East Baton Rouge residents will not have to worry about serving jury duty until at least June after a case out of Shreveport found young adults were not being summoned for jury duty. E-B-R District Attorney Hillar Moore says a computer system glitch prevented people under age 26 from being summoned as potential jurors…

Cut 3 (10) “…beyond me ”

Hurricane Michael that impacted the Florida Panhandle in October has been upgraded by the National Hurricane Center to a Category 5 hurricane, making it only the fourth storm to hit the United States to receive the classification dating back to 1851. Of the four cat 5 storms, two made landfall at peak strength from the Gulf of Mexico.  Hurricane Camille in 1969 made landfall in Mississippi.  Keim says Louisiana is lucky to have dodged the bullet on getting a Cat 5.

Cut 11 (12)   “…our home state.”

Three people have been arrested for allegedly planting fake bombs at Bienville Parish schools to distract authorities while they robbed nearby banks.  Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the three criminals were willing to terrorize children and their families just to make a few bucks, and some of the schools were shut down for days at a time as a result.

Cut 8 (09) “…areas”

41-year-old Paul Nash of Jonesboro, 47-year-old Lacentrusa Mayweather, and 42-year-old Tabitha Gray of Ball have been booked into the Bienville Parish Prison.

A GoFundMe page for the three St. Landry Parish churches that were burned by alleged arsonist Holden Matthews has now raised over two million dollars for reconstruction efforts.  Seventh District Missionary Baptist Association representative Mason Jack says it’s been an inspiring turn of events just in time for Good Friday and the Easter weekend.

Cut 13 (11) “…resurrect”

Three people who allegedly planted fake bombs at schools to help them rob banks in Bienville Parish have been arrested. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

____________________________

Hurricane Michael that slammed Panama City, Florida, in October has now been upgraded to a Category 5 storm by the National Hurricane Center. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (33) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

_____________________________________________

East Baton Rouge residents will not have to worry about serving jury duty until at least June after a case out of Shreveport found young adults were not being summoned for jury duty. E-B-R District Attorney Hillar Moore says a computer system glitch prevented people under age 26 from being summoned as potential jurors…

Cut 3 (10) “…beyond me ”

The problem was uncovered during jury selection for the capital murder trial of Grover Cannon, who is accused of killing Shreveport police officer Thomas LaValley in 2015. The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled jury selection for that case must start over and Moore explains why

Cut 4 (05) “      be even” 

The jury service computer glitch means Cannon’s trial and other jury trials will have to delayed. Moore says it’s obviously a set back….

Cut 5 (05) “…unfortunately”

___________________________________

Three people have been arrested for allegedly planting fake bombs at Bienville Parish schools to distract authorities while they robbed nearby banks.

Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the plan was to sow terror and confusion to draw local police to one area of the town, while they went to work in another…

Cut 6 (12) “…to commit.”

The three are facing charges of Fake Explosive Device, Criminal Conspiracy, and Criminal Trespassing. Rodrigue says more charges are likely on the way.

In one instance a school was put on lock-down and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team was called in to sniff out the suspected bomb. Rodrigue says the bomb sniffing dogs combed the premises, but…

Cut 7 (07) “…were found.”

Rodrigue says the three criminals were willing to terrorize children and their families just to make a few bucks, and some of the schools were shut down for days at a time as a result.

Cut 8 (09) “…areas”

41-year-old Paul Nash of Jonesboro, 47-year-old Lacentrusa Mayweather, and 42-year-old Tabitha Gray of Ball have been booked into the Bienville Parish Prison.

____________________________

Hurricane Michael that impacted the Florida Panhandle in October has been upgraded by the National Hurricane Center to a Category 5 hurricane, making it only the fourth storm to hit the United States to receive the classification dating back to 1851.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says the upgrade it is intriguing in assessing hurricane probability.

Cut 9 (07) “…the Saffir-Simpson scale.”

The last Cat 5 to impact the United States was Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and did not receive the distinction until almost a decade after landfall.  Keim says although Louisiana was not the recipient of the full force of Andrew, it’s definitely made an impact on the Bayou State after crossing Florida.

Cut 10 (11) “…here as well.”

Of the four cat 5 storms, two made landfall at peak strength from the Gulf of Mexico.  Hurricane Camille in 1969 made landfall in Mississippi.  Keim says Louisiana is lucky to have dodged the bullet on getting a Cat 5.

Cut 11 (12)   “…our home state.”

_____________________

A GoFundMe page for the three St. Landry Parish churches that were burned by alleged arsonist Holden Matthews has now raised over two million dollars for reconstruction efforts.

Seventh District Missionary Baptist Association representative Mason Jack says the donations have surged in the last week.

Cut 12 (10) “…to home”

Jack says it’s been an inspiring turn of events just in time for Good Friday and the Easter weekend.

Cut 13 (11) “…resurrect”

The churches are still working out just how much coverage they’ll receive from their insurance companies, but regardless of the deals they cut Jack says they’ll all be getting a slice of the fundraiser once it wraps up.

Cut 14 (10) “…ministry”

Three people have been arrested for allegedly planting fake bombs at Bienville Parish schools to distract authorities while they robbed nearby banks. In one instance a school was put on lock-down and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team was called in to sniff out the suspected bomb. Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the bomb sniffing dogs combed the premises, but…
Cut 7 (07) “…were found.”
41-year-old Paul Nash of Jonesboro, 47-year-old Lacentrusa Mayweather, and 42-year-old Tabitha Gray of Ball have been booked into the Bienville Parish Prison.
East Baton Rouge residents will not have to worry about serving jury duty until at least June thanks to a computer glitch that kept people under 26 off the rolls. E-B-R District Attorney Hillar Moore says The jury service computer glitch means many jury trials will have to delayed.
Cut 5 (05) “…unfortunately”
___________________________
Hurricane Michael that impacted the Florida Panhandle in October has been upgraded by the National Hurricane Center to a Category 5 hurricane. State Climatologist Barry Keim says although Louisiana was not the recipient of the full force of Andrew, it’s definitely made an impact on the Bayou State after crossing Florida.
Cut 10 (11) “…here as well.”
A GoFundMe page for the three St. Landry Parish churches that were burned by alleged arsonist Holden Matthews has now raised over two million dollars for reconstruction efforts. Seventh District Missionary Baptist Association representative Mason Jack says the donations have surged in the last week.
Cut 12, 10 seconds, to home
The churches are still working out just how much coverage they’ll receive from their insurance companies, but regardless of the deals they cut Jack says they’ll all be getting a slice of the fundraiser once it wraps up.

East Baton Rouge residents will not have to worry about serving jury duty until at least June after a case out of Shreveport found young adults were not being summoned for jury duty. E-B-R District Attorney Hillar Moore says a computer system glitch prevented people under age 26 from being summoned as potential jurors.The problem was uncovered during jury selection for the capital murder trial of Grover Cannon, who is accused of killing Shreveport police officer Thomas LaValley in 2015. The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled jury selection for that case must start over and Moore explains why
Cut 4 (05) “      be even” 
Hurricane Michael that impacted the Florida Panhandle in October has been upgraded by the National Hurricane Center to a Category 5 hurricane, making it only the fourth storm to hit the United States to receive the classification dating back to 1851. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the upgrade it is intriguing in assessing hurricane probability.
Cut 9 (07) “…the Saffir-Simpson scale.”

Three people who allegedly planted fake bombs at schools to help them rob banks in Bienville Parish have been arrested. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

East Baton Rouge residents will not have to worry about serving jury duty until at least June after a case out of Shreveport found young adults were not being summoned for jury duty. E-B-R District Attorney Hillar Moore says a computer system glitch prevented people under age 26 from being summoned as potential jurors…
Cut 3 (10) “…beyond me ”
Three people have been arrested for allegedly planting fake bombs at Bienville Parish schools to distract authorities while they robbed nearby banks.Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the plan was to sow terror and confusion to draw local police to one area of the town, while they went to work in another…
Cut 6 (12) “…to commit.”
The three are facing charges of Fake Explosive Device, Criminal Conspiracy, and Criminal Trespassing. Rodrigue says more charges are likely on the way.
_______________________________________
New LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward will be introduced to Tiger Nation next Tuesday and he’ll have some big calls to make right off the bat. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says first on deck is what to do about now un-suspended basketball coach Will Wade and a program with a corruption cloud hanging over it’s head.
Cut 10 (09) “…shakes out.” (Edit audio to remove mention of trial)
Data from the Louisiana Survey touched on the topic of firearm ownership. 57% of residents oppose banning the sale of assault weapons and 61% oppose banning high capacity ammunition magazines. LSU Public Policy Research Lab Director Dr. Mike Henderson says says a majority of residents support at least one form of expanding gun rights.
Cut 14 (06) “…carry permit.”
The only gun restriction that was supported by a majority was limit on ownership and purchase rights for those with certain mental illnesses.

Crawfish availability is expected to be lower going into Easter weekend, which normally marks the peak of the season.  The overall crop of crawfish is down this season.  President of the Crawfish Research and Promotion Board David Savoy says there has been a bit of a rebound, but the recent bad weather has slowed down the harvest going into the holiday weekend.
Cut 7 (09) “…what we catch.”
Data from the Louisiana Survey touched on the topic of firearm ownership. 57% of residents oppose banning the sale of assault weapons and 61% oppose banning high capacity ammunition magazines. LSU Public Policy Research Lab Director Dr. Mike Henderson says these are some of the points that have come up in the national discussion in the fallout of various mass shootings across the country.

Cut 13 (06) “opposition still.”

Henderson says of the three firearm restrictions presented, the only one that a majority of those polled could get behind was limiting gun access for those with mental illness issues.

School voucher advocates are hoping the legislature doesn’t come after their 40 million dollar program to pay for the Governor’s requested 39 million dollar public school funding increase. Matt Doyle has more.

 Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A shooting that left a 13-year-old dead is currently under investigation by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were alerted about a large disturbance in Natalbany last night around 9:40. The victim has been identified at Robert Stevenson. 54-year-old Rickey Nelson of Independence has been charged with manslaughter. Additional charges and arrests are believed to be coming soon.

It might be tricky to get your hands on mudbugs this Easter weekend. Kevin Barnhart tells us why.
Vocier 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A Hammond woman has received a three year prison sentence for faking her kidnapping. 32-year-old Sharday Thomas pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Prosecutors say she sent text messages to her ex-boss in Monroe claiming to be one of her captors and in the messages there was a demand for 45-hundred dollars. The text messages painted a picture that Thomas was held against her will at a location in Jackson, Mississippi.

A survey of parents who have students attending a nonpublic school thanks to a taxpayer funded voucher finds that nearly 97-percent are happy with their child’s academic progress at the private school they are attending. Louisiana Federation for Children president Ann Duplessis says the survey shows that parents deserve choice when it comes which school their child should attend…
cut 5 (10) “….choice”

New LSU AD Scott Woodward will be formally introduced on Tuesday and we’ll get to hear his ideas on improving Tiger athletics. Many athletic directors are dealing with declining attendance at college football games. Former AD Joe Alleva pushed the SEC to allow schools to sell beer in the stands and Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says…
cut 12 (11) “…times”

The 2019 Louisiana Survey shows a majority of Louisiana residents oppose gun restrictions as 57-percent oppose banning the sale of assault weapons and 61-percent oppose banning high capacity ammunition magazines. LSU Public Policy Research Lab director Doctor Michael Henderson says they asked respondents about three different proposals to restrict firearms and only one received majority support…
cut 15 (07) “…other individuals”
Henderson says 69-percent of those polled say a law should be put in place to prevent people with mental illness from purchasing guns.

President of the Crawfish Research and Promotion Board David Savoy says the supply of mudbugs is not where it should be for an Easter weekend. Savoy says the cool spring is partly to blame…
cut 9 (07) “…very much”
Savoy says yesterday’s severe weather also slowed production.

The family of Kathleen Blanco has told the Advocate that the state’s only female governor is not on the verge of passing. Previous reports said Blanco had entered into hospice. The family says while she is not able to walk, she still visits friends and loved ones by getting around on an electric scooter. The family defined the care as “hospice assistance” and say she is no longer seeking treatment for her cancer.

The Joe Alleva era is over and come Tuesday new LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward will have to answer questions on the future of Tiger athletics…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

School voucher advocates are hoping the legislature doesn’t come after their 40 million dollar program to pay for the Governor’s requested 39 million dollar public school funding increase. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The GoFundMe campaign for the three historically black churches burned down in St. Landry parish has surpassed two million dollars. The website says over 37-thousand people have donated money to help rebuild the churches. The Seventh District Baptist Association says 100-percent of all funds will be evenly distributed to the three churches affected.

With this being Easter weekend, the demand for crawfish reaches its peak, but President of the Crawfish Research and Promotion board David Savoy says mudbugs are not hitting the traps like they should, so the supply is lower than normal for an Easter weekend…
cut 8 (11) “….attracting other crawfish”
Savoy says the severe weather that hit the state yesterday also has hurt production.

With the hiring of Scott Woodward has LSU’s new athletics director, some Tiger fans are wondering what this might mean for football coach Ed Orgeron. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says the seat is far from getting hot for Coach O
cut 11 (10) “…anywhere”
Bad loss for the LSU baseball team last night as they were swamped by Florida 16-9. The Cajuns and La Tech also lost on the baseball diamond.