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2 days ago | louisianafirstnews.com | Keymonte Avery

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Some Louisiana athletes have declared for the NFL Draft of 2025 to earn their spot on the professional stage. Of the 444 eligible players who have declared, eight athletes who played for LSU and 12 Louisiana natives are listed on the draft’s prospects list. According to ESPN, 15 of the listed players are seniors and five are juniors. In Louisiana, the New Orleans Saints’ new head coach, Kellen Moore, seeks players who fit his new offensive and defensive schemes.

3 days ago | louisianafirstnews.com | Keymonte Avery

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Louisiana lawmaker wants to let college athletes deduct income from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals from their state taxes. House Bill 166, authored by Rep. Dixon McMakin (R-Baton Rouge), would create a state tax deduction for NIL compensation earned by student-athletes. The deduction would apply only to athletes at Louisiana public universities and private colleges that receive state funding.

5 days ago | louisianafirstnews.com | Trinity Velazquez |Keymonte Avery

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Is there anywhere in Baton Rouge that sells THC drinks? In January, a new law tightened Louisiana’s hemp industry sales. Gas stations can no longer sell hemp products and only bars and restaurants with existing hemp permits can continue selling THC drinks. The maximum THC per serving also dropped from 8 mg to 5 mg. These THC-infused drink options can be bought at Total Wine and Spirits on Siegen Lane and select Rouses Markets.

6 days ago | louisianafirstnews.com | Allison Bruhl

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is facing renewed scrutiny after a state audit flagged more than $250 million in questioned federal costs and repeated deficiencies in Medicaid oversight and financial reporting. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) released the findings as part of its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Single Audit of the state.

6 days ago | louisianafirstnews.com | Trinity Velazquez

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A new Chick-fil-A restaurant is set to open in Gonzales on Thursday, April 24, bringing approximately 110 new jobs to the community. Located at 511 N. Airline Highway, Chick-fil-A Ascension Street will welcome guests Monday through Saturday, offering dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and delivery services. A news release said the restaurant’s hours are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The drive-thru stays open until 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.