Falling oil prices are having a negative impact on the state’s oil and gas industry. Many analysts say layoffs are in the industry’s near future. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs says the low prices for oil is forcing companies to pull back and reassessing their budgets…

cut 4 (09) “for next year”

Briggs says he’s seen companies already reducing manpower and scaling back drilling budgets in the Gulf of Mexico for 2015.

Retired US Army General Wesley Clark is in Louisiana pushing the federal free cell phone program despite complaints from Senator David Vitter saying it’s a waste of tax payer dollars. Vitter has been a vocal critic of the Lifeline program which gives cell phones to low-income families. Clark says Vitter should instead be taking credit for fixing the program

cut 13 (11) “accountability list”

LSU has broken ground on a 110-million dollar renovation and expansion of the engineering school. LSU College of Engineering Dean Rick Koubek says they expect construction on the expanded facility to be completed in 2017 and it will help produce more grads to meet the workforce demands of the state’s growing economy

cut 10 (09) “at LSU”

State funds and private donations are paying for this new engineering complex.