A Bastrop mother is facing criminal charges in the death of her two children in a house fire Monday. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says 21-year-old Ciarria Johnson is charged with two counts of negligent homicide. Browning says the investigation is ongoing, but one thing is for sure: the two children were left unattended in the home for hours before the fire broke out…

cut 4 (12) “closer to noon-time”

4-year-old Tashae Johnson and her 3-year-old brother Clifton were killed in the fire after being left unattended in the home.

New figures released Tuesday show that less than half of Louisiana families earn enough money to cover basic costs. The report, by Loyola University’s Jesuit Social Research Institute found that 52-percent of state families with children are not making enough money to live, what they call, “a modest, dignified life.” According to their findings, the average Louisiana couple with one child accrues expenses adding up to $55,352 a year.

A state lawmaker concerned about the potential health effects of an open tray burn of 15-million pounds of M-6 propellant in Webster Parish did not get the answers he was seeking in a closed door meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency. Minden Representative Gene Reynolds is pushing for an incenerator burn, but the EPA continues to say an open tray burn is safe and easy…

cut 9 (09) “out of the air”

The EPA says a date has not been set on when they will do a trial burn, but officials say the propellants at Camp Minden are deteriorating and need to be disposed of soon.

The Alexandria Zoo is under fire from an animal rights group after two endangered primates froze to death last week. A zoo employee left three cotton-top tamarins out in the cold, resulting in the death of two of the monkeys. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spokesperson, Brittany Peet…

cut 6 (10) “January night”

Peet says PETA is requesting the USDA to investigate the zoo.