Data from the Department of Children and Family Services indicate the number of food stamp recipients is declining nationally, but increasing in Louisiana. Jeff Palermo reports…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo ”
================
Two children died after being locked in a hot pickup truck in Bossier City, and authorities are still unsure of what happened. Halen Doughty has the story…
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
===================
Authorities continue to investigate the deaths of 3-year-old twins Oliver and Aria Orr, who died after being locked in a hot pickup truck. Bossier City Police spokesperson Mark Natale says at some point Saturday afternoon, the children’s mother realized she didn’t know where the kids were.
CUT 3 (09) “unresponsive”
A Shreveport television reports the children were in the truck for two hours and temperatures were in the 90s Saturday afternoon. Natale says once the children were found, a neighbor immediately called 911.
CUT 4 (11) “the hospital”
Natale says a preliminary result from autopsies shows the children died of heat related causes. But He says at this point, authorities have more questions than answers.
CUT 5 (09) “pickup truck”
===============================================
The number of food stamp recipients is increasing in Louisiana, while that rate is falling nationwide. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services says nearly one in five Louisiana residents are on the federal food assistance program. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, Jan Moller, says that increase is due to job loss in the oil and gas industry because low oil prices hurt Louisiana’s economy more than other states.
CUT 6 (11) “find work”
According to DCFS, the number of food stamp recipients jumped 9% from April 2015 to April 2016. Some southern parishes saw that rate increase even more, up 37% in Jefferson parish, 26% in St. Martin, and 90% in Cameron. Moller says those rates should go down when oil prices come back up.
CUT 7 (10) “to decrease”
Moller says hopefully these people will not be on the program for long, as the average recipient gets food stamps for nine months. He says we should all be happy that there’s a program to help people get through these tough times.
CUT 8 (10) “their children”
===================================================
32-year-old Margaret Sanchez has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2012 death and dismemberment of the former Bourbon Street dancer Jaren Lockhart. She also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a Jefferson Parish courtroom and was sentenced to 40 years. Legal analyst Chick Foret says the case is now over and the family finally has closure…:
CUT 9 (09) “involved”
Lockhart was stabbed to death in Kenner, then cut up and tossed into the Gulf of Mexico by Sanchez, and her ex-boyfriend Terry Speaks who has already been convicted of the same crime. Foret says Lockhart has a young child and the family did not want to have to endure a lengthy trial…:
cut 10 (10) “any appeals”
Sanchez was originally set to appear in court on July 11th on charges of second degree murder, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Foret says the Lockhart family has had enough with litigation as the trial of Speaks was a fiasco…:
Cut 11 (10) “that took place”
===================================================
The Louisiana approved two bills today that would generate an additional 75-million dollars in tax revenue. If approved by the Senate, legislature will raise nearly 300-million dollars in this special session, far short of the $600 million sought by Governor John Bel Edwards. Political analyst Clancy Dubos…:
cut 12 (10) “for raising taxes”
Dubos says if the budget falls short, then it will be up to lawmakers and the governor to determine what will get cut. He says Governor Edwards has said he would start cutting proportionally over 12 months…:
Cut 13 (10) “fewer services”
Based on the money that’s been raised as a result of the 2 special sessions, at least 70% of TOPS would be funded under a bill to be heard this afternoon on the House floor. Dubos says this will likely have the biggest affect on Louisianians. He that would mean only 70% of a student’s tuition would be paid instead of all of it…:
cut 14 (11) “higher tuition”
_____________________________________________
The two Alabama football players & North Louisiana natives that were arrested in Monroe in May will not be prosecuted on drug and gun charges due to lack of evidence. DA Jerry Jones told KNOE he didn’t want to ruin the lives of Cam Robinson and Laurence “Hootie” Jones because they’ve been working and sweating while we were all in the air conditioning. Legal analyst Tim Meche…:
cut 15 (09) “and he has the discretion”
The Monroe TV station reported that Jones said he dropped the charges because he could not prove who was in possession of the drugs and the gun in question. Meche says Jones has been in office for over 20 years, and he knows what he’s doing…:
cut 16 (09) “of the cases”
===================================================