If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s the approach one New Orleans lawmaker is taking in proposing a minimum wage increase. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A south Louisiana lawmaker believes Louisiana’s governor should serve two terms and that’s it. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Crawfish season officially opened yesterday with one lucky mudbug. Colleen Crain has more.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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A state representative from New Orleans is trying again to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana. Democrat Delisha Boyd tried two years ago to raise it to 15 dollars an hour, but that failed. This time, she’s trying a different approach.

Cut 4 (10) “…14 an hour.”

Boyd points out that currently, Louisiana’s minimum wage follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which has gone unchanged since July of 2009.

Cut 5 (07) “…the minimum wage.”

Boyd says with no increases to the minimum wage in almost 17 years, some people can no longer afford to live in the state, especially in her New Orleans district.

Cut 6 (08) “…to be here.”

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The announcement of Amazon investing 12-billion dollars on a data center campus in the Shreveport-Bossier City area is still the buzz of the region – and now, the help wanted sign is already out. Amazon has already started posting positions at the data center on its website. North Louisiana Economic Partnership President and CEO Justyn Dixon says there will be hundreds of jobs at very attractive salaries.

Cut 7 (09) “…two-year certifications.”

Dixon says he does not expect Amazon to search very far to fill most of these openings.

Cut 8 (08) “…taken up here.”

Dixon says as a way to solidify its commitment to the economic stability of the region and its residents, Amazon is paying for all the upgrades to the utility system needed to power the data center.

Cut 9 (05)  “…stabilize our utilities.”

Construction of the data center campus is getting underway immediately, and it will open in phases.

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A New Orleans-area lawmaker has offered up a proposed constitutional amendment for the upcoming legislative session that would place a lifetime limit of two terms on a person who has served as governor. St. Bernard Parish Republican Michael Bayham’s legislation would mean that former governors Bobby Jindal and John Bel Edwards could not serve as governor again.

Cut 10 (08) “…across the board.”

Bayham says this legislation is not targeting Jindal or Edwards — or possibly current Governor Jeff Landry, if he’s re-elected to a second term.

Cut 11 (11) “…set going forward.”

Bayham says Louisiana should not have to “recycle” its governors.

Cut 12 (07) “…a former governor.”

The late Edwin Edwards served four terms — the Cajun Prince served two terms in the 1970s and was subsequently re-elected two more times after leaving office following his first two terms. Earl Long served three terms in the mid-1900s.

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For the 10th year on the Tuesday after Mardi Gras, Louisiana officially kicked off crawfish season by pardoning one lucky mudbug. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser granted the reprieve yesterday.

Cut 13 (08)  “…Tony the crawfish.” (applause fades)

Tony the crawfish, named for the legendary Tony Chachere (SASH-uh-ree), will live out his time at Chicot (“chico”) State Park in Ville Platte.

Barry Toups, the owner of Crawfish Haven, caught and selected the lucky crawfish, and Samantha Carroll with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board read the proclamation.

Cut 14 (11) “…onions and garlic.”

Many people have been enjoying crawfish for several weeks, but the season officially got underway this week. And as the weather warms up, Todd Fontenot with the LSU Ag Center says supply will go up, and prices will go down.

Cut 15 (11) “…to grow more.”

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The Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team clinched at least a share of the regular season Conference USA title with its win over Kennesaw State Saturday. Head coach Brooke Stoehr (“store”) said winning the team’s 38th conference title is a huge accomplishment.

Cut 16 (15) “…for our team.”

Stoehr said winning the program’s 38th conference title was not easy. She credits her team’s resilience throughout the long season.

Cut 17 (13)  “…four of them.”

With a win at Sam Houston this Saturday, the Lady Techsters would claim the Conference USA regular-season championship outright.

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The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs men’s basketball team is coming off a tough 58-55 loss to Kennesaw State Saturday. Head coach Talvin Hester says despite the defeat, he was impressed with freshman guard Jaylen Fenner, who stepped in for the injured graduate student Scooter Williams.

Cut 18 (19)  “…the same time.”

Tech will play its last two home games of the year this week, as the Bulldogs host Missouri State Thursday and F-I-U Saturday. Hester says no game comes easy in the conference.

Cut 19  (17) “…first one’s over.”

Wildfires continue to burn throughout Louisiana. Ag and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says the grass is dead from the winter, which is helping to fuel these fires. He says they’ve had situations where firefighters were battling blazes where the dead grass was above standing water, but it was still on fire…

Cut 13 (12) “…willdfires.”

The United Cajun Navy is now involved in the search for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, during the early morning hours on February 1st. Incident Commander Josh Gill says he and his team are canvassing the area near Nancy Guthrie’s home with flyers and are speaking to as many people as they can.

Cut 7 (06) “…to this family.”

New data from the Louisiana Department of Insurance shows private auto insurance rates declined in 2025, while commercial auto insurance rates continue to rise. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It appears that the University of Louisiana is about to take something away from Interim President Ramesh Kolluru – the “interim” tag. Dr. Kolluru has been named as the sole finalist for its next president, as he was selected among a group of 12 candidates. The full U-L board will interview Kolluru in Baton Rouge Friday.

The second-ranked LSU baseball team will look to stay undefeated on the season tonight when the Tigers host McNeese at 6:30 p.m.

UL-Lafayette baseball swept Maryland this weekend and the Cajuns look to keep things hot tonight as they host Kansas State at 6 p.m. Through seven games, freshman shortstop Blaze Rodriguez leads the team with a .370 batting average.  Rodriguez walked things off for the Cajuns twice this weekend, and head coach Matt Deggs says he’s been a great addition.

Cut 29 (22): “pleasure to coach.”

Louisiana Tech baseball looks to win its fourth straight game tonight as the Bulldogs host Northwestern State at 6 p.m.

Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is set to make his season debut against the Warriors tonight. Murray spent the last year recovering from a torn Achilles and says that with 24 games left, New Orleans will have an opportunity to build some momentum going into next season.

Cut 22 (22): “championship game to me.”

Tipoff inside the Smoothie King Center is at 7 p.m.

Last night, the McNeese men’s basketball team defeated Texas Rio Grande Valley 75-68 to win its sixth straight game. After Stephen F. Austin’s loss to UNO last night, the Cowboys are only one game behind first place in the Southland.

The UL basketball team is in Alabama to take on Troy tonight at 6 p.m.

In unrelated incidents, two Acadia Parish women are accused of giving their children illegal narcotics. Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office says Monesha Mouton of Crowley was arrested for allegedly giving her 3 children methamphetamine and cocaine. Brooke Labouve of Jennings was arrested for allegedly giving her child methamphetamine and marijuana. Both were booked into the Acadia Parish Jail and face cruelty to Juvenile charges.

New data released by Louisiana’s Insurance Department shows private auto insurance rates declined on average nearly six percent in 2025, while homeowners’ insurance rates rose slightly. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the decrease in auto premiums is due to a reduction in accidents. He believes rates will continue to drop because of tort legislation approved last year…

Cut 3 (07) “…claims happen.”

The United Cajun Navy sends help where it’s needed. This time it’s in the search for “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Two more forest fires broke out in Beauregard Parish today. Ag and Forestry Commissioner, Mike Strain, says crews have battled more than 40 wildfires in Southeast and Northwest Louisiana since the weekend. He says do not do any outdoor burning even if you are a prescribed burner…

Cut 12 (12) “…containment zone.”

The killing of a Mexican cartel leader has sparked widespread violence all over Mexico causing flight cancellations and a Baton Rouge couple and their son are among the thousands of stranded tourists. Mandy Apolzan says she and her family were unaware flights had been cancelled on Sunday when they took an eerie drive to the airport on deserted roads with burning vehicles. Inside the airport they ran terrified after hearing gunshots. They had to spend the night in the airport but were later able to stay in a nearby hotel. They are expected to be able to fly out Thursday and Apolzan says many people have been checking on them including Congresswoman Julia Letlow.

The United Cajun Navy is now involved in the search for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, during the early morning hours on February 1st. Incident Commander Josh Gill is on the ground in Tucson.

Cut 6 (08) “…the sheriff’s department.”

New data released by Louisiana’s Insurance Department shows private auto insurance rates declined by nearly six percent in 2025, but the insurance trends shows commercial auto insurance increased nearly six-percent on average. Temple says commercial auto insurance rates are still extremely high because the limits on what could be paid out because of a serious accident are still very high…

Cut 5 (12) “…exposed.”

Central Louisiana Technical Community College is ranked as the top community college in the state. for the third consecutive year. Chancellor Dr. Heather Poole says all of CLTCC’s programs directly relate to the industries that are prevalent throughout the state, and nearly everyone who graduates lands a high-paying job right away.

Cut 11 (12) “…work right now.”

Two more forest fires broke out in Beauregard Parish today and firefighters have also been battling wildfires in northwest and southeast Louisiana. Ag and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says the dead winter grass is helping to fuel these fires and he says firefighters have battled blazes where the burning dead grass was above standing water.

Cut 13 (12) “…willdfires.”

Strain says crews have battled more than 40 wildfires in Louisiana since the weekend.

The Louisiana Insurance Department says private auto insurance rates declined on average nearly six-percent last year, while homeowners’ insurance rates rose slightly. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the average change for homeowners’ insurance was four-percent, but last year was the first time since 2020 that they had more three insurance providers file for a rate decrease…

Cut 4 (10) “…rate decrease.”

The United Cajun Navy has joined the search for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

For the third year in a row, Central Louisiana Technical Community College is ranked as the top community college in the state. The ranking comes from Niche (“neesh”), a data-driven college ranking platform. Chancellor Dr. Heather Poole says there are many factors that go into CLTCC’s dominance in the state ranking.

Cut 9 (14)  “…their program immediately.”

Dry and windy gusts continue to fuel wildfires in Louisiana. Two more forest fires broke out in Beauregard Parish today and firefighters have also been battling wildfires in northwest and southeast Louisiana. Ag and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says do not do any outdoor burning even if you are a prescribed burner…

Cut 12 (12) “…containment zone.”

The United Cajun Navy is in Tucson, helping in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Incident Commander Josh Gill says the Cajun Navy has activated its “Saw It, Report It” system, allowing people to quickly submit tips via their smartphones.

Cut 8 (11) “…finding Miss Guthrie.”

New data from the Louisiana Department of Insurance shows private auto insurance rates declined in 2025, while commercial auto insurance rates continue to rise. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

For the tenth year in a row, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser officially kicked off crawfish season by pardoning a crawfish. This year’s lucky crawfish is one named Tony, named for the legendary Tony Chachere. While Tony will live out his time at Chicot State Park in Ville Platte, all his fellow crawfish will eventually make their way into the bellies of you and me.

The United Cajun Navy is now involved in the search for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, during the early morning hours on February 1st. Incident Commander Josh Gill says he and his team are canvassing the area near Nancy Guthrie’s home with flyers and are speaking to as many people as they can.

Cut 7 (06) “…to this family.”

New data released by Louisiana’s Insurance Department shows private auto insurance rates declined on average nearly six-percent in 2025, while homeowners insurance rates rose slightly. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the decrease in auto premiums is due to a reduction in accidents. He believes rates will continue to drop as a result of tort legislation approved last year.

Cut 3 (07) “…claims happen.”

Commercial rates increased nearly six-percent on average in 2025.

Central Louisiana Technical Community College is once again ranked as the top community college in the state by Niche, a data-driven college ranking platform. Chancellor Dr. Heather Poole says one factor behind CLTCC’s dominance is that it provides wraparound services for all students as they go through their programs that will directly lead to their careers.

Cut 10 (07) “…track looks like.”

This is the third year in a row that Niche ranked CLTCC as the top community college in the state.

In its 35th year, the Louisiana Lottery has eclipsed five-billion dollars in revenue transfers to Louisiana’s Minimum Foundation Program, which dedicates the money to K-through-12 education. Chrislyn Maher (“mayor”) with the Louisiana Lottery says the recent billion-dollar Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots may have had something to do with crossing that milestone.

Cut 15 (10) “…really big jackpots.”

There’s been a desire for a long time to build a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, but finding the funding for the projected three-billion dollar project has been difficult. A state lawmaker has come up with a idea that could lead to the necessary federal funds and that is name the new bridge after President Donald Trump….

Cut 9 (12) “….done for Louisiana”

That is Monroe Representative Michael Echols who has filed a bill calling on the proposed bridge to be named after the current president.

The United Cajun Navy is now involved in the search for the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, during the early morning hours on February 1st. Incident Commander Josh Gill is on the ground in Tucson.

Cut 6 (08) “…the sheriff’s department.”

Gill says he and his team are canvassing the area near the 84-year-old’s home with flyers and are speaking to as many people as they can.

As the Louisiana Lottery celebrates one milestone, it celebrates a second milestone. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Tonight is the State of Union and House Speaker Mike Johnson from Bossier Parish says the plan is to have the Gold Medal men’s U-S Hockey team in attendance…

Cut 19 (12) “…America’s team”

The women’s US Hockey team declined Trump’s invitation to attend the State of the Union.