Republican US Senator David Vitter files legislation that he says will stop the flow of illegal border crossings. Vitter’s measure would implement mandatory detention near the US-Mexico border and expedited deportation of unaccompanied minors from Central and South America…

cut 6 (12) “stem the flow”

Between October and this past June, an estimated 57-thousand unaccompanied children were apprehended by Border Patrol.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Patterson man for allegedly hitting a teenager in the head with a vase that fractured his skull. Investigators say the 16-year-old boy was attempting to stop a heated argument between 38-year-old Charles Elmore and a woman when the incident happened. Elmore was charged with second degree battery. The boy is in a local hospital, his condition was not given.

The three day qualifying period for the November 4th election is now one month away. In the race for the 6th Congressional District, LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Wayne Parent says even though a majority of the voters tend to vote Republican, former Democratic Governor Edwin Edwards will most certainly make the runoff…

cut 9 (12) “good publicity”

He says we’re still a few weeks away before campaigning ramps up. Qualifying begins August 20th.

The Monroe Police Department says they are looking for a man they believe is responsible for hitting another man over the head with a large stick during an argument over a cell phone. Assistant Police Chief Don Bartley says the victim was walking out of the laundry room at an apartment complex when he was approached by Christopher Robinson…

cut 3 (10) “in the head”

Bartley says investigators were able to talk to the victim, 48-year-old Jimmy Atwell, who told them Robinson was mad because Atwell informed police the suspect had stolen his cell phone. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Robinson.

In Grant Parish, a woman is under arrest after reportedly standing in the middle of the road in Colfax holding a knife and throwing rocks at passing cars. The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office says when a deputy approached 50-year-old Connie Pennington, she swung at him and began running away. She then became physcally violent by fighting the deputy. Pennington has been charged with battery of a police officer, two counts of resisting an officer, and disturbing the peace.

We’re another day closer to the start of the school year and because of the dispute over Common Core a standardized test is not in place for the upcoming school year. The Public Affairs Research Council has issued a commentary criticizing Governor Jindal for creating a “crisis in education.” PAR President Robert Scott says Jindal regularly criticizes the federal government for this type of executive over reach. He says court action could be avoided if the governor could demonstrate he has the skills to work with others…

cut 16 (12) “of Louisiana”

Scott says Jindal’s actions call into question whether he’s a reliable leader.

A Kaplan man is under arrest in the hit-and-run death that took the life of a Youngsville cyclist two weeks ago. 42-year-old Fitzpatrick Doucette was arrested by State Police at his home last night and charged with negligent homicide, felony hit and run, driving under suspension, and limitations on passing bicycles. The victim, 30-year-old Lon Lomas, was riding his bicycle July 7th when he was stuck and killed by a car.

The three day qualifying period for the November 4th election is now one month away. Michelle Southern has more…

cut 1 (33) “reporting”

State Farm has announced the hurricane deductible for home owner policy holders will go up from 2 to 5 percent. Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon met with State Farm officials and requested that they allow poliy holders in Louisiana the option to buy back down to the two percent deductible in their policy by paying a higher premium. He says higher hurricane deductibles became prevalent in every coastal state after Hurricane Katrina. Donelon says the real solution of this problem is for Congress to enact a bill that creates “Named Storm Deductible Savings Accounts”…

cut 6 (14) “taxes expense”

State Farm says they are considering Donelon’s request.

November 4th qualifying begins in about a month and it’s shaping up to be an interesting election year. Most polls show the long serving incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu and Baton Rouge Congressman Bill Cassidy in a head to head heat. There’s also the 6th Congressional district race featuring 86-year-old former Governor Edwin Edwards. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Wayne Parent says Edwards will most certainly make the runoff…:
CUT 9 (12) “good publicity”
Qualifying begins August 20th.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says they are investigating the death of a 66-year-old woman from Sulphur who was found in her home Sunday. Investigators feel Pamela Parker had been dead for a couple of days and though there are no suspects at this time and cause of death is not being released, the case has been ruled a homicide.

The stalemate over Common Core and what assessment tests should be used in public schools could lead to legal action soon. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 3 (35) “reporting”

A Shreveport researcher has a grant to help produce a potentially cancer preventing gum. Dr. Cherie-Ann Nathan, with the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the LSU System’s LIFT2 Program. Nathan says the gum would contain curcumin which is believed to have cancer-preventing qualities. She says once the gum is manufactured, they will enroll 16 healthy volunteers for a clinical trial…:
CUT 12 (14) “of curcumin”

A man from northwest Louisiana was arrested Sunday for reportedly causing a disturbance and battery of a customer at a gas station in Calhoun after smoking synthetic marijuana. Witnesses report 52-year-old Ricky Lyn Addy of Shreveport said he was spreading the word of God and yelling and cussing and battering customers. He was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center.

With no standardized test in place for the school year that is just around the corner, where does that put Louisiana right now?  Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says BESE leaders believe they are the ones who should decide what kind of assessment test is used in public schools, but the Jindal administration believes they should be involved in that process. He says a lawsuit to settle this dispute could be filed by BESE…:
CUT 14 (12) “does have a standing”
He says the judicial system is needed to settle this dispute.

State Police have arrested a Kaplan man in the hit-and-run death that took the life of a Youngsville cyclist two weeks ago.  Last night, 42-year-old Fitzpatrick Doucette of Kaplan was arrested at this home and charged with negligent homicide, felony hit and run, driving under suspension and limitations on passing bicycles.  The victim, 30-year-old Lon Lomas, was riding his bicycle July 7 when he was struck & killed by a car.

State Farm has announced the hurricane deductible for home owner policy holders will go up from 2 to 5 percent. But Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon asks that they let policy holders here have the option to buy back down to the 2 percent deductible in their policy by paying a higher insurance premium. He says a typical policy holder with a two percent hurricane deductible on a $150,000 home would pay $3,000 out of pocket before their insurance took effect…:
CUT 5 (08) “kick in”
He says State Farm is considering the request.

I scientist in Shreveport has just gotten a grant that would help her produce a gum that has the potential to prevent cancer. Dr. Cherie-Ann Nathan with the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport says curcumin is a food substance found in the spice turmeric which could have cancer-preventing qualities. She says curcumin is one of the top selling supplements on the market…:
CUT 11 (12) “anti-oxidant as well”
She was awarded a $50,000 grant from the LSU System’s LIFT2 Program for the study.

We’ve seen a nice steady drop in gas prices over the past month. Louisiana stands at $3.39 a gallon of regular which is down a dime from 4 weeks ago.

We’re another day closer to the start of the school year and because of the dispute over Common Core a standardized test is not in place for the upcoming school year. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says a lawsuit needs to be filed, so the judicial system can determine who has constitutional authority over education policy…:
CUT 13 (06) “the courts”
Meanwhile, good government group, the Public Affairs Research Council, has issued a commentary criticizing Governor Jindal for creating a “crisis in education.” PAR President Robert Travis Scott says Jindal’s actions call into question whether he’s a reliable leader…:
CUT 15 (15) “educational outcomes”
He feels court action could be avoided if Jindal would work better with others.

Qualifying for the November 4th election is a month away. So how are things looking so far. Well the US Senate race between the incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy has been an extremely close one according to most polls. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Wayne Parent says we are still a few weeks away before campaigning ramps up but the ground work for both Landrieu and Cassidy’s platform has already been laid…:
CUT 8 (12) “doing quite well”
Qualifying begins August 20th.

A 22-year-old Gonzales man died in an Ancension Parish crash over the weekend. State Police say Patrick Breaux was a passenger in a car driven by a woman that was hit on the drivers side by another car at a stop-sign intersection. They say the victim was wearing his seat-belt but sustained fatal injuries in the crash.

A Shreveport researcher has a grant from the LSU System’s LIFT2 Program to help produce a potentially cancer preventing gum.  Eric Gill has the story…:
CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

The three day qualifying period for the November 4th election is now one month away. Thus far the US Senate race between the incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy has been an extremely close one according to most polls. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Wayne Parent says it’s a toss up.
CUT 7 (14) “strong candidate”
Qualifying begins August 20th.

Baton Rouge firefighters say the deadly fire on Saturday likely happened because of an electrical malfunction involving a power strip. Investigators say 90-year-old Steve Paxton died in the blaze on Bay Street. They conclude the fire broke out in a back bedroom where an air conditioner was plugged into a power cord. Paxton’s wife, Helen, was also at home at the time of the fire and has been released from the hospital.

State Farm has announced the hurricane deductible for home owner policy holders will go up from 2 to 5 percent. Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon met with State Farm officials and requested that they allow policy holders in Louisiana the option to buy back down to the two percent deductible in their policy by paying a higher insurance premium…:
CUT 4 (10) “in our state”
He says higher hurricane deductibles became prevalent in every coastal state after Hurricane Katrina. State Farm says they are considering Donelon’s request.

A Shreveport researcher has a grant to help produce a potentially cancer preventing gum. Dr. Cherie-Ann Nathan, with the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the LSU System’s LIFT2 Program. Nathan says she will use the funds to help produce a gum that contains curcumin…:
CUT 10 (08) “prevention of cancer”
She says, once the gum is manufactured, they will enroll 16 healthy volunteers for a clinical trial.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve arrested 13 people during an operation targeting prostitution. Lt. Tommy Carnline says their detectives became suspicious illegal sexual activity was taking place at local hotels when they came across internet advertisements that offered “massages”, “quality time”, and “anything you want”. Carnline says in one night, over 17-hundred dollars was paid and taken as evidence from those soliciting prostitution…

cut 14 (12) “wanted to do”

He says several of those arrested are from various parts of the state including Bossier City and suburban New Orleans.

A former Fork Polk soldier has been sentenced to almost 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor while on base. Thirty nine year-old Emil Roland Rath will also have five years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office says two people from Raceland are under arrest for allegedly abusing four children all under the age of 13. Spokesman Brennan Matherne says juvenile detectives could visibly see bruising on one child’s body and learned 30-year-old Christopher Gaudet had allegedly punched the child…

cut 7 (10) “responded to”

Detectives also learned that Gaudet had also allegedly forced three of the children to have sex with him. Gaudet has been charged with four counts of cruelty to juveniles and three counts of aggravated rape. His girlfriend, 27-year-old Brandy Triche has been booked on four counts of cruelty to juveniles.

New research suggests that your stress is extremely contagious. Michelle Southern explains…

cut 1 (33) “reporting”

The state’s unemployment rate has inched upward for a second consecutive month. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (26) “reporting”

New research shows that stress can be passed on to another person as easily as the common cold. Michele Many, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the LSU School of Medicine says you shouldn’t let yourself be dragged down by someone else’s mood as it just spreads the stress. She says you should first focus on your own wellness, then pull people into that…

cut 5 (04) “into your calm”

She says it’s collectively good for us to be empathetic because when we naturally know how another person is feeling, we can react better to them.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office says two people from Raceland are under arrest for allegedly abusing four children all under the age of 13. Spokesman Brennan Matherne says juvenile detectives were called to investigate a complaint regarding physical and sexual abuse of the kids…

cut 6 (10) “aggravated rape”

Matherne says Triche is booked with four counts of cruelty to juveniles with force and violence. Gaudet is charged with the same and also three counts of aggravated rape.

13 people have been arrested by The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office during an operation targeting prostitution. Lt. Tommy Carnline says their detectives became suspicious of illegal sexual activity at local hotels when they came across internet advertisements that offered “massages”, “quality time”, and “anything you want”. Carnline says the individuals arrested are from various parts of the state, including suburban New Orleans…

cut 13 (12) “out of town”

He says in one night, over 17-hundred dollars was paid and taken as evidence from those soliciting prostitution.

The body discovered in a burned out home in Fisher has been identified. Sabine Parish authorities say 49-year-old James Paul Green was found dead on the kitchen floor. Authorities have ruled Green’s death a homicide.