The Strawberry Festival Board and the Kiwanis Club of Ponchatoula have both apologized for the controversial 2015 poster and said they will not sell it in public. A meeting was held this morning with the NAACP and other concerned leaders who felt this year’s festival poster was racist. Pontchatoula Councilman Melvin Toomer was at that meeting…:
CUT 12 (11) “which they have done”
Toomer says the Kiwanis Club Organization, which is responsible for the poster, will not be selling it at the festival April 10th-12th — but they will continue to distribute it before that time.

The Natchitoches Police Department arrests the principal of a public alternative school amid allegations he abused an 11-year-old boy. The boy reportedly told his mother that 41-year-old Bobby Joe Benjamin, Jr. struck him multiple times and slammed him against a wall. Benjamin faces many charges.

Over 40 Beau Chene (SHEN) High School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a student who is accused of changing their grades. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin meets with the media this afternoon where it’s expected based on reports that he’ll enter the NBA Draft.

A total of 46 Beau Chene (SHEN) High School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a pupil who is accused of changing grades. St. Landry school superintendent Edward Brown says it was one student who was able to gain access to the grading computer program after getting a password…:
CUT 3 (10) “grade changing”
It’s being reported that this student was getting favors for changing grades. Brown says there could be more who were involved which they are looking into.

The ribbon has been cut at the new CenturyLink Technology Center. The facility in Monroe, which is an expansion of CenturyLink’s existing corporate headquarters, is 300,000 square feet and will be home to 800 new jobs in northeast Louisiana contributing over $67 million dollars in new annual payroll by next year according to company officials.

The Rayne Police Department is investigating several crashes which happened on I-10 East this morning with one resulting in a fatality. They say the wrecks involved three vehicles including an 18 wheeler, cargo delivery truck and a pickup truck. One of the victims was pronounced dead on the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Many people were awed by the pictures and video circling yesterday of the two elephants who were keeping an 18-wheeler from overturning yesterday on I-49 near Powhatan (Pow-Hat-Tin). There was a concern by some that this was some sort of animal abuse. But Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office Capt Tony Moran says the animals seemed to be willing to assist…:
CUT 9 (09) “from overturning”
He says at no time did these circus elephants appear to be injured in any way.

According to the 2015 Louisiana Survey, 83-percent of citizens want the state’s budget deficit to be addressed through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab Director Michael Henderson…:
CUT 4 (05) “than tax hikes”
He says 59 percent would like to focus mostly on the side of spending cuts, but Louisianians want more money spent in areas of education, health care and transportation which puts policy makers in a bind.

Baton Rouge Police say a man is dead and the suspect they believe is responsible is on the run. They say 31-year-old Yovanni Anibal Romos-Salazar allegedly shot and killed 28-year-old Joel Guevara after learning the victim had raped one of his family members. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ramos-Salazar is urged to contact authorities.

At least 45 Beau Chene (SHEN) students have been punished as part of an apparent hack into the the school’s system to change grades. School officials say the student who gained access to the passwords to change the grades has also been suspended. School Superintendent Edward Brown says there may be more students involved and the matter is still under investigation.

A former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy pleads guilty to striking a handcuffed man. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 2 (27) “reporting”

LSU’s annual survey of Louisiana residents shows that 83-percent of Louisianians want the state’s budget deficit to be resolved through a combination of spending cuts and additional revenue. Scott Carwile reports…

cut 1 (30) “reporting”

At least 45 Beau Chene High School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a student who is accused of changing their grades. School officials allege the student gained access to a web-based computer program, after obtaining a teacher’s password, and was able to alter grades for several students. They say the suspensions differed in length based on the student’s involvement, but no specifics were given.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a former school board candidate in south Louisiana accused of improper sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl whom he used to coach basketball. According to court documents, the victim claims she had to hit 34-year-old Philip Ziegler of Central several times with a baseball bat in order to stop his advances before the suspect walked out of her room saying, “This isn’t worth it.” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lawrence McLeary says sexual battery is the charge…:

cut 12 (04) “and his age”

Ziegler ran for a school board seat in Central in the November 4th, 2014 election but did not win.

The financial planning website Bankrate.com ranks Louisiana as the fifth worst place to retire. Bankrate’s research analyst Chris Kahn says Louisiana performed poorly in their study when it comes to well-being, which looks at how satisfied senior citizens are with their surroundings…

cut 9 (07) “liked it”

Kahn says Louisiana also scores low when it comes to crime rate, health care services, and weather.

The NAACP in Tangipahoa Parish is meeting with leaders in Ponchatoula today to further efforts to stop the sale of the controversial Strawberry Festival poster. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 3 (30) “reporting”

The Natchitoches Police Department has arrested the principal of a public alternative school for allegedly abusing an 11-year-old boy last week. The boy reportedly told his mother that 41-year-old Bobby Joe Benjamin, Jr. struck him multiple times and slammed him against a wall. Benjamin, principal at the Frankie Ray Jackson Technical Center, faces charges of cruelty to juveniles, aggravated battery, simple battery, and second degree battery. He has been placed on administrative leave.

The 2015 Louisiana Survey reveals that 83-percent of residents want the state’s budget deficit to be resolved through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. When it comes to raising revenue, LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab Director Michael Henderson says the public seems to behind a hike in the so-called “sin taxes”: alcohol, tobacco, and gaming…

cut 6 (06) “and fees”

He says Louisianians actually want more money spent in areas of education, health care, and transportation, which puts policy makers in a bind.

A former school board candidate in south Louisiana has been charged with felony sexual battery of a 12-year-old girl. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lawrence McLeary says the allegation is that 34-year-old Philip Ziegler of Central had come over to the victim’s house for a bonfire and ended up staying the night. He says the juvenile contends that at some point in the night, the suspect came to her room.:

cut 11 (11) “inappropriately”

The Mayor of Ponchatoula and other leaders will meet with the Greater Tangipahoa Parish NAACP Branch to discuss the controversial Strawberry Festival poster. The NAACP believes the painting is racist and wants the Kiwanas Club to stop selling it. Former Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club member Christina Rusca says there have been racist overtones in the club for a long time…

cut 14 (09) “that conversation”

She believes the Kiwanas Club will keep the poster.

83-percent of Louisianians want the state’s budget deficit to be resolved through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes according to The 2015 Louisiana Survey. LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab Director Michael Henderson says the way the Louisiana Constitution is written, higher education and health care will take the brunt of budget cuts, but that is not what the public wants…

cut 5 (05) “spent on that”

He says the public seems to support a hike in the so-called “sin taxes”.

A former school board candidate in south Louisiana has been charged with felony sexual battery of a 12-year-old girl whom he used to coach basketball. Lawrence McLeary with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s office says the juvenile told her doctor that she was assaulted by 34-year-old Philip Ziegler of Central about a year and a half ago…:

cut 10 (10) “to report it”

McLeary says the allegation is that the assault occurred when Ziegler had come over to the victim’s house for a bonfire and ended up staying the night.

Louisiana ranks as the fifth worst place to retire according to the financial planning website Bankrate.com. Bankrate’s research analyst Chris Kahn says retirees in Louisiana do not face a huge tax burden, which is good, but the state has the second highest crime rate in the nation, which does NOT make the bayou state a dream retirement spot

cut 8 (08) “in the country”

He says Louisiana scores low when it comes to its crime rate, health care services and weather.

The 2015 Louisiana Survey reveals that 83-percent of Louisianians want the state’s budget deficit to be resolved through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab Director Michael Henderson says people would prefer one over the other…

cut 4 (05) “than tax hikes”

Of those preferring a combination, 59-percent would rather see the the focus mostly on the side of spending cuts.

The financial planning website Bankrate.com lists Louisiana as the fifth worst place to retire. Bankrate’s research analyst Chris Kahn says Louisiana scores low when it comes to its crime rate, health care services and weather

cut 7 (07) “our rankings”

Kahn says retirees in Louisiana do not face a huge tax burden, which is good, but the state has the second highest crime rate in the nation, which does NOT make the bayou state a dream retirement spot.

The Greater Tangipahoa Parish NAACP Branch is meeting this morning with the Mayor of Ponchatoula and other leaders to discuss the controversial Strawberry Festival poster. They believe the painting is racist and want the Kiwanas Club to stop selling it. Christina Rusca, a former member of the Ponchatoula Kiwanis Club, believes they will keep the poster…

cut 13 (09) “stick to their guns, yes”

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Zabbia says because negative feelings about the poster go against the purpose of the Strawberry Festival, which has brought the community together for decades, he would recommend that the Kiwanis reevaluate their decision to sell the poster