Is Louisiana's vaccine lottery working? Also: A fake cop gets found out

The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Good morning! Here are some of our most interesting reads from yesterday.

Is the vaccine lottery working?

Louisiana leaders launched a lottery earlier this month for people who have gotten the COVID vaccine with big prizes, including one $1 million drawing. The goal is to encourage more people to get the shots, because Louisiana has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

Is it working? The data suggests vaccinations are going up, but Louisiana remains way behind the pace of many other states.

Fake officer? Meet real officer.

Police say a man from Plaquemine was impersonating a police officer — flashing lights and all — when he pulled someone over in Assumption Parish.

The only problem? The guy he pulled over was an actual police officer.

It didn't go well for him. You can read the police account — from the real police — here.

Baton Rouge to NOLA rail watch

Amtrak is trying stop a merger between two big rail companies. One big reason? The public train agency says the merger could imperil any plans to build a new train route between Louisiana's two largest cities.

Our business desk has their eye out for any developments on that front. Here's the latest.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!