Lafayette Travel heads up to Michigan today to help with the state’s recent crawfish invasion. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Powerball’s jackpot reached an estimated $510 million early Thursday. The game’s website said no winning tickets matched all the numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing. The new jackpot’s cash value was roughly $324.2 million. The next drawing is scheduled for Saturday night.

Governor John Bel Edwards said his talk with House Speaker Taylor Barras on Wednesday was a productive one. They are trying to come up with a plan everyone can agree on for how to plug next year’s projected $1.1 billion dollar budget gap next fiscal year. Edwards says it will take more cuts and more money to fill the looming budget hole…:
Cut 7 (10) “balanced approach”
Edwards called the meeting with Barras a good, frank exchange.

The Tulane Basketball team is in Barcelona right now for some exhibition games, and have tweeted that they are all safe and accounted for after a van plowed into pedestrians. Police told local media outlets that there are fatalities and they believe the driver acted intentionally.

Governor John Bel Edwards met with House Speaker Taylor Barras on Wednesday to continue budget talks and how to fill the $1.1 billion dollar budget gap next fiscal year. That’s when temporary taxes are slated to expire. Edwards called the meeting a good, frank exchange…:
Cut 6 (12) “this fiscal cliff”
Edwards says his office will continue to pursue a balanced approach to resolving the state’s fiscal woes with a combination of cuts and new revenue.

State Police say a 2-year-old pedestrian was run over and killed in Tangipahoa Parish last night. They say a preliminary investigation found that little Kaleb Dyson was standing with a large group of choir members from the Mt. Canaan Missionary Baptist Church when he ran into the road. His mother tried to stop him, but it was too late and the toddler was run over and later died.

As Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources worried about Louisiana crawfish found in lakes and ponds around the state, Lafayette Travels heads up north today to teach the Wolverine State a thing or two about our beloved mudbugs. President and CEO of Lafayette Travel Ben Berthelot says they will hold a one day festival called CrayDay in Vicksburg on Saturday…
cut 3 (11) “etouffee”
He says the event will also feature informational sessions on setting traps for the crustaceans.

Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says we now know that Superintendent of Education John White had no reason to worry about his job, though he clearly had opponents…:
Cut 10 (12) “but he works for BESE”
And BESE gave White a 3.0 rating out of 4 during his evaluation Wednesday.

Governor John Bel Edwards voiced his disappointment that former KKK leader and state representative David Duke is making headlines again during his monthly radio call in show. He says Duke does not represent out state.
Cut 4 (10) “embarrassing”
Edwards says there’s no place for that kind of hatred in Louisiana.

Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says Superintendent of Education John White had no reason to worry about his job future after he came out with a postive rating from BESE. He says critics didn’t even raise questions about whether White needs to be reconfirmed by the Senate.
Cut 11 (10) “it didn’t”
BESE met behind closed doors for nearly four hours yesterday.

 
The state Department of Corrections will take over operations of Allen Correctional Center in Kinder beginning next month. DOC Secretary Jimmy Leblanc says budget constraints led to the GEO Group cancelling their contract to run the facility.
Cut 13 (12) “make ends meet”
The facility will serve inmates from Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes.

Residents in Lafayette and Baton Rouge will now be able to enjoy Tom Benson’s Dixie Beer as it enters new markets across the Gulf South. Senior Vice President for the Saints and Pelicans Ben Hales says this is part of Benson’s post-Katrina effort to bring back or revitalize New Orleans brands
Cut 9 (10) “to come”
Dixie Beer and Dixie Light will be sold in 12-ounce cans and long neck bottles.

Governor John Bel Edwards said on his monthly radio show that David Duke does not represent Louisiana, as the former-KKK leader and state representative is once again making national headlines….:
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says we now know that Superintendent of Education John White had no reason to worry about his job, as BESE rated his performance as positive and effective. Erin says there is always a certain amount of political controversy around this position…:
Cut 12 (11) “the job”

The state Department of Corrections will take over operations of Allen Correctional Center in Kinder beginning next month. DOC Secretary Jimmy Leblanc says it will be used as a local level reception center which will double their capacity to evaluate the 15,000 offenders they take in every year…:
Cut 14 (12) “the right bed”
The facility will serve inmates from Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes.

There is a new Tiger on the campus of LSU, but he’s not Mike VII just yet. Officials with the university say 11-month old Harvey is currently in a night house where he will be monitored by veterinarians for at least a week while they determine if he’s healthy and a good fit for LSU.

During his monthly call-in radio show, Governor John Bel Edwards expressed his disappointment that former-KKK leader and state representative David Duke is once again making national headlines. He says there’s no place for that kind of hatred here, especially those who spew bigotry and claim it’s somehow patriotic. He says brave American men and women defeated the Nazi movement during World War II..:
Cut 5 (08) “of patriotism”

State Police has reportedly suspended a trooper for 14 weeks for being involved in a crash that claimed the life of a person in Pointe Coupee Parish in February. The report says Christopher Kelley was speeding in excess of 110 miles per hour when he slammed into a vehicle that was turning onto a highway. The suspension comes after a grand jury declined to charge the trooper with negligent homicide saying the crash happened because the other driver failed to yield.

Tom Benson’s Dixie Beer is entering new markets all across the Gulf South area, and now residents in Lafayette and Baton Rouge will be able to enjoy Louisiana’s iconic brew. Halen Doughty reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Powerball’s jackpot reached an estimated $510 million early Thursday.  The game’s website said no winning tickets matched all the numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing. The new jackpot’s cash value was roughly $324.2 million. The next drawing is scheduled for Saturday night.

Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says we now know that Superintendent of Education John White had no reason to worry about his job.
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

During his monthly call-in radio show, Governor John Bel Edwards said former KKK leader David Duke does not speak for Louisiana at these white supremacist rallies in Virginia…:
Cut 6 (08) “state of Louisiana”
Edwards says it is unacceptable that we are dealing with this on the streets of America in 2017.

Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson’s Dixie Beer is hitting more areas of the Gulf Coast this week, as Baton Rouge and Lafayette will now start seeing the iconic Louisiana brew on shelves in stores. Senior Vice President of the sports franchises, Ben Hale, says anyone who grew up in New Orleans or Louisiana will remember Dixie Beer, back when The Big Easy was considered the brewing capitol of the south…:
Cut 8 (11) “for generations really”
Dixie Beer and Dixie Light will be sold in 12-ounce cans and longneck bottles.

Almost the entire state is under a heat advisory through 7 this evening. The National Weather Service says some areas could see heat indices this afternoon topping 108-110 degrees. Forecasters indicate these levels are dangerous and if you’re going to be outside you should be sure to stay hydrated and find ways to stay cool if you can’t be inside for an extended period of time.

During his monthly call-in radio show, Governor John Bel Edwards expressed his disappointment that former-KKK leader and state representative David Duke is once again making national headlines. He says he doesn’t want Louisiana to be colored by that bigotry because Duke does not represent us:
CUT 4 (10) “it is embarrassing”
Edwards says it is unacceptable that we are dealing with this on the streets of America in 2017.

Tom Benson’s Dixie Beer is entering new markets all across the Gulf South area, and now residents in Lafayette and Baton Rouge will be able to enjoy Louisiana’s iconic brew. Ben Hales is the Senior Vice President of the Saints and Pelicans and is helping Benson oversee operations of the century-old Dixie Beer brand…:
Cut 7 (08) “fantastic”
Dixie Beer and Dixie Light will be sold in 12-ounce cans and longneck bottles.

Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says we now know that Superintendent of Education John White had no reason to worry about his job, though he clearly had opponents…:
Cut 10 (12) “but he works for BESE”
And BESE gave White a 3.0 rating out of 4 during his evaluation Wednesday.

There is a new Tiger on the campus of LSU, but he’s not Mike VII just yet. Officials with the university say 11-month old Harvey of Florida is currently in a night house where he will be monitored by veterinarians for at least a week while they determine if he’s healthy and a good fit for LSU.

The state Department of Revenue reminds some taxpayers they have until September 6th to claim their tax refund. Spokesperson Byron Henderson says if you miss the deadline, visit the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property website for more information. He says there are many reasons why these checks have remained unclaimed.
Cut 8 (09) “could happen”

A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent is back at work after being shot in the line of duty in Morehouse Parish. Twenty-five-year-old Tyler Wheeler of Monroe says the outpouring of support from the community has been great. He says he had tons of surprises waiting on him when he woke up in the ICU after the January shooting.

Cut 5 (10) “they don’t know”

Saints Coach Sean Payton has confirmed that cornerback Delvin Breaux will have surgery to repair a broken leg. News broke earlier today that two doctors with the team had been fired for initially diagnosing Breaux’s injury as a bone contusion. Saints Sideline Reporter Kristian Garic.
Cut 12 (12) “Delvin Breaux”
Tonight’s Powerball jackpot has reached a whopping $430-million with a cash value of $273 million. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison reminds players to get their tickets before 9pm tonight. He also encourages people to check out Louisiana Lottery’s Facebook page for a chance to win different prizes.
Cut 11 (07) “this Saturday”
This is the 9th largest drawing in the history of the game.