A 23-year-old Shreveport Police officer has been arrested for negligent homicide for shooting an unarmed black man during a foot chase. Jeff Palermo has the story…:

CUT 01(33)      “…Palermo.”

Despite the threat of some stormy weather tonight, officials in New Orleans say tonight’s three parades will roll, rain or shine. Organizers say only lightning in the vicinity will delay the processions. Metairie parades are also expected to roll as scheduled.

Deputies in Lafourche Parish seek public help catching an accused video voyeur. Spokesman Captain Brennan Matherne says 32-year-old Trey Rentrop allegedly placed a digital device in a woman’s bathroom to recorder her activities. The suspect is a known acquaintance of the victim and Matherne says they also located a rifle belonging to Rentrop in the woman’s home…:

CUT 05(11)      “…possess a firearm.”

Crimestoppers will gladly take tips on Rentrop’s whereabouts.

Lawmen and the state Highway Safety Commission have some advice this Mardi Gras Weekend: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Officers will be working overtime – literally – looking to catch impaired drivers. LHSC spokesman Mark Lambert says have fun but be smart…:

CUT 08(15)      “…if you do that.”

Stay safe.

A Shreveport cop faces negligent homicide charges for the shooting death of 43-year-old Alonzo Bagley, who was un-armed at the time. State Police are investigating. Here’s Trooper Melissa Matey describing what happened when Officer Alexander Tyler fired his weapon…:

CUT 11(12)      “…the chest.”

Officer Tyler is on administrative leave and charged with negligent homicide.

Be sure to stay sober behind the wheel as you enjoy parades this Mardi Gras weekend. Because the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign is in effect. That means LEOs will be on the lookout for impaired and unsafe drivers. Mark Lambert, with the state Highway Safety Commission, says alcohol accounts for most crashes during Carnival season…:

CUT 07(14)      “…destructive decisions.”

The upcoming retirement of DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson has only fueled speculation he’s running for governor. Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 02(29)      “…Thorington.”

An East Baton Rouge Parish school bus driver, who is accused of smoking marijuana while driving elementary kids, has been fired from his job. Officials with EBR schools say no proof was found to substantiate the accusation, but the man was sacked all the same. That driver was also accused of speeding and driving recklessly. His name has not been released.

After state Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson announced his March 4^th retirement it’s only increased speculation that he’ll run for governor. Wilson who’s been secretary for seven years has more than 25 years in public service…:

CUT 12(08)      “…next chapter.”

Wilson drops a big hint that an announcement may be coming soon.

A Shreveport Police officer is charged in the shooting of an un-armed man earlier this month. Officer Alexander Tyler is charged with negligent homicide in the shooting of Alonzo Bagley. This is from body cam video from an officer on the scene trying to render first aid to Bagley…:

CUT 10(10)      “…wake up!”

Officer Tyler is 23 and has been a Shreveport cop for just under two years.

Don’t let the good times impair your judgment during this Mardi Gras weekend. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is in effect. LHSC spokesman Mark Lambert encourages everyone to have a good time, but be safe…:

CUT 06(11)      “…been drinking.”

He says to use a designated sober driver or better yet, BE that D.D.

A mother and son in New Iberia are under arrest on drug and weapons charges. Police say 39-year-old Jennifer Olivier and her son – who is a minor – were stopped by an officer Monday evening. He discovered a large amount of marijuana and an AR-15 style rifle in their car. They also found some drug paraphernalia. The charges for Olivier are possession, possession of a gun around controlled dangerous substances and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A cold front is moving across Louisiana. Expect temperatures to dip into the 30’s by early Friday morning.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating 32-year-old Trey Rentrop of Raceland. LPSO Captain Brennan Matherne says he’s wanted for video voyeurism & possession of gun by convicted felon…also failure to register as a sex offender…:

CUT 04(06)      “…for rape.”

He was allegedly using an iPad to spy on a woman’s bathroom.

Shreveport Police Officer Alexander Tyler has been charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of 43-year-old Alonzo Bagley, an unarmed black man. The incident happened on February third as officers were chasing Bagley after he jumped from a second floor apartment. State Police released Tyler’s body camera video today..:

CUT 09(13)      “…no.no.”

The announcement of DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson’s March retirement has some speculating he’s running for governor. Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 01(30)      “…Thorington.”

…and now a look at today’s commodities with Neal Melancon…

Should Mardi Gras parade krewes and other parade organizers be forced to pay the cost of cleaning up the streets after the parade? West Monroe state Rep. Foy Gadberry has filed a bill that would do just that. He says litter is a problem that gets much worse during Carnival time…:

CUT 04(12)      “…type of thing.”

His House Bill 23 will be debated in the legislative session that starts April 10^th.

We have some more possibly severe weather coming our way. LRN Meteorologist John Wetherbee says parades scheduled tonight in New Orleans should be fine, but tomorrow night is another matter…:

CUT 10(09)      “…the day tomorrow.”

Wetherbee says skies will clear for good parade weather for Friday through Sunday. Mardi Gras day looks to be partly cloudy, warm and humid.

The Violence Policy Center says based on 2021 CDC data Louisiana ranks second in the country for having a gun death rate of 28.42 per 100-thousand people. VPC executive director Josh Sugarmann says local governments in Louisiana looking to reduce gun violence have their hands tied…:

CUT 13(11)      “…do anything.”

He says states with low gun death rates also have strong gun laws.

The New Orleans group “No LaToya” has a week remaining to collect over 49-thousand recall petition signatures needed to get a recall of Mayor LaToya Cantrell on a local ballot. Organizer Eileen Carter says they have a thousand or less signatures to go and will succeed. She hopes the Governor will schedule the recall with all due haste…:

CUT 08(09)      “…an immediate way.”
Carter and many others feel Cantrell has failed to attend to citizens’ needs and proper city services.

The Secretary of Louisiana Department of Transportation is stepping down. Governor John Bel Edwards office has announced that DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson will retire from state service effective March 4^th; just over two weeks away. The governor says Wilson’s work will “continue to bear fruit for years to come.” Wilson’s exit fuels speculation he will run for governor, as a Democrat, this fall.

The effort to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has one week until its petition signature deadline, and they say they are very close…:

CUT 01(33)      “…Thorington.”

Top of the “bad lists”? A new report from the Violence Policy Center ranks Louisiana near the top for our rate of gun deaths; just over 28 per 100-thousand persons. VPC’s Josh Sugarmann says Mississippi is tops, followed by Louisiana, New Mexico, Wyoming and Alabama…and all five states have somewhat lax gun laws…:

CUT 12(09)      “…gun laws.”

He says local government s that may want stricter gun laws find themselves trumped by state law.

Legislation to require parade organizations to pay for after-parade clean-up has been filed for the upcoming legislative session. West Monroe Representative Foy Gadberry says the litter control group, Ouachita Green, asked him to allow parishes and municipalities the ability to charge parade groups to recover clean-up costs…:

CUT 03(06)      “…to do so.”

Gadberry says litter is a statewide problem and parades only make it worse.

The Violence Policy Center ranks Louisiana second in the country for overall gun death rates. Jeff Palermo has the story…:

Cut 02  (30)      “…Palermo.”

Governor John Bel Edwards announces the retirement of DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson. Wilson will step down as March 4^th, which fuels speculation he will be a Democrat candidate for governor this fall. Edwards calls Wilson “the most effective DOTD secretary in state history.”

Here’s a proposed state law a lot of us can get behind; a bill to require parade krewes to pay for clean-up after they’ve had their run. West Monroe Rep. Fox Gadberry says his bill would allow local governments to create their own ordinances to establish fees for permits…:

CUT 05(12)      “…their needs.”

He says parade organizations should take some responsibility for the mess their events create.

More bad weather is expected across Louisiana again; particularly tomorrow. LRN Meteorologist John Wetherbee says says north, central and southwest Louisiana are under a slight risk for severe weather starting this afternoon into tomorrow morning…:

CUT 09(08)      “…impact Louisiana.”

Weather should clear by Friday and good for Mardi Gras Weekend parades.

Louisiana’s senior Senator Bill Cassidy says the White House botched the handling of a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the whole USA last week. During his weekly press teleconference, Cassidy said he feels the president’s failure to react to the first balloon makes us look vulnerable to foreign powers, and places our national security at risk…:

CUT 04 (09)      “…to our airspace.”

At least 3 unidentified objects have been shot down in the days since.

A silent alarm at the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement unit building, Sunday night, alerted deputies of a break-in. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tommy Carnline says officers found 33-year-old Monica Matthews had gotten in to use the bathroom, she told them. Carnline says she faces several charges…:

CUT 10 (09)      “…run free.”

Nothing was taken from the sheriff’s building.

A Mandeville state lawmaker files legislation for the spring session that would give local governments the authority they need to remove members of local library control boards, should they feel the need. Republican Representative Paul Hollis says this is about kids getting access to adult reading material, and taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to pay for some of the books he’s seen in libraries…:

CUT 08 (12)      “…your mind.”

In Tangipahoa Parish, citizen efforts have successfully stayed the euthanization of 65-year-old Ponchatoula city mascot Hardhide the alligator. Her owner, T-Mike Kliebert, says she’ll get to spend her remaining years instead on the Kliebert family farm…:

Cut 14  (05)      “…her life.”

Numerous people petitioned state Wildlife & Fisheries to NOT put Hardhide to sleep.

A silent alarm at the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement unit building, Sunday night, alerted deputies of a break-in. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tommy Carnline says when they inspected the RADE unit nothing was taken but the backdoor was propped open. Then they heard a noise at a nearby building…:

CUT 09(11)      “…use the restroom.”

He says Matthews was charged with burglary, criminal trespass and more.

Monroe state Senator Katrina Jackson responds to a lawsuit filed against her by the Tulane University 1^st Amendment Center, alleging she violated a woman’s right to free speech by blocking the woman’s access to her social media pages. Jackson says the woman used foul language, called Jackson obscene names and advised she should “burn in hell.” The harsh words came as Jackson was passing the state’s anti-abortion trigger law in 2022.

Senator Bill Cassidy says the White House botched the handling of a Chinese spy balloon that crossed the USA last week. More from Jeff Palermo…:

CUT 01(32)      “…Palermo.”

Organizers of the petition to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell say they are within just over a thousand signatures of their goal, with just a week until the deadline to submit. The group seeks to put a recall vote on a local election ballot. 49-thousand confirmed signatures are needed. The deadline for that is Mardi Gras Day; next Tuesday.

Senator Bill Cassidy says the White House botched the handling of a Chinese spy balloon that crossed the USA last week. During his weekly press teleconference, Cassidy says President Biden should have ordered the balloon intercepted far earlier than he did…:

CUT 03(08)      “…southern border.”

Cassidy feels the president’s failure to react to the first balloon makes us look vulnerable to foreign powers, and places our national security at risk.

A Mandeville state lawmaker files a bill to let municipalities and parishes make sure their library system operates the way they want it to. Republican Rep. Paul Hollis says his Public Library Accountability Act is aimed at fighting a “woke” agenda being pushed on the masses using taxpayer dollars…:

CUT 07(11)      “…local communities.”

State Attorney General Jeff Landry issued a legal opinion stating local governments have authority to remove board members if needs be.

Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb says deputies arrest a 15-year-old boy in connection with the death of an elderly Winnsboro man. 79-year-old Ben Scott was found last night. Cobb says the investigation is ongoing. The teen has been charged with murder.

Upon word that their beloved alligator “Hardhide” could be euthanized, the town of Ponchatoula rallied to keep the critter alive. Brooke Thorington explains…:

CUT 02(31)      “…Thorington.”