The Council for a Better Louisiana strongly objects to students opting out from taking the standardized assessments that’s tied to the Common Core education standards. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The City of Pineville is gearing up for their first Mardi Gras parade tonight. Scott Carwile reports…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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There will be plenty for Louisiana to be rooting for this Sunday during the 57th annual Grammy awards ceremony. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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There will be plenty for Louisiana to be rooting for this Sunday during the 57th annual Grammy awards ceremony. There are at least a dozen locals who are nominated or who have ties to nominations on Music’s Biggest Night. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will be hosting the “Only in Louisiana” luncheon in Los Angeles tomorrow to honor the Bayou State and its nominees

cut 4  (10)  “Louisiana food”

There are several acts scheduled to perform including the Louisiana Grammy nominated Ledisi, Magnolia Sisters, Jo-El Sonnier and Bonsior Catin. Dardenne says Louisiana has had at least one Grammy nominee every year since the inception of the awards show except for 1960 and 1970…:

Cut 5  (09)  “world of music”

The Grammy music awards ceremony will broadcast on CBS at 7pm on Sunday. Dardenne says when they mingle with people from the music industry on Grammy weekend they also use the opportunity to get the world out that Louisiana is a great place to visit…:

Cut 6 (04)  “musicians”

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There’s been a surprise development in the ongoing Benson family feud as a judge in Texas has apparently decided to place a trust set up for Tom’s daughter Renee into the hands of the former San Antonio mayor, Phil Hardberger, and an attorney. Judge Tom Rickhoff is expected to make the official order on Monday. Legal analyst Tim Meche says this is a huge victory for Renee…:

CUT 7 (11)  “of her benefit”

Meche says now it’ll be up to Hardberger to make the decision on what will happen to some of Benson’s properties and it’s assumed that he won’t do what Tom Benson wanted…:

Cut 8  (10)  “rest of the businesses” 

Meche says Tom wanted Renee fired from various boards of companies owned by the trust, but now that probably won’t happen. He says the fact that Benson didn’t take the stand in the Texas hearing likely hurt his case…:

Cut 9 (09)  “Tom Benson”

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The City of Pineville is gearing up for their first Mardi Gras parade. Eleven floats and several marching bands will make their way down Main Street tonight. Mayor Clarence Field’s Chief of Staff, Rich Dupree, says this is something the citizens of Pineville have been wanting for many years and things fell into place for the city to put on their own parade this year…

Cut 10 (09)  “more memorable” 

Dupree says their sister city, Alexandria, has put on Mardi Gras parades for more than 20 years and many Krewe members in those parades are from Pineville. He says there are a couple of distinctions that will make Pineville’s parade stand out. First of all this will be one of the few night parades in central Louisiana…

cut 11 (10) “Taste of Mardi Gras”

Secondly, the parade will cross the Jackson Street bridge into Alexandria and end in time for the “Taste of Mardi Gras” event. The “Light the Night” parade will roll at 5:30PM. Dupree says they expect a great turnout for Pineville’s inaugural Mardi Gras celebration…

cut 12 (12)  “at that parade”

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The Council for a Better Louisiana says it doesn’t make sense for kids to opt out from taking the assessment tests that are part of the Common Core education standards. CABL president Barry Erwin says the tests measure a student’s progress and that’s important considering the state spends over three billion dollars on public schools..

Cut 13 (08)  “kids are doing”

But retired St. Tammany parish teacher and Common Core critic, Lee Barrios, says parents are frustrated with how and what their children are being taught because of the new education standards and opting out is there only option

Cut 14 (10)  “only control”

So far a handful of parents have told their local school systems their children will not take the Common Core test, which will be given next month. Barrios backs Governor Jindal, who is calling on BESE to provide an alternate test….

Cut 15  (09)  “instruction”

But Erwin says it only hurts the child, by allowing him or her to opt out from taking an exam that helps determine student progress…

Cut 16  (10)  “is performing”

The US Department of Health and Human Services reports, with 10 days before open enrollment ends, nearly 150,000 Louisianians have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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Abita Brewing Co. in Abita Springs has fired back at Budweiser’s Super Bowl commercial which essentially says craft beer is for snobs. Michelle Southern has that…:

CUT 2 (32) “reporting”

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With 10 days before open enrollment ends, nearly 150,000 Louisianians have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Billy Justice, Director of Marketing for Vantage HealthPlan in Monroe, feels people are getting more knowledgeable about the health care marketplace…

CUT 3 (07)  “that are offered”

Last year, almost 102,000 residents purchased health care plans through the federal marketplace. Justice says almost all of the carriers increased their premiums this year and the biggest challenge facing returning consumers is going back to recalculate their subsidy…

CUT 4 (08)  “paying each month”

With only a week and a half left, Justice encourages people who are in need of health insurance to check out the marketplace. He says the plans come from private insurance companies and there are plenty of options for residents who need to sign up…

CUT 5 (07)  “for themselves”

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Abita Brewing Co. in Abita Springs has fired back at Budweiser’s Super Bowl commercial which essentially says craft beer is for snobs. Other small brewers throughout the country are doing the same. The beer giant’s commercial shows people sniffing beer and saying brews shouldn’t be fussed over. Abita President David Blossman says they are proud to fuss over beer

CUT 6 (11)  “in a certain way”

Blossman says they like to use Louisiana produce in their beers such as strawberries and satsumas to highlight what is uniquely Louisiana. The Budweiser commercial says “let them sip their pumpkin peach ale” and Abita responded to that with a video on YouTube bragging about making just such a beer once on a small scale…:

CUT 7 (09)  “to point that out”

In Abita’s video they say “We’re not a dog and pony show” — taking a jab at the popular Budweiser puppy/Clydesdale commercial. Blossman also says Budweiser suggests their beer is “brewed the hard way.” He says he has no idea what that means…:

CUT 8 (10)  “brewing is fun”

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Noranda Alumina in St. James Parish is asking the state department of environmental quality for permission to release mercury into the air, after learning they may have been doing so without a permit since they began operations in 1959. D-E-Q spokesperson Greg Langley says the refinery could be fined for releasing mercury without a permit

CUT 9 (09)  “near future”

Langley says D-E-Q doesn’t monitor for mercury releases on a regular basis, so it needs to be determined how much mercury may have been released and for how long, before a potential fine is handed down….

cut 10 (10)  “how soon”

Langley says Noranda recently discovered that they were releasing mercury into the air. He says now the company is seeking a permit, so they can operate legally….

cut 11 (10) “those are factors”

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In an effort to reduce employee payroll in the face of budget cuts, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain is offering employees an early retirement incentive rather than layoff employees. This early retirement incentive is an effort to comply with budget cuts required to balance the state budget. Strain says his department has already seen two mid-year budget cuts…

cut 12 (06)  “second cut”

Strain says a third budget cut is making the early retirement offers necessary. This plan is expected to result in continuing payroll savings and lessen layoffs next budget year. Strain says any further reduction in staff will make it difficult for his department to perform their constitutional job…

cut 13 (06)  “is critical”

Strain says the department staff has been reduced from 1,006 in 2007 to under 540 today. He says this is their fourth layoff avoidance plan since he assumed office in 2008. Strain says despite the budget woes, they will continue to work to fulfill the critical mission of the agency…

cut 14 (08)  “12 billion dollars”

===================

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office warns parents about a social media app, called Yik Yak, that’s being used for cyberbullying. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Bossier Parish Community College makes history as they sign a female player to a baseball scholarship. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The LSU Alumni Association is seeking volunteers to help lobby against potential budget cuts to the LSU campuses. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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Law enforcement warns parents about a social media app that’s being used for cyberbullying. Yik Yak is an anonymous bulletin board where users can post comments that can be read by anyone within a 10 mile radius. Washington Parish Chief Deputy Mike Haley says some parents have called them reporting their children have been bullied through the Yik Yak app…

cut 4  (08)  “as we can”

Haley says this case has been assigned to a deputy that is a certified cybercrimes investigator. He adds that no charges have been filed at this time. There have been several arrests at several colleges across the country due to threats made through Yik Yak. Haley says parents need to be aware of their children’s social media activities…

Cut 5  (07)  “using it appropriately”

Haley says social media is not necessarily bad, but the misuse of it can be a criminal act. He says they will aggressively go after anyone making social media threats. Haley says there are consequences for using social media to bully or make threats…

Cut 6 (05)  “they’re cyberbullying”

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Bossier Parish Community College makes history as they sign a female player to a baseball scholarship. Sarah Hudek (Hoo-Deck) is a left handed pitcher and is the daughter of MLB All-Star John Hudek. Coach Aaron Vorachek says she will be one of the first girls ever to play baseball at the collegiate level…:

CUT 7 (04)  “signing another pitcher”

Vorachek says this is not a gimmick and he’s not concerned about the media attention this move is garnering. He says the 5-foot-10 Hudek is capable of throwing in the upper 70s to low 80 miles per hour which, as a left-hander, is acceptable for anyone at the collegiate level…:

Cut 8  (12)  “not be successful” 

Vorachek says Hudek’s father pitched for six seasons with teams including the Astros. He says in the 17 and Under World Wood Bat Championships, in 12 innings the younger Hudek posted 14 strikeouts with just two walks against some of the country’s best male players…:

Cut 9 (09)  “I’m excited to have her”

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The driver of the car that crashed head on into a school bus in Denham Springs on Tuesday is booked for DUI and other drug charges. Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard says 32-year-old Brandon Vince was behind the wheel when he crossed a center line and hit the bus full of children…:

Cut 10 (08)  “drugs in his possession” 

Ard says at least 15 of the children on the bus were treated and released for minor to moderate injuries after the crash. He says the bus was headed to Juban Parc Elementary and many of the students were shaken up over the incident. Ard says their investigation revealed Vince was impaired at the time of the crash…:

cut 11 (08) “system”

Vince is also charged with reckless operation, 17 counts of vehicular negligent injuring and restricted license. Ard says it’s a scary situation that someone was driving so intoxicated at 8am on a school day…:

cut 12 (11)  “gonna come out good”

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The LSU Alumni Association is organizing a lobbying effort to protect LSU campuses from significant budget cuts. LSU Alumni Association President Cliff Vannoy says they are seeking volunteers that will be part of a group called Tiger Advocates, who will have lawmakers’ attention as they craft the budget…

Cut 13 (10)  “best possible way”

If you want to be a Tiger Advocate, go to the LSU Alumni website. Vannoy says volunteer advocates will be kept up to date on key legislation that will impact higher education and they’ll have a chance to make their voices heard…

Cut 14 (10)  “or write em”

There’s been talk that higher education in Louisiana could face a nearly 400-million dollar cut, because of a significant revenue shortfall. Vannoy says a cut like that can’t happen, and lawmakers will find out through this grassroot network…

Cut 15  (10)  “asset”

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Based on what football recruiting experts say, LSU’s 2015 class is ranked anywhere between the fifth best class in the nation to the 13th. Coach Les Miles says this is a class that will help them compete for championships….

Cut 16  (17)  “your campus”

LSU signed seven of the top ten ranked players in the state, including Warren Easton wide receiver Tyron Johnson, who is Louisiana’s top prospect. Miles says Johnson will be a dominant wide receiver at LSU…

Cut 17 (17)  “we’ll play you”

While fans like focusing on the four and five star prospects, Miles says Jesuit tight end Foster Moreau is a three-star prospect to keep an eye on…

Cut 18 (16) “off the field’

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Louisiana Tech signed 14 three-star prospects, including a dual threat quarterback from Merdian, Mississippi named J’Mar Smith. Coach Skip Holtz says Smith has a lot of potential…

Cut 19 (15)   “athletic”

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U-L-M signed three quarterbacks, including one from Louisiana, Delhi Charter’s Frank Maxwell. Warhawks recruiting coordinator Mario Price says they like to have competition at that position

Cut 20 (15)  “those numbers”

The Louisiana SPCA is now offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who beheaded a baby goat last week in an Orleans Parish Park. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Rivals-dot-com and 24-7 sports says LSU’s 2015 football recruiting is among the ten best in the country. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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The state’s budget woes are causing difficulties in the search for a new president for Grambling State University. Possible job applicants are apparently worried about the state’s potential budget cuts to higher education. University of Louisiana System President Sandra Woodley says they received a letter from The Hollis Group, the search firm hired to recruit candidates, expressing the concerns…

CUT 3 (10)  “the legislature”

Woodley says candidates want more certainty about what solutions will emerge from the state legislature. With the legislative session beginning in April, she says the original timeline to name a president will have to be pushed back. Woodley understands the concerns of the candidates because these potential cuts are much bigger than a normal cut…

CUT 4 (12)  “a few programs”

Woodley says they originally intended to introduce the new president in April. The search committee will meet with The Hollis Group later this month to discuss changing the timeline for finding a new president. Woodley doesn’t believe the search will be delayed for long…

CUT 5 (08)  “be our goal”

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The Louisiana SPCA has increased the reward to $3,000 for anyone who has information about the person or persons responsible for cutting the head off baby goat last week in a park in Orleans Parish. Spokeswoman Alicia Haefele (Hay-Fa-Lee) says the animals belong to a company called “Y’herd Me” and help maintain shrubbery at the Brechtel Park in Algiers…:

CUT 6 (11)  “upside down”

Haefele says the owner of the animals believes an altercation with a group of teenagers could be at the root of the act. She says the kids were told to leave the goats alone…:

CUT 7 (08)  “was beheaded”

You can report information online at la-spca.org. Haefele says people love having the goats at the park and once word of this felony act of animal cruelty got out, people were livid…:

CUT 8 (10)  “to $3000″

===================

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Lake Charles woman after the child she was babysitting was found wandering along a busy highway. 23-year-old Jamie Jackson is charged with cruelty to a juvenile. Spokeswoman Kim Myers says officers responded to a call about a 4-year-old girl walking along Highway 385 in Lake Charles…

CUT 9 (11)  “friend of hers”

Myers says investigators discovered that Jackson left the 4-year-old unattended at the home while she drove her nephew to school and then had coffee with a friend. Myers says they have not determined how long the little girl was left home alone…

cut 10 (12)  “law enforcement center”

The child was picked up by a passerby about a mile and a half from her home and brought to a local law enforcement center. Jackson remains jailed on a $125,000 bond. Myers says Jackson told authorities when she returned home, she found the front door open and the child missing…

cut 11 (08) “she got home”

===================

LSU’s 2015 recruiting class is loaded with four and five-star offensive linemen. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says the Tigers signed two of the best offensive linemen in Texas, Toby Weathersby and Mae Teuhema, plus a couple of other out-of-state prospects that were heavily recruited by other schools…

cut 12 (09)  “earlier in the process”

The 2015 signee class also has a pair of five-star cornerbacks in Kevin Tolliver, who is already enrolled at LSU and Riverdale’s Donte Jackson. Moran says LSU also signed Xavier Lewis, who is a four-star cornerback from East St. John

cut 13 (10)  “right away”

LSU also signed a pair of outstanding running backs from Baton Rouge, U-High’s Nick Brossette and Catholic’s Derrius Guice. Catholic head coach Dale Weiner says Guice is a physical running back that possesses good speed…

cut 14 (07)  “SEC running back”

The Louisiana Lottery says tonight’s $317 million dollar Powerball jackpot is the 11th biggest in the game’s history. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says new numbers show traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013. Michelle Southern reporting…:

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services reveals the state’s top deadbeat parents. Scott Carwile has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Lottery says tonight’s $317 million dollar Powerball jackpot is the 11th biggest in the game’s history. Kimberly Chopin says Louisiana joined the Powerball in 1995 and since then we’ve had 15 jackpot winners. She says eight of those top 10 have occurred just since 2012…:

cut 4  (08)  “end of November”

Chopin says their total sales from Powerball in its current run have been about $15.6 million dollars. She says the big game accounts for about a quarter of their total sales…:(Tonight’s jackpot has a cash value of $220 million dollars.)

Cut 5  (08)  “public education”

Chopin says 35 cents of every dollar of sales from all of their games goes to the state to help fund public education and big jackpots always bring in lots of new players. She says they always like to remind players that it only takes one to win so please play responsibly…:

Cut 6 (07)  “treat em like cash”

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says new numbers show traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013. Executive Director Col. John LeBlanc says it’s encouraging to see an overall decline in lives lost on our roadways. He says rear set belt use in 2013 is now all the way up to about 55% which is a huge increase over 2009…:

CUT 7 (09)  “right there”

LeBlanc says in the past 7 years, the number of deaths on Louisiana’s roads went from just under 1000 to about 700 in 2013. He says there is a lot of great work being done by many highway safety advocates across the state…:

Cut 8  (06)  “advocates” 

LeBlanc says the motoring public also deserves credit for these improvements as seat-belt use is higher than it’s ever been at over 84%. He says we still have a long way to go as impaired driving and not buckling up are still the leading factors in highway crashes…:

Cut 9 (09)  “impaired driver”

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The state Department of Children and Family Services has produced a new child support most wanted poster. It lists 14 individuals, who owe anywhere between 11-thousand to nearly 80-thousand dollars in past-due child support. D-C-F-S Secretary Suzy Sonnier says they publish the poster, so the public can help them find these deadbeat parents

Cut 10 (10)  “find them” 

Sonnier says this is just one of many tools they use to get deadbeat parents to pay up…

cut 11 (08) “fishing licenses”

Forty-year-old Edward Steven Fields, whose last known address was in Slidell, is the most wanted dead beat parent as he owes nearly 80-thousand dollars. Sonnier says the Most Wanted poster represents the worst offenders, but there are over 58-thousand non-custodial parents who owe more than one-point-five billion in unpaid child support

cut 12 (07)  “the children”

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Governor Bobby Jindal is urging all parents to have their children vaccinated. A debate is underway nationally over whether the vaccines are harmful to children. Jindal says science shows vaccinations keep children safe. D-H-H immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch, supports Jindal’s position

Cut 13 (10)  “are unvaccinated”

Welch says if parents are uneasy about having their child vaccinated, talk with your pediatrician…

Cut 14 (09)  “from a celebrity”

There are several celebrities who are part of an anti-vaccine movement. And potential presidential candidate, Senator Rand Paul, said vaccinations have caused “mental disorders.” Welch says celebrities and Senator Paul are not a reliable source on this topic

Cut 15  (10)  “protect children”

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It’s national signing day and the LSU Tigers are expected to bring in another Top Ten recruiting class in football. Mike Farrell, director of national recruiting with Rivals-dot-com, says LSU has four 5-star prospects, including two from Louisiana, Catholic High running back Derrius Guice and Warren Easton wide receiver Tyron Johnson

Cut 16  (19)  “got there”

At least two defensive linemen are expected to sign with LSU today. Edna Karr defensive end Isaiah Washington and Arden Key, a defensive end from Atlanta. Farrell says some recruiting gurus compare Key to former LSU Tiger and first round draft pick Barkevious Mingo…

Cut 17 (17)  “this class”

LSU’s 2015 signing class includes one quarterback. His name is Justin McMillan from Cedar Hill, Texas. Farrell says Tigers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron really likes McMillan, but expect him to redshirt this year…

Cut 18 (18) “pretty good’

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The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student late last month. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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President Obama’s proposed budget for next fiscal year calls for taking federal dollars away for coastal restoration and using that money elsewhere. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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President Obama is proposing that offshore revenue sharing plan, which would provide Louisiana millions of dollars in revenue for coastal restoration, be replaced with a plan that would spread that money across the nation for various issues. Senator Bill Cassidy says it seems the president doesn’t care about the people affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

CUT 3 (12)  “disaster in the future”

The president’s proposal would strip Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states of revenue promised by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act which is scheduled to go into effect in 2017. Cassidy, who sits on the Senate Appropriations and Energy committees, says lawmakers will do their best to defeat this policy…

CUT 4 (06)  “about stopping this”

He says if the president is looking for more money, there’s plenty out there. Cassidy points out that some states get 50-percent of the royalties from oil and gas resources produced on in-state lands, while Louisiana, over the past three years, has gotten less than one percent…

CUT 5 (10)  “opposed to us”

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The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student late last month. Witnesses reported seeing 31-year-old Chanel Lemelle, a teacher at Bains Lower Elementary in St. Francisville, berate, kick, and slap a student at the school. Sheriff’s spokesperson Erin Foster says they met with school board officials regarding teacher complaints about Lemelle…

CUT 6 (12)  “warrant for her”

Lemelle is charged with cruelty to juveniles. Foster says the witness statements about the incident were confirmed by video surveillance footage…

CUT 7 (07)  “of the head”

Lemelle turned herself in to authorities and was released after immediately posting bail. Foster says witnesses reported that, on several occasions, they also saw Lemelle taking food from students’ lunch plates…

CUT 8 (06)  “he sat down”

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The Internal Revenue Service is reminding low and moderate income tax payers they could be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit — the largest federal government benefit for workers. IRS spokeswoman Jodi Patterson says the EITC is a program designed to give extra money to people who don’t earn very much…:

CUT 9 (08)  “for the credit”

Patterson says for tax year 2014, the credit is as much as $6100 for a family with three or more children. She says last year in Louisiana, 519,000 taxpayers took advantage of the EITC…:

cut 10 (09)  “Louisiana economy”

Patterson says you don’t have to have children to qualify for the credit. She says if you make less than $53,000 a year you should log on to IRS.gov to see if you qualify. Patterson says four out of five people who are eligible for the credit do claim it, a lot of people don’t know about it exists…:

cut 11 (06) “to get that credit”

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With cooler temperatures forecast for much of Louisiana this week, will that have an effect on the crawfish crop leading up to Mardi Gras? LSU Aquaculture Specialist Dr. Greg Lutz says, in the long term, there shouldn’t be a problem because of their ability to adapt to cold. However, in the short term, Lutz says the cold temps could cause issues…

cut 12 (10)  “just sit there”

Lutz says crawfish get inactive in cold temperatures and won’t crawl into the traps until it warms up. He says some crawfishermen are inactive in cold temperatures, too, because their potential haul is not worth the trouble. Lutz says it costs the same to run their traps whether they catch anything or not…

cut 13 (08)  “their gasoline, probably”

Lutz says consumers may have a hard time finding crawfish this weekend and may see an increased price. He says this problem shouldn’t last long, though. Lutz says, fortunately, crawfish ponds are pretty shallow and they warm up quickly…

cut 14 (06)  “active again”

===================

A new poll conducted by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s numbers have slipped among Iowa Republican voters. Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana is in danger of seeing a drop in its credit score. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The man who led the military’s response in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina says he is thinking about running for governor. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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A new poll conducted by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s numbers have slipped among Iowa Republican voters. Jindal got two-percent of respondents when asked for their first choice in a presidential candidate. Pollster Ann Selzer says it’s too early to count Jindal out, but he does have some work to do…

cut 4  (05)  “at this point”

Jindal also received two-percent when respondents were asked for their second choice. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker lead the poll with 16-percent, followed by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul with 15-percent. The poll also showed the governor’s unfavorable numbers rose to 20-percent. Selzer says it’s important for Jindal to speak in a distinctive voice…

Cut 5  (10)  “a different thing”

Jindal has yet to officially announce his candidacy for president. Selzer says, if he is going to run, it would probably benefit Jindal to make a few more trips to Iowa to make more of an impression on voters there…

Cut 6 (06)  “welcome anytime”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana is in danger of seeing a drop in its credit score. Moody’s Investors Service warned that the state’s recent reductions in revenue estimates are a “credit negative.” Kennedy says states have credit ratings just as individuals do…:

CUT 7 (10)  “for example”

Kennedy says Moody’s is one of the major credit rating agencies and they’ve essentially fired a warning shot at Louisiana saying that if we don’t get our financial house in order, they will downgrade us from stable to negative. He says they point out 7 years we’ve spent more money than we took in…:

Cut 8  (10)  “never materialized” 

Kennedy says the report pointed to Louisiana’s multiple fiscal challenges including the $330 million dollar revenue forecast drop, next year’s $1.6 billion dollar budget shortfall, current mid-year budget cuts and more. But he says it’s not inevitable that we’ll be downgraded, but it’ll be up to the legislature to make some changes next session…:

Cut 9 (09)  “we’ll be okay”

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Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore wants to see Louisiana implement an air monitoring system, paid for by private companies. Honore, who was in charge of military relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina, now leads a coalition of environmental groups called the Green Army. Honore says the state has 150 chemical plants and no system in place to monitor what they put into the air…

Cut 10 (09)  “we do that” 

The Green Army proposes a series of sensors to be installed outside of chemical plants, monitoring the air quality. Honore says if something goes wrong, the sensors can notify nearby residents. He says the current method is not trust worthy…

cut 11 (09) “checking it out”

Honore says he’ll seek to have the state legislature pass what he calls a 21st Century Clean Air Bill. He says the automated air monitoring system should be paid for by the energy industry

cut 12 (10)  “sittin out there”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office says a teacher is behind bars for allegedly having inappropriate sexual relations with a juvenile student. Lt Tommy Carnline says the complaint came from the Glenmora Police Department who asked their deputies to investigate 28-year-old Donald Gene Parker III…:

Cut 13 (08)  “juvenile student”

Parker is a teacher at Glenmora High School according to their website. Carnline says as soon as the person made the complaint to the police department, Parker found out about it somehow…:

Cut 14 (07)  “about it”

Carnline says Parker faces many charges including 1 count of computer aided solicitation of a minor, 1 count of pornography involving juveniles, 1 count of indecent behavior with juveniles, 2 counts of obstruction of justice and 3 counts of intimidating a witness. He says their detectives obtained a warrant to search Parker’s home…:

Cut 15  (04)  “to his arrest”

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LSU shortstop Alex Bregman is on the Baseball America’s preseason All-American first team. Bregman hit .316 with 16 doubles six home runs and 47 RBIs. Bregman hopes to put up better offensive numbers this season, because this year’s baseballs have lower seams on them

Cut 16  (19)  “is going to be”

Bregman and the Tigers missed out on the College World Series last season, because they were upset by Houston in the Regionals. He says the team is very determined to get back to Omaha this year…

Cut 17 (21)  “opening night”

LSU begins its regular season on February 13th against Kansas. The Tigers will have an experienced line-up, but they’ll be young on the mound. Bregman likes what he sees from the young pitchers

Cut 18 (16) “in the SEC’

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According to Gasbuddy-dot-com, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose in Louisiana for the second week in a row. So, have seen the end of the four-month-long drop in prices at the pump? Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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There is a buzz today surrounding the Nationwide Super Bowl commercial last night in which a little boy dies at the end. So is it good for the Insurance Company? Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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New Iberia’s Cajun Groundhog Day event ended with everyone in attendance expecting a long pleasant spring. Daily Iberian Publisher Will Chapman says when the prognosticating nutria, Pierre C. Shadeaux, emerged from his home, he did not see his shadow…

CUT 3 (07)  “heat and humidity”

When Pierre does not see his shadow, it means a longer spring for South Louisiana. Chapman says the good residents of south Louisiana shouldn’t have to depend on the forecast of Punxsutawney Phil…

CUT 4 (08)  “something to us”

He says south Louisiana is more concerned about spring and summer than winter. Chapman says he’s unsure if they’ve actually kept a record of Pierre’s past predictions, but he’s willing to bank on the forecast…

CUT 5 (05)  “pretty accurate”

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The Allen Parish Sheriff’s Department says they have discovered the remains believed to be that of a pregnant Lecompte woman, missing since 2011, and the woman arrested in connection with her disappearance now faces murder charges. Sheriff Douglas Hebert says the Oakdale Police Department received information about 22-year-old Victoria Perez from a juvenile informant…

CUT 6 (09)  “she went missing”

The informant told officials they witnessed their mother, 32-year-old Pamela Causey-Fregia (fre-JEE-ah), kill Perez around the time she went missing. Hebert says Causey-Fregia, with one of her children, picked up Perez, who was seven to eight monts pregnant, at a local hospital telling the victim that she would give her some baby clothes. He says they believe Causey-Fregia killed Perez as part of a plan to win back her estranged husband…

CUT 7 (11)  “she was pregnant”

They believe Perez was killed by blunt force trauma while the suspects children were present. Hebert says the body was then burned in an effort to dispose of it. He says it is unknown at this time if Causey-Fregia attempted to remove the fetus from Perez. Hebert says Causey-Fregia is facing upgraded charges… (Causey-Fregia faces first degree murder, first degree feticide, and other charges.)

CUT 8 (06)  “after the fact”

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According to Gasbuddy-dot-com, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose in Louisiana for the second week in a row. Senior Petroleum Analyst Gregg Laskoski says we may have seen the end of the four-month-long drop in prices at the pump….

CUT 9 (07)  “a week ago”

Louisiana’s average price for a gallon of regular is $1.86, which is up two cents a gallon from a week ago. Laskoski attributes the rise in price to a transition period between the winter blend and summer blend of gasoline. He says the price of wholesale gasoline is another indicator that the price drop has ended…

cut 10 (10)  “the retail side”

He says wholesale prices have increased by more than 20 cents a gallon, and those increases will, eventually, get passed on to consumers. Laskoski says you can expect a steady climb in gas prices as we approach the spring and summer driving seasons…

cut 11 (08) “happen this year”

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There is a buzz today surrounding the Nationwide Super Bowl commercial last night in which a little boy dies at the end. Some are saying the spot was inappropriate and too depressing to be played during the big game. Jensen Moore-Copple is an assistant professor of strategic communication with LSU’s Manship School. She doesn’t think this is good for the company:

cut 12 (07)  “Super Bowl advertising”

Nationwide issued a statement explaining the intention of the ad was to bring awareness to the issue of preventable injuries and deaths among children. Moore-Copple says instead the football fan conversation today is about what commercials are acceptable during the Super Bowl. She says that audience wants to see Payton Manning singing the cute Nationwide jingle:

cut 13 (09)  “that they wanted”

In less than 12 hours, the Make Safe Happen commercial had been viewed 1.44 million times on YouTube. But Moore-Copple says there is a huge negative reaction and backlash on social media…:

cut 14 (07)  “wanted it to be”

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The Shreveport Police Department says the little girl that was run over while she was on her bicycle by a suspected drunk driver passed away this morning. Cpl Breck Scott says just after 2pm Saturday, 46-year-old Randy Presentine lost control of his red Dodge Avenger on Youree Drive and drove onto the shoulder…:

cut 15 (08) “7-year-old juvenile”

Scott says Presentine’s charges were upgraded to vehicular homicide along with having no insurance and driving under suspension. He says after the impact, the 7-year-old was taken to a hospital with life threatening injuries…:

cut 16 (08) “was declared deceased”

There is a new, free app for your smart phone that puts the health reports for local restaurants at your fingertips. Scott Carwile has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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BESE President Chas Roemer will not follow Governor Jindal’s executive order regarding Common Core exams. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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There’s apparently mixed signals coming out on whether New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will run for governor. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center launches an initiative to provide doctors in Louisiana with proven strategies which would reduce and treat obesity in children. The project is lead by Dr. Amanda Staiano (stye-an-no) who says the Child Obesity Treatment Toolkit helps primary care physicians determine who’s at risk for obesity…:

cut 4  (05)  “in clinic settings”

Staiano says childhood obesity is a very serious issue in Louisiana with half of our kids being overweight or obese. She says they have fantastic national recommendations on how to treat obesity and screen for it in clinics, but they find many physicians aren’t using them…:

Cut 5  (12)  “and families”

Staiano says they have over 2,000 hard copies of the toolkit they plan to distribute throughout the state or doctors can download it online at www.pbrc.edu/obesitytoolkit. She says Louisiana ranks near the top of obesity prevalence even in preschoolers…:

Cut 6 (09)  “good self-esteem”

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Amid reports that some families are opting out from having their child take standardized tests that are part of Common Core, the chairman of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Chas Roemer, is encouraging parents to have their child take the test in March…

CUT 7 (12)  “weaknesses”

Based on news reports, only a handful of families have decided that their children will not take the Common Core-aligned tests, because they believe its harmful to their children. Roemer says the new standardized tests are more rigorous than previous ones, but it will help determine a student’s strength and weakness…

Cut 8  (09)  “their student” 

Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order that calls on BESE to have an alternate test for those students who opt-out of the Common Core exam. But Roemer says Jindal doesn’t have the constitutional authority to do that and he accuses the governor of creating chaos…

Cut 9 (09)  “the course”

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There is a new, free app for your smart phone that puts the health reports for local restaurants at your fingertips. The app is called “What the Health” and is the brain-child of Chris Peoples and Jake Van Dyke of Modern Appsolutions. Van Dyke says the app is very user friendly…

Cut 10 (08)  “health inspection” 

Louisiana is one of just eight states, along with Washington DC, serviced by the app. Van Dyke says the idea came from a dinner conversation he had with Peoples. He says the app will show you a letter and number grade for each restaurant along with any actual violations they received during their last inspection…

cut 11 (09) “the salad stuff”

The app is available for both iPhone and Android phones. “What the Health” will give you a list of the 100 restaurants nearest to you. Van Dyke says this app is really just a tool to help you judge your risk in eating out…

cut 12 (06)  “in the morning”

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Many are waiting to see if democratic New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will get in the governor’s race. Jeremy Alford, publisher of la-politics-dot-com, says Landrieu only has about 40-thousand dollars in campaign money in the bank, so if he’s getting in, he’ll need to make a decision soon…

Cut 13 (06)  “wanted too”

Alford says some Democratic operatives say Landrieu will pass on the governor’s race, so he can have a major influence on the presidential race…

Cut 14 (04)  “the Clintons”

Alford says he’s also heard that Mayor Landrieu has yet to completely rule out a run for governor

Cut 15  (07)  “more of an interest”

State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a Thursday night mobile home fire in Marksville that has left four dead. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. BESE member Lottie Beebe says, according to information provided by the Department of Education, this will cause negative implications for schools and school systems…

CUT 3 (09)  “and school systems”

She says students who do not take the assessment test will be given a zero grade and that grade will passed on to schools and school districts. Beebe says another concern with this issue is whether or not a student who refuses to take the tests will be promoted. She says, right now, that’s up to the individual school districts, but it should be state policy…

CUT 4 (09)  “across the state”

So far, only a handful of families have opted their kids out of Common Core testing, but more are expected as the testing dates approach. Education Superintendent John White has recommended a “wait and see” approach, but Beebe says they need to be pro-active. She says BESE should hold a special meeting to address the “opt-out” movement…

CUT 5 (04)  “their concerns”

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State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a fire in Avoyelles Parish that has left four dead. Fire Marshall Butch Browning says the fire occurred just before midnight Thursday night at a mobile home in Marksville…

CUT 6 (07)  “in this fire”

Browning says a father, grandmother, son, and daughter all perished in the blaze. The victims’ ages range from 10 to 73-years-old. Browning says firefighters tried to do a search of the mobile home, but the flames were too intense…

CUT 7 (10)  “the fire starting”

Browning says they believe the four victims were asleep at the time of the fire. He says the mother of the children was at work when the blaze broke out. Browning says the investigation is in its initial stages…

CUT 8 (06) “caused this fire”

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Mitt Romney announces he’s decided not to run for president next year, so what could that mean for Governor Bobby Jindal? 2016 would have been Romney’s third run at the White House. UL-Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says Romney is one less main-stream contender that Jindal has to compete with…:

CUT 9 (10)  “conservative wing”

Cross says Romney passed on Jindal as a vice presidential contender last time saying the two never really connected so him bowing out of the race also helps The Governor…:

cut 10 (09)  “Romney does”

Cross says anytime one of the main candidates drops out of a presidential race, it’s a victory for all of the remaining contenders…:

cut 11 (11) “to go”

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High school principals vote to keep the current split between public and private schools that exists with the football playoffs and allow the new executive director of the LHSAA, Eddie Bonine, develop solutions that could possibly bring the classes back together. Bonine says his first step will be to organize a committee to examine the issues that caused the split

cut 12 (10)  “many, many years”

Many principal Norman Booker authored proposals to divide the postseason between public and private schools in other sports, but it was voted down. Booker says private schools have advantages in the student enrollment process over public schools and he’ll seek try to help come up with a solution as well

cut 13 (09)  “drawing board”

Bonine says he wants to take a hard look at the issues that caused the split, and see if he can solve those, before he proposes a playoff format that high school principals can vote on next January….

cut 14 (07)  “address them”