State Rep. Michael Bayham proposed stiff penalties for drivers who veer around other cars at red lights. (Photo by Cross Harris / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — Have you been stopped at a red light only to have a reckless driver swerve past you on the shoulder and run the light?   The Louisiana House advanced a bill Monday by state Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, to stop such behavior. House Bill 487 would institute a $250 fine for drivers using the shoulder o

Crest Industries has an opening for a Forestry Accountant, according to a company posting. " We're looking for a Forestry Accountant to help keep CNR's forestry operations on track and growing strong." " With companies located across the United States, Crest Industries is committed to bringing together the best people and the right resources to meet today’s challenges and deliver the innovations of tomorrow. With significant recent growth and company acquisitions, Crest more

State Rep. Delisha Boyd, pictured here with State Rep. Bryan Fontenot, has filed a bill to display suicide prevention information in middle schools. ( Photo by  Cross Harris/LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — Concerns about rising mental health issues have led the Louisiana Department of Health to seek to reallocate $6.5 million to expand its crisis response system.   The department wants to use the extra money to help fund a new statewide hub that supports the Lo

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said checking voter rolls is crucial to election integrity. (Photo Courtesy of Louisiana Public Broadcasting) BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said a federal data program that verifies citizenship status uncovered the 403 noncitizens registered to vote in Louisiana out of a total voting pool of 2.96 million, with 83 having voted in at least one election since the 1980s.   The state used the federal Systematic Al

Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, the commissioner of higher education, cited the demand for a program to help Louisiana residents obtain associate degrees. (Photo Courtesy of the Louisiana Board of Regents) BATON ROUGE — Demand has been so strong that a program to help residents obtain two-year associate degrees in hot fields exhausted its funding for the current fiscal year within the first six months, a state education official said Monday.   Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, the commissioner of hi

An Allen Parish man was convicted of causing a wildfire while burning debris, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF). Timothy L. Caudle pleaded guilty in November and was ordered to pay a fine of $250, $240 in court costs, $232.50 for fire-suppression reimbursement and a suspended sentence of 20 days in jail. Caudle was burning debris Sept. 9, 2025, when investigators discovered he was burning without establishing proper containment lines and l