The early voting period for the November 4th election kicks off today and runs through October 28th. Michelle Southern reports…

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A University of Louisiana at Monroe freshman basketball player has been arrested on a charge of forcible rape. Authorities say 18-year-old Roderick Taylor, Jr. was taken into custody after allegedly raping a victim on campus who he arranged to meet with online. Taylor has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team.

Louisiana State Police and several other agencies will host a “Heroin Summit” today to educate the public about the increase of heroin use in Louisiana. Trooper Jared Sandifer says last year there were at least 310 heroin-related arrests made by LSP and law enforcement agencies across the state…

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The event is being held at the BREC Independence Park Theatre and the public is urged to participate.

Two St. John the Baptist Parish utilities workers have been indicted for falsifying records that lead to the discovery of a deadly amoeba in the parish’s drinking water supply in August. Kurt Wall with the state Attorney General’s office says the parish government is fully cooperating and taking corrective steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen again…

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Kevin Branch of LaPlace and Danielle Roussel of Pauline were each charged with one count of malfeasance in office and one count of filing and/or maintaining false public records.