The pregame logistics of LSU’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa have turned into a controversy that reached the governor’s mansion on Tuesday.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted a tweet the morning after LSU’s 94-87 loss to Iowa calling for the Louisiana Board of Regents to create a policy mandating that student-athletes be present for a pregame national anthem or risk losing …

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board signed an order Wednesday banning licensed sportsbooks from offering prop bets on college athletes.The suspension on collegiate athlete prop bets begins Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. ET. The ban comes in time for college football season. The state of Louisiana has 10 Division I football program, including LSU.“It is the intention of the Louisiana Gaming …

Luke Britt Editor’s note: The following commentary was authored by Allison Plyer and Robert Habans, both with The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana. Plyer is the former chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and Habans is chief economist at The Data Center.Louisiana’s population loss is troubling because it suggests that the cost of living is out of …

Health Exposet for April 13The Town of Farmerville will host a Health Expo April 13.Local and regional health care professionals will be on hand to discuss health issues of concern to those in attendance.The Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Willie Davis Jr. Recreation Center at 116 Cox Ferry Road in Farmerville.The Expo is …

An ongoing effort by the Town of Farmerville to upgrade the town’s water system got a big assist last week when the Environmental Protection Agency approved a $560,000 grant to purchase state-of the-art, “smart” water meters.Coupled with the $140,000 the town has committed to the project, Farmerville will be able to purchase and install $700,000 worth of new meters over …

Parents in Louisiana would receive from $5,000 to $15,000 in state money to send their children to private schools under a Landry administration bill that is moving through the State Legislature.The Louisiana GATOR Scholarship program passed the House Appropriations Committee in a 13-8 vote Tuesday despite concerns over cost and implementation.The bill, proposed by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, would create …

Detention Center audit costing parish thousands in lost TWP revenue By Luke BrittEditorThe Union Parish Police Jury on Tuesday hired a reserve sheriff’s deputy and former U.S. Marine to head the parish’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, replacing the former director who resigned in January.Matthew A. Ford of Farmerville, one of five applicants for the position, was recommended …

If you hunt or fish, you’ll find there are some activities that are more highly revered than others, at least they are by zealots of the sport. Take quail hunting, for example. While quail in our part of the country have basically gone the way of the Studebaker, there are those who still keep a brace of pointers and seek …

Editor’s note: The following is a commentary published by Louisiana Illuminator.The Louisiana House Education Committee on Wednesday approved a bill offered by Rep. Kathy Edmondston, which would apply to public and private schools. Edmonston, a Baton Rouge Republican, has insisted her legislation is needed, although a process has long existed for parents to exempt their children from required vaccines.Just as …

A Louisiana House committee advanced a bill Wednesday to expand who can access a financial aid program for high-demand workforce education programs.The House Education Committee unanimously approved House Bill 728 by Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge. It would allow people convicted of violent crimes to access the M.J. Foster Promise Program, a financial aid program that allows students to pursue …