Things are getting testy at the Capitol after the construction bill failed to pass out of the regular session. It’s being taken up again in the special session, but Marrero Representative Patrick Connick says it should have been done in the regular session…:
CUT 4 (11) “the Senate”
The four billion dollar construction financing plan was approved by the Ways and Means Committee today in the special session.

The family of slain Tulane graduate Thomas Rolfes held a news conference today to beg for information about the murder which happened a month ago today. There are no suspects in the 25-year-old’s murder. His fiance, Elizabeth Fried says Rolfes was a wonderful man who touched the lives of everyone he met…:
Cut 11 (09) “as my own”
There is a $30,000 reward.

The state Department of Environmental Quality has resumed mercury testing in public waterways after the program was halted in 2008 because of budget cuts. DEQ environmental scientist Al Hindrichs (HINE-drix) says they are testing for mercury in 36 sites in southwest Louisiana this year. He says if a waterway is found to have a high level of mercury, fish consumption advisories are posted at the locations…:
cut 12 (08) “small children”
He says there are currently 48 consumption advisories in place for 85 water bodies in Louisiana.

The Thibodaux Police Department says they’ve arrested a man on bank fraud charges for allegedly writing checks on an account that did not belong to him, and spelling the numbers wrong. They say 23-year-old Brandon Sims of Thibodaux was caught red handed, and police noticed that “fifty” was misspelled on the check and that actually contributed to an additional charge. Sims is being held on a $17,500 bond.