Louisiana

Regulator who ushered in Louisiana gambling expansion resigns, bullish on Shreveport-Bossier

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2024

Regulator who ushered in Louisiana gambling expansion resigns, bullish on Shreveport-Bossier

Louisiana’s top gambling regulator Ronnie Johns, who ushered in the state’s largest gaming expansion in three decades, is resigning next month to spend more time with his family.

Johns, a Republican who oversaw the addition of sports wagering to the Louisiana gambling scene, said new GOP Gov. Jeff Landry didn’t ask him to step down.

Landry is expect to appoint a new chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board soon.

“I’m about to be 75 years old, and Michelle and I have things we want to do, and this is a full-time job,” Johns said in an interview with USA Today Network. “It’s time.”

Johns, who lives in Lafayette, will retire after 37 years of elective and appointed public service that included a stint as the Louisiana Lottery chairman, 12 years in the state House and 10 years in the state Senate.

Former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Johns to lead the Louisiana Gaming Control Board in 2021 as the state was poised to add sports wagering to its gambling options.

Sports wagering now contributes nearly $100 million annually in revenue supporting the state budget.

“We did it the right way and in a manner that generated confidence in the future of sports betting for both players, the industry and lawmakers,” Johns said.

Johns also has courted $1 billion or more in new investment from casino companies who have upgraded or transformed their properties, from the complete rebuild of Ceasars Horsehoe Casino in Lake Charles after it was destroyed by Hurricane Laura to the Queen and Belle in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Live! Casino in Bossier.

Those investments escalated with the recent option for Louisiana’s riverboat casinos to build landside properties.

Johns is bullish on the Shreveport-Bossier market and believes The Cordish Companies’ nearly $300 million investment into Louisiana Live! will help reverse a two-decade decline because of increased competition from Oklahoma.

“I honestly think this development will grow the entire Shreveport-Bossier market,” Johns said. “That’s been proven in the Lake Charles market. When the new Horseshoe opened there, it expanded the market rather than cannibalized it.”

Jon Cordish has promised his family’s complete renovation of the former Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City will transform the former property into a destination gambling, event and entertainment resort that will rival the top destinations in the country.

“It’s going to have a quality and energy that when you walk into this property, you’ll feel like you’re in a premier casino and resort in the top gaming markets, including Las Vegas,” said Cordish, a principal with The Cordish Companies, in a previous interview with USA Today Network.

Louisiana Live! will be the first land-based casino in Shreveport-Bossier.

Johns said his resignation is effective June 30.

“I will leave the board knowing that I did my work as regulator with the integrity that it calls for with fairness to the industry, but with absolute compliance of our strict gaming laws and rules that we must adhere to,” Johns said. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when they should step back and make their family the No. 1 priority. I have arrived at that point.”

More: Louisiana is banning certain sports bets: What you need to know

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

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Louisiana

Silver Alert issued for missing New Orleans man

Published

7 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Silver Alert issued for missing New Orleans man

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert Friday for a 76-year-old New Orleans man who has been missing since Wednesday.

Elbert Welch was last seen in the 1700 block of Holiday Drive on May 6 at approximately 11 a.m. State police received the request to issue a Silver Alert at approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department.

Welch is a white male with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5′10″ and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a khaki shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap.

Family reports that Welch has a medical condition that may impair his judgment.

Welch is believed to be walking on foot in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information regarding Welch’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the New Orleans Police Department, 4th District, at (504) 821-2222 or dial 911. All questions should be directed to the New Orleans Police Department.

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Louisiana

Louisiana baseball vs App State live score, TV and more from SBC series

Published

19 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana baseball vs App State live score, TV and more from SBC series

Pressure is back on for Louisiana baseball, especially on the weekend in Sun Belt Conference play.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (30-19, 12-12) dropped their final midweek game of the season, losing 9-6 to the University of New Orleans in extra innings. Now, the Cajuns are back on the road for SBC play, needing every win they can get to better their chances of snagging a regional spot. They travel to Appalachian State for what will likely be a chilly three-game series against the Mountaineers.

Seventh-year head coach Matt Deggs will go with junior Cody Brasch to start Game 1, a spot the right-hander is becoming accustomed to. Saturday’s are for Andrew Herrmann, the most reliable of the Cajuns’ arms through the year. App State will start junior righty Nick DiRito on Friday, followed by junior righty Gage Peterson and junior lefty Tanner Nolan to close out the series.

Here’s how to watch Ragin’ Cajuns baseball in its SBC series vs App State (28-18, 15-9), including time, TV schedule, live score and streaming information.

Watch Louisiana baseball vs App State on ESPN+

Louisiana baseball vs App State live score

What channel is Louisiana baseball vs App State on?

TV: None

Livestream: ESPN+

Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM

Louisiana vs. App State will be available live on ESPN+ streaming service for the teams’ ninth SBC series of the 2026 college baseball season. Matt Present will provide commentary from Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

What time does Louisiana baseball play App State today?

5 p.m. Friday, May 8
2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
12 p.m. Sunday, May 10

The Louisiana vs. App State series starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Beaver Field in Boone, N.C., followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cajuns will close out the series at noon on Sunday.

Louisiana baseball vs App State weather update

Friday’s matchup will be played in semi-cloudy weather with sunshine throughout the day. It’ll be a high of 62 degrees and a low of 44 degrees. Winds will get up to about five to 10 mph, and there is less than a 7% chance of rain in the afternoon. Saturday’s game will be played in warmer weather with a high of 67 degrees, followed by Sunday’s high of 73 degrees.

Louisiana baseball vs App State history

Series record: Louisiana leads 14-9

In Lafayette: Series tied 6-6

In Boone: Louisiana leads 6-3

Louisiana’s last win: April 2, 2023 (6-0)

App State’s last win: April 1, 2023 (8-5)

Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

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Louisiana

Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens

This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.

A sign posted on the door at the live parole hearing on the campus of Loyola University. (Photo by Gus Bennett / The Lens)

In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.

Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.

The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.

Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)

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