The Red River continues to cause flooding problems in the Shreveport area. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

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The state senate approves legislation that prohibits State Police from using its own funds to provide security when Governor Bobby Jindal travels for campaign purposes. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Officials with the National Weather Service say the Red River in Shreveport reached its crest, within an inch, this morning. Hydrologist C.S. Ross says the river was at 36.82 feet as of 8AM this morning. Ross says there is major flooding happening in the Caddo/Bossier area…

CUT 3 (07)  “backwater flooding”

He says the rising waters in the Red River is causing backwater flooding along tributaries in the area. Ross says the flooding in the Shreveport area is just the beginning…

CUT 4 (11)  “through next weekend”

This crest of the Red River in Shreveport is the highest since 1945. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says there are about 300 homes in Caddo Parish have been affected by flood waters…

CUT 5 (08)  “reach a home”

One of the homes that is flooded is the home of Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prater. She says about 30 roads are closed in the area due to flood waters. Chadwick says officials will continue their efforts to keep flood damage to a minimum…

CUT 6 (11)  “things like that”

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The LSU Tiger Baseball team is headed to Omaha to play in the College World Series for the 17th time and the first since 2013. The Tigers defeated UL-Lafayette on Sunday 6-3. After the game, Coach Paul Mainieri told the media that he got an email from the best friend of Lance Bergeron, one of the National Guardsmen who lost his life in the Blackhawk helicopter crash…:

CUT 7 (13) “perspective for me”

Mainieri says he wasn’t nervous at all about the game and that he told the players to forget about what the stakes are, and just go out there and play and have fun. He says thinking about the crash which claimed the lives of 4 Guardsmen and 7 Marines made him view the game in a different light…:

CUT 8 (09)  “irrelevant”

Mainieri says he mentioned to Athletic Director Joe Alleva that they’ve won 52 games this season but if they hadn’t won that 53rd game, the season would have felt unfulfilled in so many ways…:

CUT 9 (11)  “that’s where we belong”

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A state Senator tried to amend the controversial higher ecucation tax credit by renaming it the DUMB fund. Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur wanted to change the name of the SAVE act, which Governor Jindal is pushing in order to have a revenue neutral budget. LaFleur says the amendment is strictly technical and only describes the bill for what it is…

cut 10 (11) “the word ‘DUMB’” 

LaFleur’s amendment would change SAVE, “Students Assessment for a Valuable Education”, with DUMB, “Don’t Understand the Meaning of Bill”. Many lawmakers are not supportive of the SAVE act which they say is a budget gimmick and LaFleur’s amendment is evidence of legislators frustrations. SAVE act author, Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue, was not amused…

cut 11 (10)  “against it”

LaFleur did withdraw the amendment saying he proposed it with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. However, LaFleur says he will not vote for this piece of legislation…

cut 12 (09)  “behind the truth”

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The state senate approves legislation that  prohibits State Police from paying trooper security costs when Governor Bobby Jindal travels for campaign purposes. The head of the state democratic party, New Orleans Senator Karen Peterson, says State Police has spent over two-million dollars this year for Jindal’s trips…

cut 13 (10)  “that money”

Peterson’s amendment passed on a 29-5 vote. Metairie Senator Danny Martiny voted against it, because he doesn’t think the legislation will change anything, because a governor can always say they were attending to state business, even when traveling out of Louisiana

cut 14 (05) “circumvent it”

Peterson, who is a vocal critic of the Jindal administration, says during these tough budget times, State Police should not be using it’s own resources to support a governor’s presidential campaign

cut 15 (08) “state funds”

The Louisiana Legislature is on its way to sending marijuana reform proposals to Governor Bobby Jindal who gives every indication he will sign them. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The legislative session ends Thursday and state capitol observers say it’s difficult to say what will happen with the budget. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

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LSU defeated in-state rival UL Lafayette to punch their ticket to the College World Series. Jeff Palermo has more from Alex Box Stadium…

Cut 3 (27) “Palermo”

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The Louisiana Legislature is on its way to sending marijuana reform proposals to Governor Bobby Jindal who gives every indication he will sign them. One bill drastically reduces the penalties for pot possession under 14 grams and another allows for the dispensing of medical marijuana. Kevin Caldwell with Common Sense Nola is pleased..:

cut 4  (08)  “this year”

Caldwell says he is pleased that the Sheriff’s Association and the DA’s were willing to at least talk about meeting halfway this session unlike in years past. He says the sentence reduction bills are very progressive…:

Cut 5  (10)  “great step”

Caldwell says he’s glad there will finally be a way people who take chemo, have cerebral palsy or glaucoma will be able to get edible or oil forms of marijuana…:

Cut 6 (10)  “dealt with”

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The Louisiana House could vote on a resolution to hold a veto override session. Governor Jindal said he’ll veto revenue generating bills, if the legislature doesn’t pass a tax offset, so he can keep his “no tax” pledge. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, chairs the House Republican Legislative Delegation, and he says there’s a desire in the House for an override session, if it gets to that point

CUT 7 (12)  “comes up”

Lawmakers have until 6 PM on Thursday to finish their legislative work and that includes approving a balanced budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st. Harris it’s his hope lawmakers will not need to call for an override veto session

Cut 8  (10)  “next session” 

So far house members have yet to support a higher education tax credit that is needed to provide the offset Jindal needs to sign the hundreds of million of dollars in tax measures the legislature is poised to approve. Harris says legislators are hoping a budget solution  can be found…

Cut 9 (10)  “this session”

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With a few days left in the legislative session, it looks like Louisiana businesses are the big losers. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says business lobbyist groups are not happy the legislature is pushing to reduce hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and rebates many companies enjoy

Cut 10 (11) “from them”

Legislators are tyring to close a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall in order to pass a budget that doesn’t dramatically cut funding for higher education and health care. Pinsonat says the scaling back of tax exemptions for businesses was how much of the money was raised, which upsets the business community

cut 11 (08) “raging battle”

Pinsonat says legislators who voted to take away some of the tax exemptions from businesses, will not get the endorsement of the Louisiana Association of Business Industry in the fall election

cut 12 (10)   “or experience”

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The state Senate voted to increase the cigarette tax by 72 cents which would bring it up to $1.08 and match the Southern regional average. Lawmakers are trying to raise revenue to plug the budget hole and prevent massive cuts to higher ed and health care. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell authored the amendment to raise the tax higher than the House approved 32 cent cigarette tax increase…:

Cut 13 (09)  “appropriate”

It’s not likely the lower chamber will go along with what the Senate approved. Gonzales Senator Jody Amedee voted against Morrell’s amendment…:

Cut 14 (10) “raise taxes”

The session ends Thursday. The bill is by Bogalusa Representative Harold Ritchie and was carried in the Upper Chamber by Bogolusa Senator Ben Nevers who says not only would this tax raise revenue, it would also go towards making Louisiana citizens healthier…:

Cut 15  (08)  “help them quit”

The LSU Tigers are headed back to the College World Series as they defeated UL Lafayette six to three to clinch a Super Regional series victory over the Ragin Cajuns. Alex Bregman’s two-run single in the 8th inning, in what was his final at-bat in Alex Box Stadium, was the key hit in the ballgame…

Cut 16  (16)  “any other way”

Jared Poche was the winning pitcher for LSU as he allowed one run in 7.2 innings pitched. Gunner Leger suffered the loss for the Cajuns, but Coach Tony Robichaux is proud of his freshman from Lake Charles

Cut 17 (13) ” opportunity tonight” 

The Ragin Cajuns season ends with a record of 42-23. Robichaux says it was a great ride to take a young team almost to Omaha

Cut 18 (10) “proud of em”‘

This is LSU’s 17th trip to the College World Series and first since 2013. Bregman says the Tigers can’t wait…

Cut 19 (07)  “on a mission”

Tickets to the LSU/UL-Lafayette Super Regional games this weekend are going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The latest forecast of the Red River has it now cresting in the Shreveport area at its highest level in 70 years. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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College Baseball fans in Louisiana are going nuts for tickets to the LSU/UL-Lafayette Super Regional this weekend at The Box. Seats are going for hundreds of dollars on secondary markets. Stubhub.com spokeswoman Allison Salcedo (Sal-Say-Doe) says the average price for Games 1 and 2 are around $195 which is huge for college baseball…:

CUT 3 (06)  “the matchup”

Standing room only tickets for the matchup went on sale Friday morning at 8am and were all gone in 5 minutes. They were $30 and included passes to all three games with each buyer able to get up to four tickets. Salcedo says you’ll have to dish out more than that for a series pass on their site…:

CUT 4 (03)  “$340″

A spokesman for LSU says this is one of the toughest tickets to get for a home event in the school’s history. Salcedo says typically the closer you get to first pitch the lower the price of the tickets go…:

CUT 5 (04)  “better deal”

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The latest forecast of the Red River has it now cresting in the Shreveport area at 36.5 feet on Sunday evening. Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says, at this point, only a handful of properties have taken in water and they hope the situation doesn’t get worse…

CUT 6 (11)  “bigger problems develop”

The projected crest in the Shreveport area would be the highest crest of the Red River in 70 years. Steele says equipment and approximately 175,000 sandbags have been delivered to the Shreveport area and officials are constantly monitoring conditions…

CUT 7 (10) “ready to roll”

He says areas in northwest Louisiana are currently in major flood stage, while the Alexandria area is in minor flood stage. Steele says people need to stay aware of what’s going on and gather emergency supplies in case you are forced to evacuate…

CUT 8 (09)  “and your family”

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Willie “Dynamite” Larkin is the new president at Grambling State University. The University of Louisiana system Board selected Larkin over Gilbert Rochon and three other candidates who were interviewed on Grambling’s campus this week. Larkin says the difficult selection process should benefit him when he takes over as Grambling’s president on July 1st….

CUT 9 (10)  “few months”

UL System president Sandra Woodley calls Larkin a strong leader who will move Grambling to the next level. During the selection process, Larkin was interviewed by faculty and staff and “Dynamite,” who is also a motivational speaker, scored well with those two groups

cut 10 (11) “hard at all” 

Larkin is currently the chief of staff in the Office of the President at Morgan State University. He says he’ll be a busy man leading up to his July first start date at Grambling

cut 11 (10)  “as well”

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Baton Rouge Food Blogger and lover of Louisiana cuisine, Jay Ducote, is competing on Season 11 of Food Network Star which premieres this Sunday. The hit reality competition show awards the winner with their own series on the Food Network. Ducote, who has also appeared on MasterChef and Cutthroat Kitchen, says being one of the 12 finalists on Food Network Star is a dream come true…:

cut 12 (10)  “Food Network Star”

Ducote boasts his love of eating and drinking for a living while celebrating culinary culture around Louisiana and everywhere he travels. He says although he didn’t attend culinary school, he learned to cook throwing LSU tailgate parties…:

cut 13 (13)  “for LSU football”

The premiere Sunday will air at 8pm and a huge viewing party with Ducote is being held in Downtown Baton Rouge. Ducote couldn’t say much about what happens this season, but he can say that this first episode on Sunday will be the true first time all the contestants walk into the kitchen and meet each other. He says they introduce themselves first:

cut 14 (12) “Food Network fans”

Tickets to the Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood shows in New Orleans go on sale this morning at 10am. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The legislative session ends in a week and lawmakers are struggling to send a revenue-neutral budget to Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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Lafayette police arrest a woman for second-degree murder after the discovery of a baby’s body left in a box for 14 years. Scott Carwile has the story….

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

Tickets to the Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood shows in New Orleans go on sale this morning at 10am. The couple will be performing in Louisiana for the first time in 18 years on Friday July 10th and Saturday July 11th at the Smoothie King Center. General manager Alan Freeman says they expect tickets to go fast…:

cut 4  (10)  “the other cities”

The tickets, including fees, are $74.98 each and all seats are sold best available. Freeman says they’ll be drawing Garth fans from all over the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and western Florida…:

Cut 5  (10)  “for the city”

You can online buy tickets online at ticketmaster.com. Freeman says they will not be selling any tickets at their box office because Brooks is very particular about how he wants his shows sold..:

Cut 6 (10)  “will get his tickets”

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There’s a week left in the 2015 legislative session and there’s great uncertainty over whether the legislature can pass a budget that will NOT be vetoed by Governor Bobby Jindal. Jeremy Alford, with la-politics-dot-com, says the legislature is struggling with putting together a spending plan that’s revenue neutral, which the governor has requested

CUT 7 (06)  “modern times”

Alford says there’s been a big push back from lawmakers against a higher education tax credit that could be used as an offset to the hundreds of million dollars in revenue generating bills approved by the House. He says if Jindal does veto the budget, we could see an override veto session…

Cut 8  (08)  “veto override” 

Alford says even if the legislature sends Governor Jindal a revenue-neutral budget, it will likely contain tax increases to businesses in order to protect higher and health care from devastating cuts…

Cut 9 (08)  “five years”

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Lafayette Police arrested a woman for second-degree murder after the discovery of an infant’s body that had been in a box for 14 years in a storage unit. Fifty-seven-year-old Rebecca Landry was booked into Lafayette Parish Jail for the death of the child. Corporal Nicole Benoit says police were notified after a man who purchased the storage unit  discovered the body in a box.

Cut 10 (10) “infant”

Through their investigation, detectives have determined that the infant has been in the box since 2001. Benoit says Landry spoke with detectives, but the details of that conversation are private….

cut 11 (08) “murder”

Benoit says police were able to find and arrest Landry the same day they were called to the scene of investigation

cut 12 (07)   “with her”

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This is the third Louisiana Radio Network Gubernatorial Question of the Week. We asked, “As Governor, how would you reform the Medicaid program? Would you accept federal dollars so more uninsured people can receive coverage?” Democratic State Representative John Bel Edwards says in Louisiana, Medicaid expansion would benefit 290,000 working poor people…:

Cut 13 (09)  “into Louisiana”

US Senator David Vitter says the only way he’d consider accepting the federal dollars is if programs were reformed through a private coverage or some other model, ensure that it doesn’t lead to further cuts…:

Cut 14 (11) “receive help”

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says he would work to convince the federal government to change the rules so we can begin considering expanding Medicaid…:

Cut 15  (11)  “hospital system”

Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle says he would like to expand coverage for working families, but do so in a way that does not burden tax payers with an entitlement…:

Cut 16  (12)  “for working families”

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Freshman Alex Lange will start on the mound for the LSU Tigers tomorrow night in game one of the super regional series against UL Lafayette. Lange is 11-0 with a 1.76 ERA. But LSU Coach Paul Mainieri will not be afraid to turn to his bullpen, even though they don’t have an established closer

Cut 17 (16) ” for us” 

LSU only scored four runs in the final two games of the Baton Rouge regional. Tigers center fielder Andrew Stevenson says they want to provide their pitchers with more run support…

Cut 18 (14) “we can do that”‘

UL Lafayette reached the Super Regionals last season, but lost to Ole Miss in the best of three series. Shortstop Blake Trahan says this super regional is a lot different than last year

Cut 19 (15)  “go fight”

Third baseman Tyler Girouard is one of a handful seniors on this squad. The former Teurlings Catholic star says there’s no bad blood between these two schools that are less than a hour apart…

Cut 20 (25)  “having fun”

The Louisiana National Guard says pilot error was the cause of the Black Hawk Helicopter crash which claimed the lives of four guardsman and 7 Marines in March. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The rising waters of the Red River are causing some Caddo and Bossier Parish residents to be driven from their homes. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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The Louisiana National Guard says an investigation has determined the cause of the Black Hawk Helicopter crash which claimed the lives of four guardsman and 7 Marines in March was pilot error. Col Pete Schneider with LANG says spatial disorientation of both pilots caused them to lose control of the aircraft…:

CUT 3 (10)  “off of instruments”

Schneider says the thorough investigation was conducted jointly by LANG and US Special Operations Command. He says the spatial disorientation was due to the pilots failing to transition from visual flight procedures to instrument flight as a thick sea of fog rolled into the training area…:

CUT 4 (07)  “of the accident”

The accident occurred during a joint training mission. He says an 30% of all aviation accidents are caused by spatial disorientation and an important result of this investigation is to let everyone know what happened…:

CUT 5 (07)  “can be prevented again”

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The rising waters of the Red River are causing some Caddo and Bossier Parish residents to be driven from their homes. Floodwaters are approaching some neighborhoods and those residents are being encouraged to evacuate. Marty Mayeaux, with the National Weather Service in Shreveport, says the river is continuing to swell…

CUT 6 (07)  “Saturday evening”

The Red is now predicted to crest at 35.5 feet Saturday afternoon, possibly into Saturday evening. That will put the river at five-and-a-half feet over flood stage. Mayeaux says waters are now beginning to affect areas in Shreveport, itself…

CUT 7 (08) “entire area”

As of Thursday morning, the Red River was at 33.9 feet. NWS says this is the first time the river has reached flood stage in Shreveport in 25 years. Mayeaux says this flood event is something that should not be taken lightly…

CUT 8 (07)  “definitely significant”

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Officials with the “Hollywood South” movie industry are apprehensive about changes made by the Senate Finance Committee to a bill that reforms the film tax credit program. The committee lowered the cap for film tax credits from $200 million to $180 million. Louisiana film industry consultant, Sherri McConnell, says this causes concern about projects already in the pipeline, as well as the future growth of the industry…

CUT 9 (09)  “increased production”

She says a lowered tax credit cap will limit the ability for increased film production in the state. Lafayette Representative Joel Robideaux’s bill also featured a provision that would provide incentives to build an indigenous film industry in Louisiana. McConnell says that part of the measure was completely gutted…

cut 10 (11) “pay taxes here” 

McConnell says, at this point, this is not a very promising piece of legislation for the film industry on many levels. She says this bill was designed to grow Louisiana businesses and put Louisiana residents to work. McConnell says if lawmakers gain a better grasp of the measure’s intent, they will do the right thing…

cut 11 (07)  “more positive posture”

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The full House approves legislation that sets up rules and regulations for the dispensing of medical marijuana in Louisiana. New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno says under the proposed law, a patient who suffers from glaucoma, cancer or cerebral palsy will have the option of using medicinal marijuana in a pill form…

cut 12 (08)  “and need it”

The bill by state senator Fred Mills establishes where the medical marijuana will be dispensed and where it will be grown and who will handle the production of the medicine. But Leesville Representative James Armes expressed skeptism about the legislation…

cut 13 (08)  “enough”

Moreno added some more amendments to the bill, in an attempt to calm fears that the growing of medicial marijuana in Louisiana could lead to criminal activity or corruption. She made the case to the rest of the House that the bill has tight controls on it and it will be very beneficial…

cut 14 (10) “the option”

The vote was 70-29, Livingston Representative Sherman Mack voted against it, because he believes this legislation will open the door to Louisiana legalizing recreational marijuana…

cut 15 (10) “you’re doing”

###Affiliates cuts 2 and 7 through 10 have been reworked as a result of some late action by the legislature####

The State Department of Agriculture and Forestry says the national egg shortage has caused the price to nearly double over the past couple of months. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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A House committee votes against a key piece of legislation, called the SAVE tax credit. Scott Carwile explains why its so important to the budget negotiations….

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

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Legislation that would ease pot possession penalties in Louisiana is just a step away from Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk for his signature. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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The State Department of Agriculture and Forestry says the national egg shortage has caused the price to nearly double over the past couple of months. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says an avian flu virus came into America from Asian migratory birds and we’ve lost about 44 million birds so far…:

cut 4  (08)  “hens that lay eggs”

Strain says many suppliers have had to go up on their egg prices, but officials are taking steps to get the situation under control. He says they are trying to develop a vaccine for this type of influenza…:

Cut 5  (11)  “commercial flocks”

Strain says the price of shell eggs at the grocery store has gone from about $1.19 in late April to about $2.03 today as a national average. He believes these higher prices will stick around for about the next 6 months, but we’re not going to run out of eggs…:

Cut 6 (09)  “they’re serving breakfast”

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State Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield says there’s a greater possibility Governor Jindal will veto the budget, if  a tax credit for higher education is NOT approved by the legislature. Barfield says the legislation is needed to offset the revenue generating tax bills already approved by the House. He says without the legislation, cuts to higher ed may be needed to balance the budget…

CUT 7 (09)  “from here”

The SAVE tax credit failed on a 10-9 vote in the House Ways and Means Committee. But the legislation was revived, when it was added to three different bills approved by Senate Finance committee.  Chairman Joel Robideaux explained why some lawmakers are uncomfortable with the tax credit…

Cut 8  (09)  “that he signed” 

Governor Jindal signed a pledge with Americans for Tax Reform to not raise taxes and has said he will veto a budget that is not revenue neutral. Barfield says this is an important piece of the puzzle to be able to get to a budget the governor would sign…

Cut 9 (08)  “out there”

Robideaux says lawmakers are not looking forward to a possible veto override…

Cut 10 (09) “I don’t know”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office says they’ve made nine arrests of people they believe are involved in a very complex residential burglary case targeting firearms and electronics. Lt. Tommy Carnline says they’ve been investigating several daytime residential burglaries since mid April. He says it all came together this week and they were able to make the nine arrests on various ranging charges…:

cut 11 (10) “of this case”

Carnline says the suspects were all connected in a stolen item for drugs scheme…:

cut 12 (09)   “narcotics”

Carnline says every time they would arrest one person or conduct a search warrant during this investigation, it would lead them to another possible suspect. He says they were able to recover almost all of the stolen firearms in this case. Carnline says it’s a shame that these suspects took advantage of people who were working during the day..:

Cut 13 (12)  “in this case”

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State Police say a deputy with the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is under arrest after being found with a large amount of marijuana in his vehicle. Sgt. James Anderson says, on I-10 in Sulphur, troopers stopped a truck driven by 28-year-old Derek Nothnagel of Lake Charles for a traffic violation…:

Cut 14 (10) “inside the vehicle”

Anderson says investigators searched the truck and ended up finding about 18 pounds of marijuana in a duffle bag. He says Nothnagel faces numerous charges…:(Nothnagel was fired from his job as a deputy.)

Cut 15  (08)  “inspection decal”

Anderson says Nothnagel was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center and bond was set at $27,300. He says this case is extremely disappointing…:

Cut 16  (07)  “or not”

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LSU’s Alex Lange, who was named Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, will be the Tigers starting pitcher in Game One of the Super Regional Series against the Ragin Cajuns. Lange was oustanding in the regionals last weekend, throwing a complete game shutout and striking out 12. Lange knows the excitement level on Saturday will be through the roof….

Cut 17 (13) ” this weekend” 

The LSU and U-L Lafayette rivalry is heated among the fan base, especially in the Acadiana area, where Tiger and Cajun fans live and work together. Coach Paul Mainieri says he has all the respect for UL Lafayette and its coaching staff

Cut 18 (18) “really well”‘

LSU is a national two seed in the NCAA Tournament, while the Ragin Cajuns were a three-seed in the Houston Regional. Mainieri says seeds don’t mean anything at this point, and they learned that lesson when Stony Brook, a fourth-seed, beat the Tigers in the Super Regionals in 2012…

Cut 19 (19)  “meet that”

Governor Bobby Jindal will make a “major announcement” concerning the 2016 presidential race on June 24th in New Orleans. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Members of Louisiana congressional delegation ask the Army to reverse its decision to deny Louisiana National Guard Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich the opportunity of a burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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Governor Bobby Jindal will make a “major announcement” regarding the 2016 presidential race on June 24th in New Orleans. It’s expected Jindal will announce his intentions for the Republican presidential nomination. LSU Political Science Professor Wayne Parent says it would be a surprise if Jindal announced he wasn’t going to run…

CUT 3 (09)  “quite a bit”

The GOP field is crowded as nine candidates have already entered the race. Parent says the growing field has made a Jindal presidential campaign more difficult than anyone anticipated…

CUT 4 (08)  “the nomination”

He says support for the governor is hovering at around one-percent in recent polls. Jindal has launched a presidential exploratory committee and made numerous trips to key primary states. Parent says, moving forward, Jindal needs to continue to identify with his support base, especially in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina…

CUT 5 (08)  “build from there”

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A Common Core compromise bill that establishes a process to review the controversial education standards in math and English receives approval from the Senate education committee. The measure calls for public hearings statewide, plus legislative input and the proposed changes can be accepted or rejected by the next governor. Lake Charles Representative Brett Geymann sponsors the legislation…

CUT 6 (08)  “own standards”

The measure has the support of Governor Bobby Jindal and State Superintendent of Education John White, who has supported Common Core from the beginning. Geymann, a vocal Common Core opponent, is glad a compromise was reached…

CUT 7 (11) “as well”

The measure, which has passed the House, heads to the full senate for final legislative approval. There are some, like Common Core opponent Beth Appleton, who remain skeptical that this will lead to changes to the education standards…

CUT 8 (06)  “the name”

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Members of Louisiana congressional delegation request the Army reverse its decision to deny Louisiana National Guard Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich the opportunity of a burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Congressman Ralph Abraham, who chairs a subcommittee that oversees federal military cemeteries, says their conversation with Deputy Secretary of the Army Deb Wada was productive…

CUT 9 (10)  “family wishes”

Florich was one of four Louisiana National Guardsmen and seven Marines killed in a helicopter crash while on a training mission in Florida in March. Because Florich was not listed as on active duty at the time of the crash, the Army says he is not eligible for burial at Arlington. Abraham doesn’t understand how this can be…

cut 10 (09) “active duty” 

Abraham is optimistic the Army will change their ruling in this case. He says the Marines that were involved in that ill-fated training mission were listed on active duty and Florich should be afforded that same status…

cut 11 (11)  “so desire it”

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A Senate approved bill that would establish the SAVE fund fails to advance out of the House Ways & Means committee. The complicated measure involved new fees being raised on college students and giving the higher ed institutions a tax credit to cover them. Baton Rouge Representative Regina Barrow believes the measure would only let Governor Bobby Jindal maintain a “revenue neutral” record..:

cut 12 (06)  “clever”

Those in favor of the bill said it went a long way to helping ensure that the governor would not veto budget balancing measures already approved by the House. The vote was 10-9 to kill the proposal. Scott Cornelius is an LSU student who told the committee that Governors do not veto budgets…:

cut 13 (11)  “ridiculous gimmick”

Senator Jack Donahue says his bill is a way they can go about having a budget the Governor would sign. Gonzales Representative Eddie Lambert says people are tired of gimmicks…:

cut 14 (10) “supposed to do”

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Scientists at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center say a spinach extract could help curb hunger and cravings. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is now offering an electronic version of hunting and fishing licenses for purchase. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The Senate Finance Committee approves a bill that would increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes 64 cents which is 32 cents higher than what the House agreed to. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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After receiving Senate approval, the Steve Gleason Act has passed the US House Ways and Means Committee. The measure would make speech generating devices and other technology more accessible for patients with ALS and other diseases so they can live more independent lives. Team Gleason Associate Executive Director Clare Durrett says Medicare changes last year created the necessity for this legislation…

cut 4  (12)  “and internet”

The legislation now heads to the full House for a vote. She says the measure would help not only ALS patients, but patients who suffer any sort of paralysis where they can’t use their physical being to communicate. Durrett says this legislation will reverse changes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented last year…

Cut 5  (10)  “away from them”

Durrett says currently CMS takes the devices back from patients who enter a nursing home, hospital, or hospice. She says everyone is optimistic The Steve Gleason Act will make it to President Obama’s desk…

Cut 6 (08)  “through the House”

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Scientists at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center say a spinach extract could help curb hunger and cravings. Candida Rebello, registered dietitian and one of the lead authors of the study, says the supplement Appethyl activates mechanisms that help you to control your appetite…:

CUT 7 (10)  “one who can not”

Rebello says they found Appethyl affects the “reward system” which is what cravings are all about. She says it’s a safe food made from spinach that decreases desire for hunger and salt and makes you feel more full…:

Cut 8  (07)  “prolonged period” 

Rebello says in their study, 60 overweight participants who were given Appethyl all felt more satisfied, had a reduced feeling of hunger for food and had less desire for savory foods like pizza. She says they found it clearly has the ability to help people cut daily caloric intake…:

Cut 9 (07)  “body weight”

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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is now offering hunting and fishing licenses in an electronic form that can be both saved on a portable device or printed from home. Director of Licensing Michelle Rayburn says this new option to the traditional license went on sale June first, creating an easier way for people to get or renew their license…

Cut 10 (10) “license at home”

Those purchasing their license through the department’s website can pay with credit card or check. Rayburn says those who prefer the traditional waterproof license can still purchase one by visiting any license vendor or calling their toll-free number…

cut 11 (05) “in the mail”

To purchase the electronic version of the license, go to the department’s website and select the e-license option under license and permits…

cut 12 (09)   “next June 30″

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The state House approves legislation that puts spending controls on the TOPS scholarship program. The Senate bill locks in the amount of the award at the 2015-2016 level. Instead of an automatic increase when tuition goes up, TOPS payments would need legislative approval to be increased. Amite Representative John Bel Edwards supports Senator Jack Donahue’s bill…:

Cut 13 (09)  “the award”

Supporters say this will help sustain the program which is becoming expensive. Under the measure, the TOPS money would essentially no longer go up to cover any future tuition increases. Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody…:

Cut 14 (11) “the award”

The Senate has approved the legislation but they must vote again on technical changes made on the House side. And the measure faces a veto threat from Governor Bobby Jindal, who has opposed major changes to the TOPS program. But Carmody says TOPS is in trouble without the bill:

Cut 15  (06)  “for the future”

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The Ragin Cajuns will bring an eight game winning streak into Baton Rouge for their Super Regional series against the LSU Tigers. U-L Lafayette hasn’t lost since dropping the opening game of the Sun Belt Tournament. Coach Tony Robichaux likes how his team has been grinding out victories

Cut 16  (14)  “to do”

UL Lafayette was a three-seed in the Houston Regional and they’ll face one of the top teams in the country with a chance at going to Omaha for the College World Series. Robichaux knows his players will not be intimidated

Cut 17 (20) ” to them” 

Robichaux says the key for his young team this weekend will be to slow the game down

Cut 18 (19) “with adrenaline”‘

The Vermilion Parish city of Kaplan is buzzing as an HBO film crew is shooting for a new series there. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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Leaders for public universities and colleges are urging legislators to approve legislation called the “Save Fund.” Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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The Vermilion Parish city of Kaplan is buzzing as an HBO film crew is shooting for a new series there. Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission Director, Allison Miller, says the series is called “Quarry”…

CUT 3 (10)  “much more”

Miller says the shoot is expected to last about a week and the series will air on Cinemax sometime next year. She believes the shoot will cover one episode of the series, but says the crew is giving out very few details. Miller says the series is set in the ’70s and, apparently, a local motel made the cut…

CUT 4 (06)  “looking for”

She says “Quarry” is the biggest film news to hit the area since a remake of “The Blob” was shot in Abbeville in 1988. Miller is hopeful that once the series is aired, it will spark a boost in tourism of people who want to see where the show was shot. She says the film shoot brings a nice boost to the local economy…

CUT 5 (08)  “they’re here”

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Public university leaders are pushing the state legislature to approve a higher education tax credit that’s having trouble getting support in the Louisiana House. University of Louisiana system President Sandra Woodley says the legislation is needed to prevent deep cuts to four and two year colleges…

CUT 6 (10)  “higher education”

The legislation, which has been called the SAVE fund, is facing push back from House members. They say its a complicated and only offered, so Governor Jindal doesn’t break his Americans for Tax Reform no-new-taxes pledge. Board of Regents Chairman Roy O’ Martin understands lawmakers’ concerns

CUT 7 (08) “piece of legislation”

The House has approved eleven measures that raises revenue to prevent cuts to higher ed, but for Jindal to sign those measures, there needs to be a tax cut, which is where the Save tax credit comes in. O’Martin says if legislators want to protect higher ed, they need to approve it

CUT 8 (09)  “save higher education”

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The first NCAA Super Regional game between LSU and UL-Lafayette will be Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium at 7pm. Many Purple and Gold and Ragin Cajun fans are planning to head out to campus early that morning to tailgate ahead of the big matchup. Assistant Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says you couldn’t ask for a better first pitch time Saturday…:

CUT 9 (11)  “Saturday night”

The game Sunday will either be at 5 or 6pm. Saturday night’s game will be broadcast on ESPN 2 and Moran says that speaks volumes of the overall national excitement of this in-state matchup…:

cut 10 (08) “itse’f apart” 

The game Monday, if necessary, is TBA. Moran feels that the games this weekend will have the same feeling as a big LSU/Alabama football type atmosphere…:

cut 11 (08)  “bigger prize”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy is concerned some of the 11 revenue generating bills approved by the state House were not passed constitutionally. The 11 House bills would raise approximately $615 million dollars to help deal with the current budget crisis. Five of those bills passed with a simple majority from the House, which Kennedy says makes them unconstitutional…

cut 12 (10)  “two-thirds vote”

Kennedy says the state Constitution requires that any new tax, raise in an existing tax, or change of an existing tax exemption receive a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate to become law. He says the legislature is relying on a 1993 attorney general’s opinion that states that a simple majority is required to suspend an existing tax exemption…

cut 13 (06)  “even on point”

However, Kennedy says that opinion misses the mark because it deals with suspending tax exemptions, not scaling them back. The five bills in question are all related to scaling back tax exemptions and credits. Kennedy says the state constitution doesn’t make an exception for partial exemptions…

cut 14 (07) “do it over”

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There are 10 days left in the 2015 legislative session and lawmakers do not appear to be close to balancing the state’s budget. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tabasco Control begins its annual summer crackdown on underage sales. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The LSU Tigers are headed to the Super Regionals where they’ll face the Ragin Cajuns. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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There are 10 days left in the 2015 legislative session and lawmakers do not appear to be close to balancing the state’s budget. Legislators are tackling a $1.6 billion budget deficit for next fiscal year. La-Politics-dot-com Publisher Jeremy Alford says lawmakers have serious doubts about being able to produce a revenue-neutral budget as required by Governor Bobby Jindal…

cut 4  (07)  “accomplish that”

Alford says it seems the key to a revenue-neutral budget is Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue’s Senate-passed SAVE tax credit that would provide colleges with a tax credit for raising student fees. He says lawmakers are having a hard time understanding the legislation, especially in the House where the bill is pending…

Cut 5  (08)  “revenue-neutral”

The SAVE tax credit was to be heard in a House committee Monday, but that hearing has been delayed. The legislative session ends June 11th. Alford says the clock is ticking loudly and you can expect things to go down to the wire…

Cut 6 (10)  “wants to do”

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The Grambling State Presidential search has been narrowed to 5 candidates who begin public interviews today. University spokeswoman Tracy Wright says interviewing today are Dr. Wayne Brumfield, Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon, and Dr. Thomas Calhoun. She says tomorrow will be Dr. Willie Larkin and Dr. Glenda Carter. Wright says they are happy with the semi-finalists…:

CUT 7 (04)  “will be”

Wright says they will narrow this list down to two on Thursday…:

Cut 8  (10)  “University” 

The interviews will be held at the Betty Smith Nursing Building Auditorium and members of the public and the media are invited to attend. Wright says they are excited about this process…:

Cut 9 (09)  “university”

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The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control announces the start of the agency’s annual summer crackdown on underage sales. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert says this is the third year they will increase compliance checks statewide during summer months. He says with kids out of school, the chances of them drinking or smoking goes up…:

Cut 10 (10) “people underage”

Hebert says during last summer’s crackdown, agents conducted over 6500 compliance checks on businesses and sell or serve alcohol and tobacco products and issued nearly 900 citations from underage sales. He says they will be going into businesses with people who are underage trying to buy alcohol or tobacco…:

cut 11 (11) “underage”

The 2015 Summer Crackdown will begin this week and run through August. Hebert says last year about 14% of the businesses that ATC checked sold to underage operatives. He says with an increase in their education initiative, they want to ensure that more places will do the right thing and not sell to minors…:

cut 12 (09)   “or tobacco”

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A bill that would give certain protections to victims of domestic violence when it comes to their housing passes a House committee Monday. SB174 is by Baton Rouge Senator Sharon Weston Broome. Under the measure, a victim could break a lease to escape a violent situation and the landlord could evict an abuser. Chalmette Representative Raymond Garofalo says his concern with the bill deals with landlords…:

Cut 13 (09)  “abuse victims”

Garofalo did not vote in favor of the bill saying he wanted to see it tightened up for the sake of apartment owners…:

Cut 14 (09) “situations”

The Senate approved measure now heads to the full House for further consideration. Broome says they’ve added many amendments to this bill to try to add additional protections for property owners…:

Cut 15  (10)  “both sides”

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It will be LSU and U-L Lafayette in a super regional series this weekend at Alex Box Stadium. Both teams advanced out of their respective regionals, the Tigers defeated UNC-Wilmington 2-0, while the Cajuns defeated Rice 5-2. LSU center fielder and former St. Thomas More star Andrew Stevenson grew up in Acadiana and he’s excited for what should be an electric atmosphere at the Box

Cut 16  (15)  “for that”

LSU’s starting pitching was outstanding in the regionals. Alex Lange tossed a complete game shutout and Jared Poche was one out away from duplicating that effort on Monday. Coach Paul Mainieri says the entire pitching staff is ready for more low-scoring games this weekend…

Cut 17 (18) ” pitch it that way” 

UL Lafayette won two games in the Houston Regional by scoring multiple runs in the ninth inning to win. The voice of Ragin Cajuns, Jay Walker, says this team has found ways to get it done

Cut 18 (15) “first two games”‘

Walker says the Cajuns will bring a young team to Baton Rouge, their top three starters are freshmen and so is their closer. He says the club understands they go in as underdogs

Cut 19 (14)  “play ball”