The Joint Legislative Committee on the budget approved a 20% pay raise for state troopers. The original request from Col. Mike Edmonson was for a 30% increase but the measure was amended down to 20% reducing the cost from about $14 million to about $10 million. Opelousas Senator Elbert Guillory says this is an easy item to support…

cut 3 (05) “of Louisiana”

But item was not without opposition. Benton Senator Robert Adley, who voted against the measure, says it’s against the law to give troopers money out of the designated fund until the dollars are appropriated by the legislature. But Edmonson says that is not accurate…

cut 6 (10) “be honest with these people”

The vote from the House side was 24-5 and the Senate side 13-3.

Minden Representative Gene Reynolds says the EPA has agreed to delay the open tray burn of the more than 15 million pounds of M6 propellant at Camp Minden for at least 90 days. Reynolds says since the material is on Louisiana soil that means we own it and can make another decision on a way to get rid of it. He says they want to use the incinerator burn method but time is of the essence…

cut 8 (07) “to a certain point”

The propellant was found improperly stored at Camp Minden back in 2012.

State Police say a hostage situation in Evangeline Parish turned deadly with the suspect being shot and killed by police. They say the unidentified man took his girlfriend hostage in a trailer park in Pine Prairie. Master Trooper Brooks David says the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to call from a neighbor…

cut 10 (06) “the residence”

The suspect fired shots after after authorities arrived and they responded with deadly force. The woman was rescued and received only minor injuries in the incident.