Self-driving trucks are taking to the highways between Dallas and Houston and could service the Bayou State as soon as 2027. Kace Kieschnick has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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B.J. Bell, the voice of Grambling State’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band, became the first band announcer to sign an NIL deal. Andre Champagne (SHOM-pine) has the story.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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Starting this school year, school districts now have the option to accept advertising from politicians and political groups. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Autonomous trucks are now driving between Dallas and Houston at night, and it may not be long before they make their way to Louisiana. Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says a law was passed in 2019 allowing autonomous trucking in the state.
Cut 4 (09) “…on their own.”
Amar says there have already been test runs for self-driving trucks in the state. She says for now, those drives will remain at night during low traffic hours and with a human driver in the vehicle.
Cut 5 (10) “…on the road.”
Amar says once autonomous trucks are approved for a full rollout, they could transform the industry. She mentioned employment and liability concerns.
Cut 6 (08) “…down the line.”
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B.J. Bell serves as the Voice of Grambling State’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band, but his job will be a bit different after becoming the first band announcer to land an NIL deal. Bell signed with Monroe-based Attorney Eddie Clark & Associates, and he says the partnership with Clark is unlike any other.
Cut 7 (13) “…NIL deal.”
Bell and Clark were already familiar with each other as they both attended Carroll High School in Monroe. Bell says the partnership will take advantage of his local stardom.
Cut 8 (12) “…came into play.”
Bell always dreamed of playing in the World Famed Tiger Marching Band, so announcing has allowed him to live through those dreams.
Cut 9 (08) “…great feeling.”
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Starting this school year, school districts will be permitted to accept advertising from politicians and political groups for athletics and other school clubs. It’s a new law which was written by Gonzales Republican Senator Eddie Lambert, who says rural school districts were put at a huge disadvantage under the old law.
Cut 10 (13) “…support the teams.”
Senator Lambert says rural areas need every source of revenue they can get, and the prohibition under the old law made it more difficult for them to raise the money they needed.
Cut 11 (09) “…year to advertise.”
It’s important to note that while the new law permits school districts to accept political advertising, it does not obligate them to do so – they still have the ability to establish rules and guidelines. Lambert says for any political advertisement placed in a facility that may be used as a polling place, electioneering rules still apply.
Cut 12 (10) “…be taken down.”
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A pair of big athletic events are happening in New Orleans this week. The third NOLA Pickle Fest starts today at the Morial Convention Center. Kelly Schulz with New Orleans and Company says the festival is designed for both players and spectators, and money raised goes towards a good cause.
Cut 13 (07) “…Brees Dream Foundation.”
And the U.S. Gymnastics Championships start tomorrow at the Smoothie King Center. Schulz says the event’s return to New Orleans is a long time coming.
Cut 14 (06) “…some incredible athletes.”
Schulz says you may see some of the athletes competing on the mat at the Smoothie King Center this week in Los Angeles three years from now.
Cut 15 (06) “…incredible talented gymnasts.”
Both events run through Sunday.
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LSU football enters year four of the Brian Kelly era with lots of faces to get used to. Kelly and his staff brought in 23 enrollees and 18 transfers this offseason to contribute to getting the team back in the college football playoffs. One of those new faces is 5-star running back Harlem Berry, who took second-team snaps at practice. Kelly says Berry’s playing time will depend on his ability to adapt to the next level.
Cut 16 (18) “…playing here.”
Oklahoma transfer tight-end Bauer Sharp is another addition that is consistently making plays for the offense as an effective route-runner. Kelly says Sharp’s experience and maturity are standing out.
Cut 17 (19) “…the most.”
Kelly also spoke on Florida State defensive end Patrick Payton’s growth. Payton comes off the edge with speed and is a physical mismatch for opposing defenses. Payton totaled four sacks and eleven tackles-for-loss with the Seminoles last season.
Cut 18 (18) “…exceed that.”
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The Ragin’ Cajuns are searching for their next starting quarterback. Former five-star and Lafayette native Walker Howard may be a fan favorite, but head coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-mo) says he’s giving all his passers equal opportunity under center.
Cut 19 (17) “…those reps.”
UL-Lafayette had the Sun Belt’s second-best total defense in coordinator Jim Salgado’s first year with the program. The Cajuns lost first-team all-conference linebacker K.C. Ossai, but senior lineman Kadarius Miller says the defense is as stout as ever.
Cut 20 (19) “…pretty good.”