There are plenty of high schoolers graduating this weekend and their parents have told Southern Media and Opinion Research they don’t want the TOPS scholarship program to change. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says a recent study finds voters argue the legislators point that the program is unsustainable because rising tuition cause the amount of money the state spends each year on TOPS to rise…:
CUT 5 (07) “fund it”
He says the poll shows 64-percent of voters want TOPS to be left as is.

Safe Boating Week kicks off in Louisiana tomorrow. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says you can expect to see increased patrols and safe boating checks throughout the weekend. They stress the importance of using life jackets while boating as well as having a sober operator.

This summer will be huge at the box office for Hollywood South. Louisiana Entertainment Executive Director Chris Stelly says we’re is well represented on the little screen and the big screen this summer…:
CUT 8 (06) “have on record”
Among films shot here hitting the big screen this summer are New Orleans filmed “American Ultra” staring Kristen Stewart, “Selfless” with Ben Kingsley and “The Fantastic Four” which was made in Baton Rouge.

There’s a good chance you’ve seen termites swarming the street lights as it’s that time of year. Dr. Dennis Ring, entomologist with the LSU AgCenter, says the Formosan subterranean termites are attracted to lights and swarm from dusk through early morning. He says this is the most destructive insect in the state of Louisiana…:
CUT 12 (08) “to the light”
Ring suggests homeowners call at least three professional pest management companies to come out and draw a diagram to tell you exactly what they are going to do to protect your structure from termites.

High School graduation season is underway and a recent statewide survey shows almost two-thirds of voters favor the TOPS scholarship program to remain fully funded despite lawmakers efforts to put a cap on the awards. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

The state’s lottery jackpots are getting big again. Tonight’s Mega Millions is up to $159 million and tomorrow night’s Powerball jackpot is worth an estimated $110 million dollars.

Alexandria Police have arrested a man accused of throwing an eight-month-old baby against a wall. Deputy Chief Cedric Green says they received a call from the baby’s mother saying 20-year-old Devontee Smith kicked in the back door of her residence and threatened her and and the baby. Green says Smith was upset about something when he came to the residence…:
CUT 9 (06) “against the wall”
He says Smith then took the formula and diapers before fleeing the residence. The baby was not injured. The suspect is charged with domestic abuse battery, home invasion, simple assault, and theft.

The Revenue Estimating Conference announces that $179 million has been found that can help budget issues for this fiscal year and next. They say $99.4 million would be used for this fiscal year and $79.3 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

High School graduation season is underway and a recent statewide survey shows almost two-thirds of voters favor the TOPS scholarship program to remain fully funded despite lawmakers efforts to put a cap on the awards. A bill that would put limits on TOPS scholarship awards has passed the Senate and will be considered in the House. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat, with Southern Media and Opinion Research, says the poll shows 64-percent of voters want TOPS to be left as is…:
CUT 3 (10) “pay for TOPS”
The poll shows only 28-percent of Louisiana voters approve of limiting the scholarship awards.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue reminds residents that today is the deadline for residents to file their 2014 Louisiana individual income tax returns. They recommend electronic filing and say the average refund processing time for electronic returns is up to 21 business days.

This summer might the biggest ever for Hollywood South at the Box Office.
Starting this weekend with the opening of the Baton Rouge filmed Pitch Perfect 2, if you hit up the theater this summer there’s a good chance you’ll see a movie that was filmed in Louisiana. That’s according to Louisiana Entertainment Executive Director Chris Stelly…:
CUT 6 (07) “the next Terminator”
There are concerns among lawmakers that the film tax program in Louisiana is too generous, Stelly doesn’t think movie makers will be deterred.

Safe Boating Week kicks off in Louisiana tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesman Adam Einck says you can expect to see increased patrols on the water. So far this year, 9 fatalities have been reported and Einck says that has LDWF officials concerned…
cut 14 (07) “come home safe”
He stresses the importance of using life jackets while boating as well as having a sober operator.

A new political action committee targets US Senator David Vitter’s attempt to become governor of Louisiana. Gumbo PAC has launched a website and released a video that takes a critical look at Vitter’s time in political office. Gumbo PAC Chairman Trey Ourso says their mission is to educate voters about Vitter’s record…:
CUT 10 (07) “people of Louisiana”
A Vitter spokesman says this video does not deter the Senator and he’ll continue to lay out his plan for a brighter future for all Louisianians.

According to a new Sports Illustrated report, the reason that former LSU Tiger and current Dallas Cowboy La’el Collins was questioned in the death of his ex-girlfriend Brittany Mills is because the victim’s daughter mentioned the offensive lineman’s name. There is no confirmation of that detail from the Baton Rouge Police Department. There has still not been an arrest in the Mills’ case. Collins, who went undrafted, signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys for $1.65 million.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces that Safe Boating Week begins Saturday. Scott Carwile reports…:
CUT 3 (27) “reporting”

Governor Bobby Jindal is in Washington D.C. today. Jindal is speaking to the Council for National Policy forum. Coming this weekend the Governor will once again head to Iowa for the Story County GOP Breakfast, National Security Action Summit and Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner.

A new political action committee takes aim US Senator David Vitter’s attempt to become governor of Louisiana. Gumbo PAC has launched a website and released a video that takes a pointed look at Vitter’s time in political office. Almost half of the video takes aim at Vitter’s sex scandal with the infamous DC madam and claims from a former New Orleans prostitute. Gumbo PAC Chairman Trey Ourso says this is part of the Senator’s record and it’s important that voters be reminded of this…

cut 12 (11) “the full record”

A Vitter spokesman says this video does not deter the Senator.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue reminds residents that today is the deadline to file their 2014 Louisiana individual income tax returns. Spokesperson Kizzy Payton says, if you are not ready to file just yet, an extension can be filed on the Department of Revenue’s website…

cut 9 (10) “an extension”

Alexandria Police have arrested a man after being accused of throwing a baby. Authorities say 20-year-old Devontee Smith kicked in the door of the baby’s mother’s home and threatened to kill them both. Smith then allegedly grabbed the child by the feet and threw him against a wall before fleeing. Smith was caught and booked into the Rapides Parish Jail on multiple charges including home invasion and domestic abuse battery. The child was not seriously injured.

The Baton Rouge-shot “Pitch Perfect 2″ opens nationwide today and expectations that it will be as loved as the first one are high. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 1 (30) “reporting”

A new political action committee targets US Senator David Vitter’s attempt to become governor of Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 2 (30) “reporting”

The Revenue Estimating Conference announces that $179 million has been found that can help budget issues for this fiscal year and next. They say $99.4 million would be used for this fiscal year and $79.3 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1. A large portion of the new money comes from a surplus balance in an insurance reserve fund. Legislation will need to be filed, approved, and signed by the governor to access the funds.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces that Safe Boating Week kicks off Saturday. Spokesman Adam Einck says officials want to make sure everyone is safe on the water. He stresses the importance of using life jackets while boating as well as having a sober operator. Alcohol use is a leading cause of boating crashes and fatalities on the water. Einck says DWI laws on the water are the same as on the road…

cut 15 (06) “on the road”

So far this year, 9 boating fatalities have been reported in the state.

Hopes are that the movie “Pitch Perfect 2″ will be just as loved as the first one. The sequal was shot in and around LSU. Ashley Territo, with the office charged with approving all film projects on campus, says it’s great that the movie came back to Baton Rouge a second time around which is a testament to the film industry in Louisiana…

cut 5 (09) “great for the city”

“Pitch Perfect 2” hits theatres today.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue issues a reminder that today is the deadline for residents to file their 2014 Louisiana individual income tax returns. Spokesperson Kizzy Payton says there is no accurate way to determine exactly how many residents have yet to file, but so far 1.8 million have filed their taxes…

cut 8 (10) “that we receive”

She says electronic filing is the fastest, most error-free method for filing tax returns.

A new political action committee, Gumbo PAC, is targeting US Senator David Vitter’s bid to become governor of Louisiana. They’ve released a video that takes a critical look at Vitter’s time in office. Gumbo PAC Chairman Trey Ourso says some are concerned that Vitter is basically a “career Washington politician”…

cut 11 (11) “to the state”

Almost half of the video takes aim at Vitter’s infamous sex scandal.

Safe Boating Week kicks off in Louisiana tomorrow. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesman Adam Einck says you can expect to see increased patrols and safe boating checks throughout the weekend. In 2014, Louisiana reported 18 boating fatalities, the second lowest number ever recorded. So far this year, 9 fatalities have been reported and Einck says that has LDWF officials concerned…

cut 14 (07) “come home safe”

He stresses the importance of using life jackets while boating as well as having a sober operator.

The Baton Rouge-shot “Pitch Perfect 2″ opens nationwide today and expectations that it will be as loved as the first one are high. The sequel will once again be set at fictional Barden University, but was filmed in and around LSU. Ashley Territo is a manager in the office charged with approving all film projects on campus…

cut 4 (09) “in the second”

During filming, over 3000 people showed up to fill in a concert crowd for one scene, so many Louisianians will be looking to see if they made the cut.