The percentage of people who admit to having a gambling problem in Louisiana went from 2-3% in 2008, to 8% in 2016. Emelie Gunn reports on this growing problem…:
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Community leaders participate in statewide litter-a-thon for Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s Leaders Against Litter. Don Molino has more…
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A $10 million investment raised with the help of Saints Quarterback Drew Brees will help expand the Lake Charles founded food delivery platform, Waitr. Jeff Palermo reports:
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A Loyola law professor releases a report on ways Louisiana can reduce its highest-in-the-world incarceration rate. Professor Bill Quigley says the first step is admitting there’s a problem. He says one way to solve the issue would be to let people out of jail while they’re awaiting trial.
Cut 4 (11) “nonviolent crimes”
Quigley says people that are in jail are much more likely to plead guilty. He says Louisiana is one of only two states that allows people to be convicted with less than a unanimous jury. He says sentencing reform is needed as well, particularly for repeat offenders.
Quigley says classifying drug offense as victimless crimes is another step Louisiana could take to reduce prison populations. Governor John Bel Edwards has said criminal justice reform will be a key issue in the upcoming regular session. Quigley hopes lawmakers implement the necessary changes to keep people out of jail because imprisonment ruins lives.
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Gambling addiction has become a growing problem in Louisiana as it affects an estimated 180-thousand people statewide. Executive Director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling Janet Miller says directly asking if someone has a problem is the best method to tackle the addition…:
Miller says compulsive gambling causes extreme depression in addicts who also have trouble concentrating and show a deterioration in work performance. Suicide is also a big problem associated with those who can’t kick the habit. She says gambling addictions in Louisiana were at about the 2-3% mark in 2008…:
To raise awareness about Louisiana’s services for those experiencing problems with gambling, Governor John Bel Edwards has declared March, “National Problem Gambling Awareness Month.” Miller advises anyone affected by gambling to contact the Problem Gambler’s Helpline at 1-877-770-STOP for free assistance.
She says the helpline handles on average 2400 calls or direct requests for help every month.
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Community leaders around the state are teaming up with Keep Louisiana Beautiful for the fight against litter. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says Leaders Against Litter are leading the way to a cleaner Louisiana. He says officials gathered Friday for a statewide litter-a-thon to kick off the campaign…:
Nungesser says litter costs the state money, hurts communities, and even hurts tourism. He says when people visit a place, they leave with an experience. He says it’s important we as a state put our best foot forward so tourists leave the Bayou State wanting to return.
Cut 11 (10) “absolutely beautiful”
The litter-a-thon comes ahead of the Great American Cleanup, which takes place April 22. Nungesser says one of the most important things we can do to keep the state clean is educate young people about the importance of picking up litter.
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The Lake Charles founded food delivery platform Waitr is expanding thanks to a $10 million investment from an investor group led by Saints Quarterback Drew Brees. President and CEO Chris Meaux says Waitr is currently in 18 cities in four states, and this new funding will allow them to open 24 new markets this year.
Meaux says Alexandria and Monroe are next to get Waitr, and maybe Houma after that. He says they hire a lot of people in the state, which is something that attracted Brees to work with them. He says the quarterback is also in the restaurant business himself.
The smartphone app, which is available on Google Play and in the Apple Store, allows users to order food from local restaurants for carryout or delivery. Meaux says they try to make ordering as easy as possible for the consumer. He says they call it frictionless dining.
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The coaching search is on for the LSU men’s basketball team and Athletic Director Joe Alleva says he’ll be looking for someone who can put the excitement back into the program. After a couple of less-than-stellar seasons, Johnny Jones was released. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says there are many appealing aspects of this job…:
Cut 16 (13) “spend some money”
Worsham says it’s a little early to predict who could be the next Tigers’ hoops coach, but one of the name’s he’s heard as a top prospect is Notre Dame coach Mike Brey…:
Cut 17 (12) “Northwestern State”
Worsham also pegs former LSU assistant Eric Musselman who is the head coach at Nevada right now…:
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The sixth ranked LSU baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Wichita State with a 9-2 victory over the Shockers on a chilly afternoon at Alex Box Stadium. Left fielder Antoine Duplantis of Lafayette drove in a four runs and freshman Eric Walker pitched six scoreless innings for his second win. Coach Paul Mainieri is pleased with the victory….
LSU went into the weekend on a bit of a slide as they had lost three of their last four. But Mainieri shook up the line-up as moved shortstop Kramer Robertson to lead-off and batted Duplantis third and it helped the Tigers score 27 runs during the three-game series…