coach at David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy. Naomi was arrested at the school Thursday and booked into the Lafayette Parish Jail on $40,000 bond.

As relations with Canada are strained by tariffs and comments by President Trump, more than half of the Canadians scheduled to appear at the Great Acadian Awakening in Lafayette this fall have cancelled their plans. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that he’s very concerned and the souring relations between the two countries are also impacting Louisiana leaders’ travels to Canada.

Cut 10 (13) “…this thing closely.”

The head of the Office of Motor Vehicles has resigned. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has a nonpartisan guide to help voters learn about the four constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot. PAR president Steven Procopio says Amendment three removes a list of 16 crimes for which people under age 17 can be charged as adults so lawmakers can more easily expand the list of laws that could result in a person under 17 being charged as an adult…

Cut 13 (12)  “…issue.”

To read up about the amendments, go to PARlouisiana.org

Saturday, voters will cast their ballot on four constitutional amendments. Amendment two is a big one. It would enact new tax rules like caping the state income tax rate that lawmakers can charge and double the standard deduction for anyone 65 and older. Public Affairs Research Council president Steven Procopio says the measure would also dissolve three education trust funds and use the money to pay down retirement debt.

Cut 12 (11) “…pay raise.”

Come Monday morning, ULM will see a familiar face in their president’s office. The University of Louisiana System Board appointed former ULM President Nick Bruno as ULM’s acting president. Bruno served as president of the university from 2010 to 2020. Dr. Ron Berry began serving in 2020 but earlier this year, he announced his decision to return to the classroom. The UL System Board will continue their search for a new ULM president in April.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 7:00 PM for Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vernon Parishes. Central and southwest Louisiana are under a flash flood watch until one o’ clock Saturday afternoon. Meteorologist Lance Escude says the heavy rainfall is the result of a storm system moving in from southern Texas…

Cut 4 (10) “…begin falling” 

Crawfish App co-founder Laney King says the start of April marks the historical true start of the heart of crawfish season, and she expects prices will continue to decline as we approach Easter weekend. Fontenot says 2025 looks like a good crawfish season…

Cut 7 (12) “…the road.”

Four constitutional amendments are on Saturday’s ballot. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has a nonpartisan guide available for voters. PAR president Steven Procopio says Amendment one gives the Louisiana Supreme Court the authority to discipline out of state -lawyers and it gives the Louisiana legislature the authority to create specialty courts not limited to parish and judicial district boundaries…

Cut 11 (11) “…specialized cases.”

The State flagship university, LSU in Baton Rouge announces a hiring freeze. President Dr. William Tate names unpredictable and unprecedented federal funding changes along with and a shifting landscape of financial support are the factors that made the freeze necessary. He says they must shore up operations and protect current revenue to drive progress and support the academic core. The freeze is effective immediately but there is a process for critical hires. He says other cost savings steps are also being taken.

After half of the Canadians who had been scheduled to appear at the Great Acadian Awakening in Lafayette in October cancelled their plans, Lieutenant Governor Nungesser expressed concern about the strained relationship with Canada over tariffs and President Trump’s remarks about the neighbors to the north. He says the impacts on the Great Acadian Awakening could be just the start if relations between the two countries continue to decline.

Cut 9 (11)  “…country to celebrate.”

A weather alert for Southwest and Central Louisiana.  The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 7:00 PM for Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vernon Parishes. A flash flood watch for Southwest and Central Louisiana is in effect until one o’ clock Saturday afternoon. National Weather Service meteorologist Lance Escude says it will be wet…

Cut 3 (12) “…or so.”

There’s the potential for heavy rainfall for southwest Louisiana and the Alexandria area today and tomorrow. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin has the latest…

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Bill Jacquemin.”

Crawfish prices have dropped 25 cents, hitting a new low for 2025. According to the Crawfish App, live crawfish are averaging $3.64 a pound, when it comes to boiled crawfish, you can expect to pay a little more than six-dollars a pound. Prices are dropping, because supply is up. Evangeline Parish crawfish farmer Jonathan Fontenot…

Cut 6 (06) “…more promising.”

More than half of the Canadians who were scheduled to appear at the Great Acadian Awakening in Lafayette in October have cancelled their plans to attend and President Trump’s tariffs and talk of making the country the 51^st state are the reasons they say. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that he’s very concerned.

Cut 8 (06) “…on that celebration.”

Nungesser says the impact on the Great Acadian Awakening could be just the start if relations between the two countries continue to go south. He says he is also scaling back his plans to visit Canada