There’s a new Rasmussen poll out on the December 6th US-Senate runoff and it shows Congressman Bill Cassidy with 56% of the vote and incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu with 41% . UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says a 15 point Landrieu deficit seems a bit high…

cut 11 (11) “margin of error”

The survey also found that only 76% of registered Democrats in Louisiana would vote for Landrieu.

The Jindal Administration will be announcing mid-year budget cuts today. Louisiana is facing a $171 million dollar revenue shortfall. Senate Finance chairman Jack Donahue says he’s all ears to see what the Jindal Administration has in mind…

cut 8 (12) “$10,000″

Jindal’s chief administrator has indicated that higher education will avoid any substantial cuts, but Donahue doesn’t see that being possible.

An oil platform explosion off the Louisiana coast has left one person dead and three injured. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says the explosion happened on Fieldwood Energy’s Echo Platform which is less than 20 miles from the coast. The rig was not in production at the time of the accident. The injured are being treated at an offshore medical facility. The identity of the deceased has not been released. All other personnel have been accounted for.

Early voting period for the December 6th runoff elections begins tomorrow. Secretary of State Tom Schedler expects voter turnout in the 5th and 6th Congressional districts to outpace the rest of the state…

cut 5 (07) “Congressional races”

Schedler predicts a 30 to 35-percent voter turnout for the December 6th runoff election. Early voting will run through Saturday November 29th excluding Sunday, Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Thanksgiving.

McNeese State and Northwestern State wrap up their regular seasons tomorrow. Both teams still a shot at making the F-C-S playoffs. Northwestern State will go after it’s seventh win of the season when they visit Stephen F Austin. They winner of this game gets to keep seven-foot-six Chief Caddo, the largest trophy in college sports. Demons Coach Jay Thomas on the significance of this contest…

cut 18 (19) “those guys”

McNeese will also go after their seventh win of the season as they travel to Lamar.

Southeastern Louisiana wrapped up their regular season with a 62-3 trouncing of Nicholls State last night in Thibodaux. With the victory, the Lions have earned, at least, a share of the Southland Conference championship.

UL Lafayette has announced this Saturday’s football game against Appalachian State will kick-off at 1 PM. The start time has been moved up three hours, because the of potential of severe weather late Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. You can watch the game on ESPN 3.

Louisiana Tech leaves travels to Norfolk, Virginia where they’ll play Old Dominion tomorrow. The Bulldogs are undefeated in Conference USA play and can clinch the west division with a victory. Kick-off is at noon and the game can be seen on Fox College sports.

Lots of college hoops action last night: Purdue crushed Grambling State 82-30, UNO fell short against TCU 86-71, it was Northwestern State over LSU-Alexandria 89-79, Tulane beat Mississippi Valley State 100-61, Ole Miss defeated Southern 69-38, and UCLA blasted Nicholls State 107-74.

The Jindal Administration will be announcing mid-year budget cuts today, as the state faces a $171 million dollar revenue shortfall. Jindal’s chief administrator has indicated that higher education will avoid any substantial cuts, but Senate Finance chairman Jack Donahue doesn’t see that being possible…

cut 7 (11) “$340 million dollar cut”

There are many dedicated budget items that can’t be cut so typically higher education and heath care are hit hardest.

A new Rasmussen poll out on the US-Senate runoff shows incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu with 41% of the vote and Congressman Bill Cassidy with 56%. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says there are several factors working against Landrieu’s chances at re-election…

cut 10 (12) “Republican Party”

President Barack Obama announced his plans for immigration reform last night, but many people say more needs to be done. Local business consultant Randy Hayden says next year’s new Congress should look at making more working visas available, which could help with the state’s worker shortage

cut 13 (10) “our economy”

Hayden says with the state on the cusp of an economic boom, experts predict we’ll have trouble finding enough workers in the areas of science, technology and engineering and math.

The early voting period for the December 6th runoff elections begins tomorrow. Early voting will run through next Saturday November 29th with the exception of Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving.

Many are shaken up today at the story about the family of 8 headed to Disney World from Texas who got into a crash on I-20 and five died as a result. A 16-year-old was driving and was the only one buckled up according to state police. Trooper Michael Reichardt says the deceased juveniles were 4, 7 and 5 years old and nobody was bucked up. He says they interviewed the teen driver on scene…:
CUT 4 (08) “to the right”
He says this is horrible for this family and their friends so close to the Holidays.

Louisiana’s latest amnesty program is expected to bring in $169 million according to the state department of revenue who says they got 41,000 applications. $38 million will go to help the state close its mid-year budget deficit. The Jindal Administration will announce those cuts tomorrow. Louisiana is looking at a $171 million dollar shortfall.

A new report from the Us Geological Survey says it’s unlikely Louisiana black bears will go extinct. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

A lawyer for the Obama administration asked a judge today to dismiss Governor Bobby Jindal’s anti-Common Core lawsuit because the education standards were not forced by the feds to be accepted in states. A ruling on the matter is expected in December.

Tragedy on I-20 last night in Ouachita Parish, as five family members, on their way to Walt Disney World in Florida, were killed in a single vehicle accident…
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

In arguments given today in Governor Bobby Jindal’s lawsuit against Common Core, an attorney from the Obama adminstration told a federal judge that the suit should be thrown out, since the curriculum was not forced by the feds to be accepted in the states. A ruling will be made in December.

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In the 6th Congressional District runoff race, Democratic former governor Edwin Edwards may be in trouble. Pollster John Couvillion says a new survey reveals that Edwards support is around the 35 percent range…
CUT 10 (10) Q: “pro and con”
JMC Analytics and Polling conducted this survey of likely voters.

In the 1950′s, it was estimated there were only 80 to about 120 Louisiana black bears in the state. Today, the numbers are much better, with most of the bears in the northeastern part of the state in the Tensas River Basin. The report also indicates the bears are on the move.
CUT 8 (10) “vice versa”
That’s LDWF biologist Maria Davidson, who says this report could result in the bears being removed from the endangered species list.

State Police say five family members, on their way to Walt Disney World in Florida, were killed in a single vehicle accident on I-20 in Ouachita Parish last night. Three of the victims were juveniles. Trooper Michael Reichardt says a 16-year-old was behind the wheel…
CUT 3 (11) “at the scene”
The driver told troopers he had fallen asleep at the wheel.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received some good news from the US Geological Survey about the Louisiana Black Bear population. The numbers are going up…
CUT 7 (08) Q: “anytime soon”
That’s LDWF biologist Maria Davidson, who says this report could result in the bears being removed from the endangered species list.
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A new poll on the 6th Congressional District runoff race shows Republican Garret Graves with a large lead over Democrat former governor Edwin Edwards. Pollster John Couvillon says the numbers indicate that Republicans have really gotten behind Graves as the GOP nominee…
CUT 9 (07) “to Democrats”
The JMC Analytics and Polling Company conducted the survey, and it shows Graves with 59 percent of the vote; with Edwards getting 34 percent.

A robbery shooting in the overnight hours on Happiness Street in Lafayette has one man in the hospital, and police searching for the shooter today…
CUT 14 (08) Q: “ran from there.”
That’s Lafayette Police Corporal Paul Mouton who says if you have any information, call Lafayette Police or Crimestoppers.

A North Louisiana I-20 crash last night has claimed the lives of five family members on their way to Walt Disney World. Six out of eight passengers were ejected from the vehicle when the sixteen year-old driver over-corrected and flipped after falling asleep at the wheel…
CUT 5 (07) Q: “in the car”
That’s Trooper Michael Reichardt who says that crash is still under investigation.

Lafayette Police are on the hunt for a suspect involved in a robbery shooting on Happiness Street. The alleged black suspect allegedly shot the 31 year-old victim at least three times, striking him once in the back and twice in his legs.
CUT 13 (08) Q: ‘stable condition’
That’s Lafayette Police Cpl. Paul Mouton. That investigation continues.
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There’s new numbers out from JMC Analytics and polling for the 6th Congrssional District, and the news is not too good for former governor Edwin Edwards, even though there seems to be a lot of support for the well-seasoned Democrat…
CUT 11 (13) Q: “candidate now”
That’s Pollster John Couvillion. He says, even though Republican Garrett Graves has agreed to debate Edwards, he thinks it will have little impact on the race.

That state’s tax amnesty plan is set to deliver $142 million dollars to the state, based on the current number of applications and settlements. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols says, this is welcome news, since the state is facing some rather significant budget cutbacks this fiscal year, and some of that money will able to fill in the shortfall.