Starting with next school year, it will no longer be a requirement for a high school senior to complete a form to see if they are eligible for federal aid to attend college. BESE President Ronnie Morris says they are making the change over concerns about privacy and the requirement is an additional burden on parents. He says schools will continue to assist students who do want to submit a FAFSA form…
cut 5 (12) “…for graduation”

Should there be term limits on all statewide elected offices? Marrero Representative Kyle Green has filed legislation seeking to change the state’s constitution so that lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, ag and insurance commissioner are all limited to two terms.
Cut 6 (09) “…term limit.”
When it comes to statewide offices, only the governor is limited to two consecutive terms.

New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd wants health insurers to provide mental health coverage for victims of rape. The legislation is personal for Boyd because her mother was raped at the age of 15. Boyd says her mother had psychological issues.
Cut 11 (10) “…was 30.”
The bill also requires coverage for at least one year of postpartum psychosis screenings for victims who had a child as a result of the rape.

AAA is rolling out new technology that sends alerts to drivers to slow down and move over when they are approaching a stranded motorist on the side of the road. Spokesperson Don Redman says motorists will receive alerts when a AAA member is in an unsafe location.
Cut 8 (11) “…roadway assistance.”
AAA researchers found 123 roadside assistant providers were killed by passing vehicles between 2015 and 2021.

Among the Crime legislation Governor Jeff Landry signed yesterday is House Bill 5 makes the illegal use of a weapon be designated as a crime of violence, which would lengthen prison sentences for anyone illegally shooting a gun, including shooting into the sky on July 4th and New Year’s Eve. Landry hopes this legislation can reduce gun violence.

Cut 12 (09) “…long time.” 

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to build a 411-million dollar natural gas power station that would be built on top of a barge. Entergy’s Laura Beauchamp says the facility would provide essential backup power for industries located at Port Fouchon…
cut 14 (12) “…critical base”

Starting next year, high school seniors will not have to apply for FAFSA to graduate. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

And Southern Living magazine has named two cities in the Bayou State among their list of “The South’s Best Cities on the Rise” for 2024. They are Lake Charles and Covington. Lake Charles ranked 22 and Covington ranked 11^th.

One of former Governor John Bel Edwards’ signature pieces of legislation has been changed as a result of a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Teiko Foxx has the story…
cut 2 (34) “…Teiko Foxx”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information regarding a whooping crane found dead and Mamouon on January 9^th. The reward is for information leading to the arrest or criminal conviction of those involved.

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval from the PSC to construct a floating natural gas power station off the state’s southeast coast. Director of Resource Planning and Market Operations Laura Beauchamp (pronounced Beach-um) says with a price tag of 411 million, the average customer would see a $1.50 increase on their bill.

Cut 15 (11) “…customer bills.”

It will serve as a microgrid for Port Fourchon, Grand Isle, and Golden Meadow.

If you’ve tried to delay your craving for crawfish due to the cost, have I got news for you.

Cut 8 (12) “…some crawfish.” 

That’s Crawfish App co-founder Laney King and she says, and you can find a sack for about $160. After a rough start, King says we’ve hit that sweet spot for the best prices you’ll see this season, especially with Easter at the end of the month.

BESE says starting next school year, high school seniors will no longer be required to submit FASFA for college aid or apply for TOPS in order to graduate. The board believes the requirements place unnecessary burdens on parents. And BESE President Ronnie Morris says some families do not want to give out their personal tax and income information
Cut 3 (12) “…for everybody.”
Louisiana led the nation in FAFSA completion last year.

A bill signed into law from the crime special session will result in a 25 to 99 year prison sentence for anyone convicted of producing fentanyl to attract minors. Governor Jeff Landry…
cut 11 (08) “…our children”
Landry also signed a bill that increases the sentences for those convicted of carjacking.

Baton Rouge Republican Congressman Garret Graves says he’s definitely running for re-election this year and he’ll seek to continue to represent the sixth district despite major changes to the district’s political boundaries. Graves says he does not want to leave Congress when he’s set to be the next Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee…
Cut 29 (09) “…do that.”
Baton Rouge state senator Cleo Fields has expressed interested in challenging Graves now that it has been redrawn to give an African-American an excellent chance to win.

According to the Crawfish App, crawfish prices are down a dollar a pound from last week. But Laney King says prices are still up over last year…
cut 9 (13) “….every week”

At a press conference in New Orleans, Governor Jeff Landry signed the remaining bills approved during the crime special session. Many of the new laws will lead to longer prison sentences. Landry highlighted the bill that will raise the minimum sentence for a carjacking from two to five years
Cut 10 (12) “…long time.”

Baton Rouge Republican Garret Graves has been representing Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District since 2015 and will run for re-election this year, despite his district being redrawn so a Black Democrat can represent it. Graves believes the new Congressional map is unconstitutional and expects to continue to represent the district he’s currently serving…
Cut 6 (12) “…to earn.”

Entergy is seeking approval from the PSC to build a floating natural gas power station and microgrid for southeast Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Two juveniles and three adults are facing charges for their roles in the fatal drive by shooting of a 65-year-old Lake Charles woman. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff-elect Stitch Guillory says 18-year-old Jordan Jones of Lake Charles was firing the weapon and he’s been charged with second-degree murder…
Cut 23 (04) “…at houses”
Guillory says they arrested 36-year-old Chelsea Hyatt of Sulphur because her daughter was in the vehicle and she never reported it to law enforcement.

Governor Jeff Landry has signed a disaster declaration for the crawfish industry. Landry says the mudbug shortage is not only affecting Louisiana’s economy but also our way of life. The severe drought in 2023 has led to a huge shortage t in crawfish this year.

But there is some good news. Brooke Thorington reports the average price of a pound of mudbugs is down a dollar this week…
cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he is running for re-election and he’ll seek to represent the sixth district again. A new Congressional map approved this year dramatically changes Graves’ district, giving a Black Democrat a much better chance of representing it. But Graves says he’s in line to become the next chairman of House Transportation, which would be huge for Louisiana…
cut 5 (12) “….to flod”

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to build a 411-million dollar natural gas power station that would be build on top of a barge. Entergy’s Laura Beauchamp says the facility would provide essential backup power for industries located at Port Fouchon…
cut 14 (12) “…critical base”

One of former Governor John Bel Edwards’ signature pieces of legislation has been changed as a result of a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Teiko Foxx has the story…
cut 2 (34) “…Teiko Foxx”

Starting next year, high school seniors will no longer be required to submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms. BESE has voted to scrap that requirement. Republican lawmakers and Education Superintendent Cade Brumley say the FAFSA requirement put an undue burden on students and forced families to share personal info with the federal government.

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval to construct a floating natural gas power station off the state’s southeast coast. Director of Resource Planning and Market Operations Laura Beauchamp (Beach-um) says the project will enhance coastal reliability and resilience for a vital part of the state.
Cut 13 (10) “…communities.”
The project must first receive approval from the Public Service Commission and will come with a price tag of $411 million.

Finally, some good news about crawfish. Crawfish App co-founder Laney King says mudbug prices are down a dollar a pound this week. She says boiled crawfish average $5.99 a pound and you can find a sack for about $160. King says the outlook has definitely improved.
Cut 7 (11) “…prices down.”
King says now is the time to visit your favorite crawfish spot because they’re at a good size and prices are reasonable.

Crawfish lovers can rejoice because the average price for a pound of mudbugs is down a dollar this week. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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One of former Governor John Bel Edwards’ signature pieces of legislation has been changed as a result of a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Teiko Foxx has the story…

Cut 2 (34)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

____________________________________________

Entergy is seeking approval from the PSC to build a floating natural gas power station and microgrid for southeast Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________________

Baton Rouge Republican Congressman Garret Graves says he’s definitely running for re-election this year and he’ll seek to continue to represent the sixth district despite major changes to the district’s political boundaries. Graves says he does not want to leave Congress when he’s set to be the next Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee…

Cut 4 (09) “…do that.”

Graves says as chairman of House Transportation he’ll have a major say on federal funding for infrastructure projects desperately needed in Louisiana..

Cut 5 (12) “…it’s going to flood.” 

State lawmakers approved a new Congressional map that stretches the sixth district from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. It gives a Black Democrat a better chance at winning the seat. Graves believes the new Congressional map is unconstitutional and expects to continue to represent the district he’s currently serving…

Cut 6 (12) “…to earn.”

__________________________________________

Finally, some good news about crawfish this week. Crawfish App co-founder Laney King says mudbug prices dropped a dollar a pound this week. She says boiled crawfish average $5.99 a pound and you can find a sack for about $160. After a rough start to the season, King says the outlook has definitely improved.

Cut 7 (11) “…prices down.”

If you’ve tried to delay your craving for crawfish due to cost, King says we’ve entered that sweet spot for the best prices you’ll see this season especially with Easter at the end of the month.

Cut 8 (12) “…some crawfish.” 

King says now is the time to visit your favorite crawfish spot because they’re at a good size and prices are reasonable.

Cut 9 (13)  “…every week.”

You can find the Crawfish App available for download on your smartphone.

________________________________________________________

At a press conference in New Orleans, Governor Jeff Landry signed the remaining bills approved during the crime special session. Many of the new laws will lead to longer prison sentences. Landry highlighted the bill that will raise the minimum sentence for a carjacking from two to five years

Cut 10 (12) “…long time.”

Joining Landry for the bill signing ceremony were law enforcement officials and victims and victim family members of carjackings. Landry also signed the bill that would result in a 25 to 99 prison sentence for anyone who packages fentanyl to attract minors…

Cut 11 (08) “…our children.” 

Landry has also signed House Bill 5. It says that the illegal use of a weapon should be designated as a crime of violence, which would lengthen prison sentences for anyone illegally shooting a gun, including shooting into the sky on July 4th and New Year’s Eve. Landry hopes this legislation can reduce gun violence

Cut 12 (09) “…long time.” 

_______________________________________________________

Entergy Louisiana is seeking approval to construct a floating natural gas power station off the state’s southeast coast. Director of Resource Planning and Market Operations Laura Beauchamp (pronounced Beach-um) says the project will enhance coastal reliability and resilience for such a vital part of the state.

Cut 13 (10)  “…communities.”

Beauchamp says it will be a first of its kind for Louisiana, situated atop a barge across from the substation in Leeville. She says that part of Louisiana is not only important for the state’s tourism and seafood industries but also from the perspective of the country’s energy security.

Cut 14 (12) “…critical base.”

The project must first receive approval from the Public Service Commission and will come with a price tag of $411 million. Beauchamp says as with any of their investments, the average Entergy Louisiana customer would see a $1.50 increase on their bill.

Cut 15 (11) “…customer bills.”

Assuming the project receives PSC approval in the next year, Beachamp anticipates it could be commissioned in 2028.

____________________________________________________________________

Big basketball game in Ruston tonight as the Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team hosts Sam Houston. The two teams are tied for first place in the Conference. The Bulldogs lost to the Bearkats earlier this season, but Tech Coach Talvin Hester remembers his team’s preparation was not great for that game…

Cut 16 (15) “…play well.” 

Sam Houston beat La Tech 81-77 in Huntsville on January sixth. Hester is looking forward to the rematch…

Cut 17 (14) “…this game.” 

Both teams enter tonight’s game on a five-game winning streak. Tech is 21-8 and 13-1 at home in Hester’s second season in Ruston. A win tonight assures the Bulldogs of at least a share of the conference title, which is a big accomplishment…

Cut 18 (20)  “…guys.” 

_________________________________________________________

Cut 19 (23) “…high-level.”

Cut 20 (18) “…as a team.”