17:30 LRN Newscast Sept 15

A Plaquemines Parish mother has admitted in court that she used a large amount of hand sanitizer to kill her 17-month old son, who was a Down Syndrome child. Erika Wigstorm entered a plea of guilty to Manslaughter and was sentenced to 40 years without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The child died in January of 2014.

Republican lawmakers appeared before a Congressional hearing in New Orleans to criticize the Obama administration’s intent to toughen standards for offshore drilling. GOP Senator Bill Cassidy…
cut 3 (09) “…Gulf of Mexico”
The Interior Department is expected to issue new rules soon dealing with the blowout preventer on rigs. Such a device failed miserably when a BP well blew out in 2010, causing a huge environmental disaster.

Louisiana ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to the rate of women that are murdered by men. That’s according to an annual study published by the Violence Policy Center in Washington DC. V-P-C legislative director Kristen Rand says this type of homicide is the result of arguments between people who know each other…
cut 13 (08) “…domestic violence”
Rand urges legislators to enhance enforcement of laws that prohibit domestic abusers.

In southwest Louisiana, the Sulphur Police and Fire Department are applying “In God We Trust” decals to their vehicles. Local business leaders are funding the stickers, but there are some who are not happy about this. Police Chief Lewis Coats says he’s trying to bring some positive into a negative world…:
CUT 6 (06) “the units”
Coats says the officers are eager to display the “In God We Trust” stickers.