Today, the state’s Electoral College meeting takes place, where electors will officially cast their votes for Donald Trump.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico are testing positive for Fentanyl, and it could affect humans. Dr. Dana Orbach, an assistant professor of marine biology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, says this likely has nothing to do with the trafficking of Fentanyl from Mexico, but rather the improper disposal of the drug, since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove those pharmaceuticals from the water.

Cut 10 (06) “…into our system.”

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Richland Parish is mourning the loss of Sheriff Gary Gilley (JILLY). He passed away over the weekend at the age of 66. His family was at his side when he passed away. One of Sheriff Gilley’s contemporaries, Ouachita (WASH-uh-tuh) Parish Sheriff Marc Mashaw (muh-SHAW), remembers his longtime colleague.

Cut 7 (05) “…dedicated public servant.”

Gilley’s funeral will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Mangham Baptist Church.  Visitation is at ten.

LSU has added a quarterback to its roster who started eight games in the SEC in 2024. Freshman Michael Van Buren threw for 1,886 yards and 11 TDs in ten games.  David Murray covers the Mississippi State Bulldogs for 2-4-7 sports and says Van Buren throws a nice deep ball…

Cut 13 (13)  “…five-eleven.”

Today, the state’s Electoral College meeting takes place, where electors will officially cast their votes for Donald Trump.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A beloved sheriff in North Louisiana has passed away. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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A new study shows a presence of Fentanyl in dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Andrew Greenstein explains how this could also affect humans.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry will oversee the state’s Electoral College meeting today in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s office says Landry will administer oaths of office to the eight Republican electors before they cast their official votes for President and Vice President.

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Watson says these meetings taking place across the country will make Trump’s presidency official.

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Watson says visit the legislature’s website to watch the ceremony via livestream.

Cut 6 (10) “…start at 12.”

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Richland Parish is mourning the loss of Sheriff Gary Gilley (JILLY). He passed away over the weekend at the age of 66. His family was at his side when he passed away. One of Sheriff Gilley’s contemporaries, Ouachita (WASH-uh-tuh) Parish Sheriff Marc Mashaw (muh-SHAW), remembers his longtime colleague.

Cut 7 (05) “…dedicated public servant.”

Mashaw says Sheriff Gilley was a dedicated law enforcement professional.

Cut 8 (10) “…and the lord.”

Mashaw says Sheriff Gilley’s death is not only a huge loss for Richland Parish, but for all of Louisiana.

Cut 9 (04)  “…one of us.”

Gilley’s funeral will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Mangham Baptist Church, preceded by visitation starting at 10 a.m.

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Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico are testing positive for Fentanyl, and it could affect humans. Dr. Dana Orbach, an assistant professor of marine biology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, says this likely has nothing to do with the trafficking of Fentanyl from Mexico, but rather the improper disposal of the drug, since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove those pharmaceuticals from the water.

Cut 10 (06) “…into our system.”

Dr. Orbach says this is not a new phenomenon.

Cut 11 (13) “…largely been overlooked.”

As for how the dolphins are becoming exposed to Fentanyl and other drugs, Dr. Orbach says it’s a chain reaction.

Cut 12 (13) “…predators like dolphins.”

Many of the fish species that dolphins eat are also eaten by humans, which may mean that if Fentanyl and other drugs are not disposed of properly, they could end up in the fish that you might one day consume.

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LSU has added a quarterback to its roster who started eight games in the SEC in 2024. Freshman Michael Van Buren was pressed into the starting role at Mississippi State when Blake Shapen went down with a season-ending injury. In 10 games, Van Buren threw for 1,886 yards and 11 TDs. David Murray covers the Mississippi State Bulldogs for 2-4-7 sports and says Van Buren throws a nice deep ball…

Cut 13 (13)  “…five-eleven.”

Van Buren has three years of eligibility left and Murray says he would have been the Bulldogs backup in 2025 with Shapen returning from his injury. He says LSU’s NIL dollars helped lure him to Baton Rouge…

Cut 14 (18) “…offensive linemen.”

Van Buren threw seven interceptions and he was also sacked 27 times for a team that went 2-and-10 in 2024. Murray says Van Buren is known to hang on to the ball in the hopes of hitting the deep pass…

Cut 15 (16) “…college level certainly.”

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After the Saints nearly completed an incredible comeback against the Commanders, falling one point short when a game-ending two-point conversion attempt failed, interim head coach Darren Rizzi said he was proud of his team. On the day after, Rizzi said he was even more proud of his team.

Cut 16 (15) “…one play short.”

The Saints mounted their comeback after Spencer Rattler relieved an ineffective Jake Haener. Rattler and Haener were filling in for Derek Carr, who’s not only nursing a broken non-throwing hand but is also in concussion protocol. Coach Rizzi says Carr is still day to day.

Cut 17 (11)  “…at the moment.” 

The Saints’ next game is next Monday night against the Packers in Green Bay. Rizzi says the extra day allows him to alter the team’s practice schedule this week.

Cut 18 (13)   “…we normally have.”

Two unrestrained kids are among three killed in a head-on crash between an SUV and a pickup in Washington Parish. State Police Trooper Marc Gremillion says the two children who died were 11 and three years old…

Cut 12 (10) “…deceased on the scene.”

The adult who was killed has been identified as 42-year-old Tequilla Santee.

Students in kindergarten through third grade are improving their reading scores, thanks to a new focus on phonics-based literacy instruction. Dr. Jenna Chiasson (CHASS-on), the deputy superintendent at the State Department of Education, says those students improved their reading proficiency by more than two percentage points.

Cut 6 (09) “…level in literacy.”

Last year’s kindergarten class improved their reading scores by more than 20 points as first graders.

A National Council on Teacher Quality report says Louisiana teachers are less diverse than its population. Sean Richardson has more.

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A former deputy police chief in Bossier City is behind bars on a child sex crime. 57-year-old Richard McGee is charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He’s in the Caddo Correctional Center on a 150-thousand-dollar bond. McGee served with the Bossier City Police Department for more than 30 years before his retirement.

An Opelousas man was arrested after fleeing a Youngsville mental health facility on foot, stealing a school bus and causing a four-vehicle crash in Lafayette on Sunday night. He then stole a truck from a bystander who stopped to help. Lafayette PD Senior Corporal Ashley Wood says 26-year-old Marion Baker was arrested after he crashed that truck in Rayne.

Cut 3 (10) “…collision with four vehicles.”

Lafayette P-D reports several individuals received moderate injuries as a result of the crash.

52 men and women began their journey to become State Troopers today. The 24-week academy is said to be challenging as cadets receive training in areas involving defensive and de-escalation tactics, detection of impaired driving, fair and impartial policing, use of force and civil rights, criminal, and traffic law. Cadets look forward to graduating at the end of May.

Reading scores are up among the state’s youngest learners. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) report says Louisiana’s teacher workforce is significantly less diverse than its population. Teach for America Executive Director Ge’ron Tatum says to address this, strategies include recruiting from historically Black colleges and offering financial support to prospective teachers.

Cut 11 (15) “…entering the profession.”

A former Bossier City Deputy Chief of Police and pastor of Embrace Me Ministries has been arrested for an alleged child sex crime. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office says the arrest of 57, year old Richard Broom McGee came after they were contacted by the DA’s office. They say it was a secret indictment, and they don’t know which agency conducted the investigation. McGee was taken to the Caddo Correctional Center around noon and charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He is held on a $150,000 bond.

State troopers don’t know why the driver of a Silverado, Logan Schmalz of Franklinton, crossed the centerline on LA 25 in Washington Parish, where a head on crash that took the lives of 3 people including a 3-year-old and 11-year-old, but Trooper Marc Gremillion says State Police has this message.

Cut 13 (07)  “…or speed.”

Louisiana’s teacher workforce is significantly less diverse than its population of college-educated adults, according to a National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) report. Teach for America Executive Director Ge’ron Tatum says Louisiana teachers earn 5-thousayd-dollars less than the Southern regional average and 15-thousdand dollars below the national average, deterring people of color from entering or staying in the profession. Tatum stresses that representation matters, as research shows teachers of color significantly benefit student outcomes.

Cut 10 (11) “…leads to great results.”

Last year’s Louisiana kindergarteners improved their reading scores by more than 20 points as first graders. Deputy superintendent at the State Department of Education Dr. Jenna Chiasson (CHASS-on) says several factors contributed. She says better reading scores at the early levels set kids up for success later in their education and, in effect, later in life.

Cut 8 (06) “…improvement.”

Three people are dead, including two children, as a result of a head-on collision between an SUV and a pickup truck on L-A 25 in Washington Parish. State Police Trooper Marc Gremillion says the adult who was killed has been identified as 42-year-old Tequilla Santee. Gremillion says the two children who died were 11 and three years old…

Cut 12 (10) “…deceased on the scene.”

Several people sustained moderate injuries in a four-vehicle crash in Lafayette caused by an Opelousas man who stole a school bus after fleeing a Youngsville mental health facility Sunday. Lafayette PD Senior Corporal Ashley Wood says after the crash, 26-year-old Marion Baker fled the scene in a truck he stole from someone who had stopped to help. He was arrested after crashing the bystander’s truck in Rayne. Baker is currently being held without bail in Lafayette Parish Jail.

Cut 5 (09) “…as well as theft.”

A National Council on Teacher Quality report says Louisiana teachers are less diverse than its population. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Students in kindergarten through third grade are improving their reading scores, thanks to a new focus on phonics-based literacy instruction. Dr. Jenna Chiasson (CHASS-on), the deputy superintendent at the State Department of Education, says several factors are contributing to the rise in reading proficiency among those children.

Cut 7 (12) “…Science of Reading.”

Dr. Chiasson says tutoring has also helped improve reading scores, with kids getting individualized instruction.

Reading scores are up among the state’s youngest learners. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles says its system is back up after a statewide outage this morning. OMV field offices can once again process transactions. If you had an appointment this morning at your local OMV, you are asked to reschedule at express-lane-dot-org.

Louisiana’s teacher workforce is significantly less diverse than its population of college-educated adults, according to a National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) report. Teach for America Executive Director Ge’ron Tatum says some of this is due to limited pathways and elimination of teacher prep programs.

Cut 9 (07)  “…teacher pay is inadequate,”

Louisiana teachers earn 5-thousand-dollars less than the Southern regional average and 15-thousdand dollars below the national average, deterring people of color from entering or staying in the profession.

An Opelousas man faces numerous charges after he allegedly stole a school bus and crashed into several vehicles on Pinhook Road in Lafayette last night. Lafayette Police Senior Corporal Ashley Wood says following the collision, which resulted in moderate injuries for several people, 26-year-old Marion Baker stoke a truck from a bystander who stopped to help…

Cut 4 (11) “….by law enforcement”

Wood says Baker’s crime spree started after he fled from a mental health facility in Youngsville.

Students in kindergarten through third grade are improving their reading scores, thanks to a new focus on phonics-based literacy instruction. Assistant State Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson (CHASS-on) says those students improved their reading proficiency by more than two percentage points.

Cut 6 (09) “…level in literacy.”

Chiasson credits tutoring and a method of teaching called the Science of Reading.

An Opelousas man was arrested after fleeing a Youngsville mental health facility on foot, stealing a school bus and causing a four-vehicle crash in Lafayette on Sunday night. Lafayette PD Senior Corporal Ashley Wood reported that 26-year-old Marion Baker, who was being transported to a mental health facility.

Cut 3 (10) “…collision with four vehicles.”

Wood says after fleeing the bus Baker stole and truck and was eventually arrested in Rayne.

Alexandria Senior High’s first appearance in the Cesars Superdome did not go well as the Trojans lost to Edna Karr 53 to 8 in the division one select state championship game. It was the first loss of the season for ASH. Coach Thomas Bachman…

Cut 13 (09) “…proud of them”

Ruston was seeking back-to-back state championships, but ran into a buzzsaw on Saturday afternoon as the Central Wildcats walloped the Bearcats 42 to nothing. Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh took responsibility for his team’s performance.

Cut 15 (19) “…out to be.”

That was Ruston’s third straight state title game appearance.