The lawyer for the contractor originally hired to move Confederate monuments in New Orleans, says his client’s Lamborghini was found completely burned outside H&O Investments early this morning in Baton Rouge. Attorney Roy Maughan, Jr. says David Mahler also received death threats at home and work before pulling out of the project in New Orleans…:
CUT 14 (09) “is one”
Maughan said New Orleans told them the FBI has been asked to look into the fire and threats.

The 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival lineup features another year of huge, crowd loving acts including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Van Morrison. Something for everyone, says Festival Producer Quint Davis…:
CUT 9 (11) “gonna like”
Jazzfest beings April 22nd.

The Department of Health and Hospitals says the worst of the current flu season is still to come and they’re encouraging everyone to make sure they are vaccinated. Eric Gill has more…:
CUT 2 (27) “I’m Eric Gill”

The IRS and Louisiana Department of Revenue started accepting income tax returns today. You’ll have until May 16th to file your state returns, and April 18 to turn in federal. The IRS says, “Choosing e-file and direct deposit for refunds remains the fastest and safest way to file an accurate income tax return and receive a refund. The IRS anticipates issuing more than nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.”

As low as the gas price is now, analysts predict they will likely fall even further. Gasbuddy.com reports the average price for a gallon of regular is $1.67, which is a 6 cent decline over the past week. Senior Petroleum analyst Gregg Laskoski says this is a nationwide trend…:
CUT 4 (09) “crude oil prices”
He says the lowest gas price in the state is $1.41 a gallon reported at a location in Kenner.

The contractor who was originally hired to take down the Confederate monuments in New Orleans reportedly found his Lamborghini set on fire Tuesday morning in Baton Rouge. City attorneys said in federal court last week that it was looking for a new contractor as David Mahler begged off the project after receiving death threats. Fire officials in Baton Rouge are only confirming their was a vehicle blaze today at the location where Mahler worked. The Confederate monuments were ordered to be moved after the New Orleans City Council voted to declare them public nuisances.

The ex-mayor of Sorrento has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and animal cruelty charges, in exchange for a 40 year sentence. Spokesperson for the 23rd District Attorney’s Office Charlotte Guedry says the D-A’s office was ready to go to trial with a mountain of testimony against Wilson Longanecker Jr…:
cut 12 (10) “to trial”
She says the videos found at Longanecker’s Sorrento home involved minor girls, some as young as three years old.

The artists performing at the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Morrison, Snoop Dog and many more. The lineup at nojazzfest.com, announced this morning, includes the individual days each artist will perform the 7 dates between, April 22nd through May 1st.

The price at the pump continues to fall all across Louisiana. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Eric Gill”

Governor John Bel Edwards is set to lay out options the administration has put together for repairing the current fiscal year’s $750 million dollar shortfall, and next year’s projected $1.9 billion deficit. A news conference is set for 3:30 this afternoon.

Former Sorrento Mayor Wilson Longanecker Jr. will spend 40 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to possessing child porn and animal cruelty in Ascension Parish. Longanecker was charged with 42 counts of possession of child pornography, seven counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of obstruction of justice. He was initially arrested in 2014 after his home was raided and the illegal images were found on his computer.

The Department of Health and Hospitals says the worst of the current flu season is still to come and they’re encouraging everyone to make sure they are vaccinated. Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says it’s fortunate that flu season has been very slow, to date, in Louisiana….:
CUT 6 (09) “around the country”

Gas prices continue to fall all across Louisiana. GasBuddy-dot-com reports that the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has dropped six cents in the past week. Spokesperson Gregg Laskoski says Louisiana’s average price per gallon has fallen to $1.67…:
CUT 3 (08) “the gas pump”
He says oil prices, which are already below $30 a barrel, could drop even more as sanctions against Iran have been lifted adding more oil to an already glutted market.

Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Snoop Dog, Paul Simon, & Steely Dan are just a few artists who are set to appear at the 2016 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The lineup, announced this morning, includes the individual days each artist will perform the 7 days between, April 22nd through May 1st. The full schedule can be found at nojazzfest.com.

W2s are being passed out and today is the first day the Department of Revenue and the IRS start accepting income tax returns. L-D-R spokesperson Kizzy Payton says you’ll have until May 16th to file your state returns. She says enhanced security measures, which began being implemented a couple of years ago, are in place to protect taxpayers against fraud…:
CUT 10 (10) “initiative”
Federal returns are due April 18th.

The Department of Health and Hospitals says the worst of the current flu season is ahead of us, not behind, so they encourage everyone to make sure they are vaccinated. They say the slow start to the flu season can be attributed to the warmer than normal winter, but as temperatures start getting colder, that’s going to change — and a big spike in the number of cases is predicted.

The Louisiana Department of Education today begins accepting applications for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

This afternoon, Governor John Bel Edwards and Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne are set to present options for ways the state can repair its operating budget. There’s a $750 million dollar hole in the current fiscal year budget which must be filled by July, and a $1.9 billion dollar shortfall is forecast for 2016-2017.

Visitation is today for former state legislator and ex-mayor of Marksville, Raymond Laborde. Laborde was in the state legislature from 1972 to 1992. He also served as Commissioner of Adminstration during former Governor Edwin Edwards final term in office. Laborde also owned and operated Raymond’s Department Store in Marksville. Edwards says his lifelong friend was still heavily involved with store in his final days…:
CUT 9 (12) “been my life”
Laborde passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Funeral services are tomorrow at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marksville.

We’ll learn this hour the performers of this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. 2016’s lineup is already off to a good start as singer-songwriter Paul Simon let it slip at a charity gig in New Orleans that he would be back for Jazz Fest.3

The Louisiana Department of Education begins accepting applications today for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for next school year. The deadline to apply is February 26th. Louisiana Federation for Children President Ann Duplesis says this is a great opportunity for parents to give their children access to a better education…

cut 6 (09) “works best”

The program provides vouchers to low-income families to send their child to a participating private school, if the student is in a low performing public school.

You can officially begin filing your 2015 individual income tax returns today. Louisiana Department of Revenue spokesperson Kizzy Payton says even if you decide to have a tax preparer work on your taxes, it’s the taxpayer that is ultimately responsible…

cut 12 (10) “tax preparer”

Federal tax returns are due April 18th, state returns May 16th.

Houma Police has arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal Sunday shooting. Authorities have charged 19-year-old Brandon Robinson with first degree murder in death of 21-year-old Kardale Johnson. Johnson was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car early Sunday. They say Robinson had been riding in the car with Johnson prior to the shooting. Police say witnesses saw another man, besides Robinson, running from the car. The investigation is ongoing.

Visitation is today for a former leader in the legislature, mayor, and businessman. Jeff Palermo has more on the passing of Raymond LaBorde…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Department of Revenue begins accepting your 2015 tax returns today. Michelle Southern has more…

cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

A Destrehan High School teacher, arrested for having sex with a student, admitted to detectives that she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old, according to a police affidavit. Authorities say 26-year-old Kimberly Naquin had several sexual encounters with the teen during a nine month affair which led to criminal charges against the former teacher. Naquin is at least the fourth Destrehan High teacher to face allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with a student since 2008.

A recent study by InsuranceQuotes.com shows Louisiana drivers only save about 6% on average on their car insurance for choosing larger deductibles. Senior analyst Laura Adams says Louisiana already has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country, so it may be tempting to do whatever it takes to reduce your premium….

cut 15 (10) “Louisiana drivers”

She says Louisiana motorists save about a $60-65 dollar a year by increasing deductibles from $500 to $1000.

Visitation is today for Raymond Laborde, a former state legislator and ex-mayor of Marksville, who passed away Sunday. He was Marskville’s mayor from 1958 to 1970 and served as Commissioner of Administration during former Governor Edwin Edwards final term in office. Edwards says Laborde was a successful politician because he was a people person…

cut 8 (07) “I did”

Laborde was 88-years-old.

The Louisiana Department of Education starts accepting applications for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for next school year, today. The state is facing monumental budget issues, but Duplessis says the program should continue to grow, because the voucher program actually saves the state money…

cut 5 (10) “in MFP dollars”

The deadline to apply is February 26th.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue and the I-R-S, begin accepting income tax returns today. L-D-R spokesperson Kizzy Payton says the department suggests taxpayers file their returns electronically to ensure quick processing. She also advises taxpayers choose a reputable tax preparer…

cut 11 (10) “for references”

She says they’ve implemented enhanced security measures to protect taxpayers against fraud.

Visitation is today for former state legislator and ex-mayor of Marksville, Raymond Laborde, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Former governor Edwin Edwards grew up with Laborde in Marksville and says Laborde was an influential lawmaker during his 20 years in the state legislature

cut 7 (08) “he was”

Laborde was in the state legislature from 1972 to 1992.

An InsuranceQuotes.com study finds Louisiana drivers only save about six-percent on average when insurance deductibles are increased from $500-$1000. Senior analyst Laura Adams says this is important information for someone who lives paycheck-to-paycheck and can’t afford to pay a $1000 deductible out of pocket…

cut 14 (09) “$65″

Louisiana ranks third to last in offering the biggest car insurance savings when deductibles are increased from $500-$1000.

Today, the Louisiana Department of Education begins accepting applications for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

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Visitation is today for a former leader in the legislature, a mayor and businessman. Jeff Palermo has more on the passing of Raymond LaBorde…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Louisiana Department of Revenue begins accepting your 2015 tax returns today. Michelle Southern has more….

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Today, the Louisiana Department of Education begins accepting applications for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Louisiana Federation for Children President Ann Duplesis says about 7,100 students are currently participating and they expect the demand to remain high…

cut 4  (11)  “those options”

The program provides vouchers to low-income families to send their child to a participating private school, if the student is in a low performing public school. The state is facing monumental budget issues, but Duplessis says the program should continue to grow, because the voucher program actually saves the state money…

Cut 5  (10)  “in MFP dollars”

She’s hopeful Governor John Bel Edwards, a critic of the voucher program, will look at this as a priority for both the state and parents. The deadline to apply is February 26th. Duplessis says this is a great opportunity for parents to give their children access to a better education…

Cut 6 (09)  “works best” 

______________________________________

Visitation is today for former state legislator and ex-mayor of Marksville, Raymond Laborde, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88. Former governor Edwin Edwards grew up with Laborde in Marksville and says Laborde was an influential lawmaker during his 20 years in the state legislature

CUT 7 (08)  “he was”

Laborde was in the state legislature from 1972 to 1992. He was the mayor of Marskville from 1958 to 1970 and also served as Commissioner of Adminstration during Edwards final term in office, which was in the 90s. Edwards says Laborde was a successful politician because he was a people person

Cut 8  (07)  “I did”

Laborde also owned and operated Raymond’s Department Store in Marksville. Edwards says Laborde was still heavily involved with the store in his final days…

(Funeral services are Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marksville.)

Cut 9 (12)  “been my life”

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The Louisiana Department of Revenue, along with the I-R-S, start accepting income tax returns today. Federal returns are due April 18^th. L-D-R spokesperson Kizzy Payton says you’ll have until May 16^th  to file your state returns. She says this year, they’ve implemented enhanced security measures to protect taxpayers against fraud, which is something they started focusing on a couple of years ago

Cut 10 (10) “initiative” 

Payton says the Department of Revenue suggests taxpayers filed their returns electronically to ensure quick processing. She also advises taxpayers choose a reputable tax preparer.

cut 11 (10) “for references”

Payton says if you decide to have a tax preparer work on your taxes, the taxpayer is the one ultimately responsible.

Cut 12 (10) “tax preparer”

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A recent study finds Louisiana drivers don’t save much money on their car insurance for choosing larger deductibles. According to InsuranceQuotes.com, Louisiana is ranked third last in offering the biggest car insurance savings when deductibles are increased from $500-$1000. Senior analyst Laura Adams says it amounts to a savings of about 6%, on average…:

Cut 13 (10)  “how little it is”

Adams says it amounts to about a $60-65 dollar a year savings for Louisiana motorists. She says this is important information for someone who lives paycheck-to-paycheck and couldn’t afford to pay a $1000 deductible out of pocket…:

Cut 14 (09) “$65″

Adams says Louisiana already has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country, so it may be tempting to do whatever it takes to reduce your premium….:

Cut 15  (10) “Louisiana drivers”

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Two starters on LSU’s defense this past season decided they can wait another year before they start making money in the NFL. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith and cornerback Tre’davious White announced they will return for their senior seasons. Draft analyst Mike Detillier says Beckwith still needs another season in college, before he’s ready for the NFL and Beckwith’s return bodes well for the Tigers

Cut 16  (10)  “linebacker position”

Detillier says he’s surprised White is returning, because he had a chance to be selected in the first round…

Cut 17 (11) “football team”

In years past, LSU has seen multiple juniors skip their senior season and enter the NFL draft. This year, the Tigers will likely lose only one player and that’s offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins. Detillier gives credit to head coach Les Miles for retaining his draft eligible juniors

Cut 18 (15) “done by Les”

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The LSU Tigers face a big test on the road tonight when they visit 10th ranked Texas A-and-M. The Aggies are a pefect 5-0 in the SEC and feature one of the top players in the SEC in Jalen Jones, who is averaging 17 points and seven rebounds a game. LSU basketball analyst Ricky Blanton says the Tigers can counter with freshman sensation Ben Simmons

Cut 19 (15) “guarding Ben”

Blanton says the Tigers will have to keep an eye on Danuel House, who is averaging almost 16 points a game….

Cut 20 (08) “of him”