Law enforcement are patrolling throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving and help reduce the number of crashes on Louisiana roadways. Eric Gill reports…
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Statewide elected officials are claiming the mid-year budget cuts to their departments proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair. Eric Gill has more…
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Law enforcement are on patrol throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving and help reduce the number of crashes on Louisiana roadways. State Police spokeswoman, Melissa Matey, says Thursday there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans. She says these crashes were preventable if people had made smart decisions before getting behind the wheel…
During last year’s five-day Mardi Gras holiday, there were 599 crashes which resulted in 13 deaths statewide. Over half of those deaths involved alcohol. Matey says you can expect to see law enforcement out in force through Fat Tuesday…
CUT 4 (12) “those impaired drivers”
Matey says expect to see various checkpoints and saturation patrols all across Louisiana. She says if you partake in Mardi Gras revelry, do it responsibly…
CUT 5 (06) “Mardi Gras festivities”
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The shooting Thursday night during a parade in New Orleans which left two dead appears to be the responsibility of a 19-year-old man. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said they believe there was some sort of altercation that took place between two males while the Muses Krewe was rolling down St. Charles…:
CUT 6 (08) “at the intersection”
Harssion says the suspect is identified as 19-year-old John Hicks and he’s charged with two counts of second degree murder and illegal carrying of a firearm on the parade route. Harrison says there were cops on the scene at the intersection where the shooting took place…:
One of the victims of the shooting died during surgery and the other succumbed to his injuries Friday morning. Harrison says this situation is frustrating, but NOPD remains committed to keeping revelers safe during Mardi Gras…:
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Statewide elected officials claim the mid-year budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair. Departments managed by statewide elected officials are receiving much larger cuts than than almost all other state departments. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says these cuts are clearly disproportionate…
Dardenne says offices controlled by statewide elected officials, excluding the governor, represent less than one percent of the budget. However those agencies represent 16-percent of the budget cuts. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says these cuts aren’t fair across the board…
cut 10 (10) “340 thousand dollars”
The Department of Ag received mid-year cuts equivalent to $2.6 million dollars and the Tourism Department took a $3.6 million hit, while the governor’s office had a $10,000 cut to its budget. Jindal spokesman Mike Reed says the governor’s office reduction is in line with other offices. Strain says it’s obvious statewide elected officials are taking the brunt of the cuts…
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The Louisiana Office of Alcohol Tobacco Control says they’ve conducted over 600 alcohol and tobacco compliance checks across the state since February 2nd. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert says of the businesses checked, 83 sold alcohol and/or tobacco to underage operatives which is about a 13% non-compliance rate…:
Hebert says agents will continue to work throughout the Mardi Gras weekend to make sure illegal sales of alcohol and tobacco do not dampen the Carnival season…:
Hebert says the majority of their undercover operatives are 16 and 17 years old and with the legal age to purchase alcohol being 21 there is no excuse for these irresponsible sales…: