Louisiana

Louisiana’s SNAP program gives up soda and candy for Lent as new restrictions take effect

Published

1 month ago

January 28, 2026

Louisiana’s SNAP program gives up soda and candy for Lent as new restrictions take effect

Louisiana SNAP recipients may find themselves involuntarily giving up soda and candy for Lent this year, as new restrictions on what the food assistance can be used to purchase take effect on Ash Wednesday.

In announcing the changes, state health officials said the timing immediately after Mardi Gras was intentional. The waiver allowing Louisiana to place the restrictions on the federal program commonly known as food stamps was approved last year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was set to begin Jan. 1, but the state received approval for the delay.

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People browse the candy aisle at the Pearlington Rockets Express convenience store on U.S. 90 in this 2025 file photo. (Staff photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

“You can still buy soda, you can still buy candy, but you cannot use your SNAP card to do it beginning February 18,” said Camille Conaway, the executive director for economic independence at the Louisiana Department of Health. “So we are going to enjoy our candy and our soda and our energy drinks all the way from Mardi Gras, and then we’re collectively going on a really great diet.”

What qualifies as a soft drink or candy?

Roughly 25,000 products will no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP funds, according to a product list commissioned by the state and compiled by NielsenIQ, a consumer research company.

Under Louisiana’s waiver, “soft drinks” are defined as any carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage containing high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, such as regular or diet sodas. Flavored carbonated waters, such as LaCroix, remain eligible, as do beverages containing milk or milk substitutes like soy or almond milk, and drinks made up of at least 50% fruit or vegetable juice.

Energy drinks containing added stimulants — including fortified caffeine, taurine, guarana or glucuronolactone — are also no longer allowed. That category includes popular brands such as Red Bull and Monster. Coffee and tea remain eligible, as do caffeinated beverages that do not include added stimulants.

Candy is defined as a sugar- or sweetener-based product combined with ingredients such as chocolate, fruit or nuts and sold in bars, drops or pieces. Chocolate bars, gummies and hard candies are excluded, while protein bars and baking ingredients such as chocolate chips or toffee bits are still allowed.

A wide-reaching program

Louisiana is one of about a dozen states that have requested waivers from the USDA to restrict certain SNAP purchases, part of a growing movement and a cornerstone of the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement put forth by federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Each state has slightly different rules for what is no longer allowed. For instance, West Virginia restricts sugary beverages but not candy. Texas defines sweetened drinks as having five grams or more of added sugar or any artificial sweetener. Missouri added “prepared desserts” to its list of ineligible foods.

Nearly 750,000 people in Louisiana — about one in five households — use SNAP, which provides monthly benefits loaded onto a debit-style card that can be used at most grocery retailers. Benefit amounts vary based on household size, income and expenses such as housing.

The average monthly benefit in Louisiana is $377, totaling roughly $1.78 billion per year. The program is entirely federally funded, though the state covers half of the $337 million in administrative costs. That state share is expected to increase to 75% next year under the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” championed by President Donald Trump.

Health goals, but no rotisserie chicken

State officials said the changes are part of a broader effort to promote healthier eating. When the restrictions were first announced, Gov. Jeff Landry said the state would seek approval to allow SNAP recipients to purchase rotisserie chicken — a prepared food item typically excluded from the program but touted by the state as healthy, cheap and good for feeding a large family.

That request has not yet been approved by the USDA, according to Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein.

The USDA doesn’t have a specific timeline for approval or denial, according to a spokesperson. States can make a new request with additional information if a request is denied.

LDH is also expanding a pilot called the Louisiana Carrot Program, which offers SNAP users 30 cents back for every dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. More than 71,000 people are currently enrolled in 11 parishes, and the program is expected to expand to New Orleans and Baton Rouge later this year.

‘Some confusion’

SNAP is an anti-hunger program at its core, and nearly 830,000 people in Louisiana are food insecure, meaning they don’t have access to enough or adequately healthy food. SNAP’s effectiveness has long been tied to the freedom it gives families and the discreet way benefits are used at the checkout counter, and it’s unclear how changing that might affect shopping habits.

“What does this look like at the register when people are coming up with products, thinking they’re covered, and they’re not?” said Megan Knapp, a public health professor and researcher focused on food policy at Xavier University. “I think there’s going to be some confusion.”

Knapp, who is developing a research proposal to study whether SNAP purchase restrictions actually reduce consumption of sugary beverages, said some retailers have also raised concerns. Smaller stores, in particular, may find it burdensome to manage constantly changing eligibility rules and could opt out of the program altogether.

Marcus Coleman, a public health researcher at Tulane University, said federal cuts to SNAP education funding in September undercut efforts to help families actually eat healthier.

“We’re telling people to buy healthier foods, but what if they don’t necessarily have the knowledge about how to prepare certain things?” Coleman said.

In rural areas, sometimes candy or a soft drink is what’s available, said Coleman, who grew up in Tensas Parish.

“My town has a Dollar General. My grandmother has to travel 13 miles to the next grocery store,” Coleman said. “You need things in between to get by.”

Greenstein said that SNAP has always come with limits.

“It’s a big change, but today you can’t buy a six-pack of beer, you can’t buy paper towels,” he said. “There are things the program has never paid for.”

The waiver banning soda, candy and energy drinks is approved for two years. During that time, the state is required to collect data and regularly report on whether the changes lead to measurable shifts in purchasing behavior and health outcomes.

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Louisiana

Jury selection begins Monday in one of Louisiana’s largest auto insurance fraud cases

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Jury selection begins Monday in one of Louisiana’s largest auto insurance fraud cases

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Jury selection begins Monday in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest auto insurance fraud cases in Louisiana history, with two local attorneys set to stand trial on charges that include fraud and obstruction of justice.

Attorneys Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles are accused in an alleged scheme in which drivers — referred to as “slammers” — were paid to intentionally crash into 18-wheelers, file injury lawsuits and allow attorneys to collect the settlements. Both have pleaded not guilty.

63 people have been charged in the case. Many have already pleaded guilty. Motta and Giles are being tried together.

Criminal defense attorney Craig Mordock, who is not directly involved in the case but has been following it closely, said the scope of the litigation is significant.

“You have 10 years of personal injury cases and almost… almost a billion dollars in recovery. That’s all at issue,” Mordock said. “So yeah, this could go two to three weeks.”

Motta’s defense team has advanced a narrative that she was manipulated by a co-defendant.

“There is a compelling narrative that’s been advanced by Vanessa Motta’s lawyer in terms of her being manipulated by one of the co-defendants… about being manipulated by him and him having a prior federal conviction for fraud,” Mordock said.

Motta’s team originally claimed she did not know the crashes were staged. In 2024, her team told FOX 8 she is the victim.

Mordock said Giles faces a more difficult defense.

“I don’t see a favorable juror for one of the other lawyer defendants, Jason Giles. There’s not a clear theory of innocence. This is basically a standard white-collar prosecution where knowledge and intent are going to be the issue,” Mordock said.

The case carries what Mordock described as a shadow. In September 2020, key witness Cornelious Garrison was killed in New Orleans four days after his name appeared in an indictment. Garrison’s admitted killer, Ryan Harris, is expected to testify.

The judge in the case is also allowing the slain witness’s recorded descriptions of the alleged scheme to be admitted at trial.

Mordock said Louisiana drivers have a direct stake in the outcome.

“As your average Louisianan, the idea would be you would save… because the people committing this fraud have been wrapped up. The insurance companies are going to know how to look for this,” Mordock said.

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Louisiana

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

Published

16 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

The children of a disgraced Louisiana mayor told cops that they both caught their mom fooling around with a 16-year-old boy at a boozy pool party, according to video played at her rape trial.

Misty Roberts, the 43-year-old former head of DeRidder, Louisiana — population 9,8000 — faces a charge of third-degree rape over the 2024 incident.

Roberts’ son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his pal through a crack in a window.

Misty Roberts is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy in 2024.

But, when asked about his recollection, he demurred — telling the court he wasn’t exactly sure what he saw that night, according to KPLC.

The jury also reviewed pictures from the party, which showed kids holding drinks as well as a photograph of Roberts and the victim that prosecutors described as “lewd.”

That picture showed Roberts at the party in her bikini, with the teen victim looking up at her smiling.

Roberts’ son texted his mom that night, incredulous about what was happening, and told her that his sister was crying, according to messages presented by prosecutors.

“He is seventeen,” the son texted Roberts.

The boy was later confirmed to be 16 years old, according to KPLC.

Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while prosecutors played her interview with detectives, in which she said she saw her mom and the boy “on top of each other” that night.

The former mayor’s nephew also admitted he tried to sneak a peek — using his phone to try and get a peek at what was going on in the room. He testified that he wasn’t sure if he hit “record” — but if he did said he never sent it to anybody.

Roberts was in her second term as mayor when she resigned. 7 KPLC

None of the three witnesses who testified said they saw the “private parts” of Roberts and the victim. The teen boy, they noted though, was shirtless.

After the alleged tryst, the victim’s mother texted Roberts to ensure that she was not pregnant, to which she replied she was on birth control. Roberts shared a screenshot of that message to a group chat with her friends, who urged her to take Plan B.

A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house, which he recognized from trick-or-treating with his children there.

In other texts shown in court, Roberts asked her son what kind of alcohol her son and other kids wanted for the party.

Days after police launched their investigation into the alleged crime, Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Texas border.

Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Feb. 28, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

8-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

5-4-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

9-9-1-3-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

04-17-21-27-33

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

08-10-15-21-22-33

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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