ISRAELI ATTACKS IN LEBANON GROW; IRAN SHIPPING STRANGLEHOLD PERSISTS 2A THE
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T u e s d ay, M a r c h 17, 2026
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Lawmakers call for cuts to higher ed
Board of Regents says it is underfunded now BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
Louisiana higher education leaders asked legislators on Monday to consider giving them more money as many regional universities struggle financially — but some lawmakers argued it’s time for
those schools to take a hard look at whether budget cuts are necessary instead. “We have hundreds of programs that we’ve closed,” Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed said during a Senate Finance Committee meeting. “But if you say to us, ‘We’re not going to be
$869 million short of what it considers full funding for higher education in Louisiana. The board able to provide additional dollars, is requesting $119 million in adand you have to flourish within ditional state general fund money your means — not just survive for fiscal year 2026-27. within your means’ — then we Reed said enrollment fluctuahave to do a couple of things.” tions, growing athletics depart“It will be extremely tight,” she ment budgets and inflation have said. contributed to strained resources Officials with the Board of Re- at some institutions, but did not gents say the current budget is specify which schools are faring
Meta’s data center brings jolt to Monroe
the worst. She called the circumstances a “perfect storm” for many schools. “Regional institutions are generally seeing enrollment shifts, population declines and challenges of that sort,” Reed said. “Not going to sugarcoat it, we definitely have some institutions that are struggling.” If the Legislature does not award
ä See CUTS, page 4A
Judge halts changes to vaccine program Ruling says Kennedy likely violated federal procedures BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press
intelligence data centers in the country in nearby Richland Parish, about 30 miles to the east, the massive investment has spilled over into neighboring communities. Monroe, the largest city in the area, is having a moment. In the months since the groundbreaking, hotels and restaurants have been slammed. Demand for housing, at least in some parts of the city, has
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee. The decision halted an order by Kennedy — announced in January — to end broad recommendations for all children to Kennedy be vaccinated against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. It also stopped a meeting of a Kennedyappointed vaccine advisory committee, which was set to convene this week in Atlanta. The judge’s order, however, is not the final word. The blocks are temporary, pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment. Federal health officials indicated they planned to appeal. “HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing,” said Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon. The order issued Monday is the latest development in a lawsuit filed last July by the American Academy of Pediatrics and
ä See MONROE, page 4A
ä See JUDGE, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
People walk Wednesday on Desiard Street in Monroe. Investment has spilled over into the city since Meta broke ground last year on an artificial intelligence data center in nearby Richland Parish.
City having a moment as economic activity swells BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL
Staff writer
Until last year, there wasn’t much going on in downtown Monroe, a small city in northeast Louisiana that has suffered from decades of disinvestment. But on a recent Tuesday night, the 70-room Hotel Monroe in the heart of the city’s historic downtown was booked solid, as it has been most weeknights since its May opening. At
the trendy new Sushi Koko two blocks away, customers couldn’t get in without a reservation. And at City Hall, a group of Atlanta developers had pitched the City Council, successfully it turned out, on a multimillion-dollar plan to turn the dilapidated old Coca-Cola building on the banks of the Ouachita River into a complex of apartments, restaurants and a high-rise hotel. Since Meta broke ground in January 2025 on one of the largest artificial
Father killed wife and son then himself, Lafayette investigators say BY JA’KORI MADISON
Staff writer
A Lafayette Parish man shot and killed his wife and 6-year-old son before turning the gun on himself Sunday in a double murder-suicide, police said. The initial investigation indicates that Brett Richardson, 36, shot and killed his wife, Kasie Richardson, 33, and his 6-year-old son before taking his own life, according to investigators. Authorities said no one else was inside the residence when the shooting occurred. Deputies were dispatched to the residence Sunday after reports that three people were dead inside the home in the 500 block of Braxton Drive in an
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unincorporated area outside Youngsville. Deputies found the three victims, who all had gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. A neighbor who lives a few doors away from the home said the news shocked residents in the quiet neighborhood. The neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said Brett Richardson mostly kept to himself but was often seen outside doing yard work or spending time with his young son. “He was a man of small words,” the neighbor said. “I never heard any arguing. I don’t know the full dynamic of that family, but for all of a sudden something like this to happen, it’s un-
usual.” According to the neighbor, the boy often played outside and greeted people walking by, sometimes stopping to pet the neighbor’s dog. The neighbor said residents in the area are heartbroken and hoping other family members can find answers. “My concern is what happened? Why? What led to this?” the neighbor said. “Nobody around here expected something like this.” Authorities have not said what may have led up to the shooting. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is encouraged to contact the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office or submit tips through Lafayette Crime Stoppers.
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Law enforcement personnel approach a youngsville-area home on Monday following what police say was a double murder-suicide on Sunday.
Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................4B Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C
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