LSU System President F. King Alexander warns that students at the Baton Rouge campus will see higher student fees and hundreds of faculty members and courses will be eliminated if there is a 65 million dollar cut in state funding this fiscal year. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says Dr. Alexander is painting a bleak picture for the school…

cut 10 (10) “for taxes”

Higher ed leaders were warned last week about potential cuts because of a 750 million dollar budget shortfall.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has started closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish. Spokesperson Ricky Boyett says the Mississippi River has crested in New Orleans so the process of closing the bays can begin. He says 10 bays were closed on Monday…

cut 7 (10) “fully closed”

Boyett says the Bonnet Carre did its job to divert water from the Mississippi.

LSU placed first in a competition to see which college could gather the most recycled trash during a home football game in the 2015 season. In the GameDay Recycling challenge, LSU led the nation with 86,400 pounds total recycling. Campus Sustainability manager Sarah Temple says taking part in this challenge builds on the goal of reaching 50% recycling rate a month…

cut 4 (11) “to recycle”

The competition put 99 colleges against each other with the goal of engaging fans to reduce their game-day waste, while composting and recycling more.

Although the state faces a $750 million dollar budget deficit, state employees in four departments are getting raises that former Governor Bobby Jindal okayed just before leaving office. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says these pay hikes really add up…:
CUT 12 (05) “pay raises”
Raises were granted in the Department of Transportation, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority.

LSU says if they take a 65-million dollar budget cut, it will mean the laying off of faculty and raising student fees. President and Chancellor F. King Alexander said they were told to prepare scenarios for a 32% budget cut to its statewide operations, and the reductions would be devastating. If the legislature doesn’t intervene in the upcoming legislative session on other ways to fill the budget hole, higher ed was told the state would have to cut $131 million from the state’s colleges and universities.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office says a family of four is on life support following a Sunday fire in West Monroe. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson says 26-year-old Jeremiah Owojori (oh-wa-jor-ee), his 24-year-old pregnant wife Ashley, and their two sons, aged 5-years and 7-months are clinging to life. He says they believe the fire started in the attic…:
CUT 9 (11) “to this fire”
He says the family was unable to escape the blaze and are all struggling to stay alive.

People who were sentenced to life for crimes they committed as juveniles now must be given the chance at parole. The US Supreme court ruled on a case out of Baton Rouge today. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says Henry Montgomery, convicted at 17 in 1963, will now get his case back in Louisiana and likely before a parole board hearing…:
CUT 7 (10) “ultimately”

Juveniles tried and convicted as adults must be given a shot at parole, the US Supreme Court ruled today on a case out of Baton Rouge. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

LSU has released its plan for how it would have to deal with a 65 million dollar cut that the Edwards Administration told them to prepare for in order to help repair Louisiana’s $750 million dollar midyear shortfall. $131 million would be cut across all universities. LSU says the plans include potential of cutting faculty and staff and increasing student fees.

A LaPlace man who allegedly failed to render aid to his 90-year-old grandmother as she laid on the floor is charged with negligent homicide in her death. The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office says 33-year-old Neil Oberoi admitted he saw his grandmother on the floor Friday evening and she was calling for help, but he ignored her pleas. Several hours later he called 911 to report his grandmother was not waking up, and she was pronounced dead on arrival. Oberoi is also booked with cruelty to the infirmed.

The Barksdale Air Force Base airman fatally stabbed during a fight at a Bossier City night club is identified as 34-year-old Technical Sergeant Zechariah Casagranda. Bossier City PD spokesman Mark Natale says 21-year-old Benjamin William Shaw of Killeen, Texas is charged with second degree murder:
CUT 5 (08) “incarcerated up there”

People who were sentenced to life without parole for convictions received when they were under 18 will now have the opportunity for a chance at freedom. A Baton Rouge man who’s been at Angola for over 50 years argued he was a changed man and should be allowed parole eligibility because he was 17 when he murdered a cop. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says the high court has consistently limited states’ ability to impose harsh sentences on juveniles…:
CUT 6 (10) “and unusual”

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says Louisiana will no longer use an online booking portal that state employees were required to use under the Jindal administration. Dardenne said, as Lt. Governor, he opposed the use of HotelPlanner.com because it was an out of state booking company and didn’t produce budget savings. Dardenne says state workers should be able to choose an option that is the least expensive and most convenient.

Bad electrical work in the attic of a West Monroe duplex is what investigators believe started a fire that left a family of 4 all on life support. The parents, including a pregnant mother, were in their mid 20s and had a 5-year-old and a 7 month old — all are in critical condition. Brant Thompson with the State fire Marshal’s office said the home had no working smoke alarms…:
CUT 11 (05) “a fire”
The investigation into the fire is ongoing.

Although the state faces a $750 million mid-year budget deficit, state employees in four departments are getting raises that former Governor Bobby Jindal approved just before leaving office. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Governor John Bel Edwards is determined to get to the bottom of this issue…:
cut 14 (09) “back to him”
The state is liable for the raises, which have already gone into effect.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office says a family of four is on life support following a Sunday fire in West Monroe. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

We’re continuing to see the price of gasoline go down, by almost a penny a day. Monday’s statewide average for a gallon of regular was $1.64, down a nickel from the same time last week.

It will be Carolina and Denver in Super Bowl 50. For New Orleans native, Peyton Manning, it will be his fourth appearance in the Super Bowl . The game will also feature former LSU Tiger, Trai Turner, who is a starting guard for the Panthers.

Governor John Bel Edwards inherited fresh pay raises for employees at four departments that were granted by former Governor Bobby Jindal “at the 11th hour,” even though the state faces a $750 million dollar deficit. LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford, who first reported the news, says these pay raises add up to at least $19 million for the remainder of this fiscal year and next fiscal year…:
CUT 13 (10) “next fiscal year”

On a case out of Baton Rouge, the US Supreme Court rules juvenile offenders serving life must be given the chance at parole. Henry Montgomery was 17 in 1963 when he killed an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputy, and he’s argued that he is now a changed man since being at Angola all this time. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says juvenile offenders serving life who are now adults have the opportunity to argue they have been reformed…:
CUT 8 (11) “50 years ago”

Juveniles tried and convicted as adults must be given a shot at parole, the US Supreme Court ruled today on a case out of Baton Rouge….:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Although the state faces a $750 million dollar budget deficit, state employees in four departments are getting raises that former Governor Bobby Jindal okayed just before leaving office. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says these pay hikes really add up…:
CUT 12 (05) “pay raises”

A young West Monroe family is clinging to life after sustaining critical injuries from a house fire, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office. The victims are a 26-year-old man, his 24 year old pregnant wife, and their 5 year old and 7 month old children. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson says they believe faulty wiring in the attic sparked the blaze and the family couldn’t get out…:
CUT 10 (07) “bedroom unit”
The investigation into the fire is ongoing.

Bossier Police have identified 34-year-old Technical Sergeant Zechariah Casagranda as the Barksdale Air Force Base airman who was killed over the weekend following an argument at a night club. Police spokesman Mark Natale says they believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the fight which led to the victim’s stabbing…:
CUT 4 (07) “a homicide”
21-year-old Benjamin William Shaw of Killeen, Texas has been arrested in connection with Casagranda’s death.

People who were sentenced to life for crimes they committed as juveniles now must be given the chance at parole. The US Supreme court ruled on a case out of Baton Rouge today. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says Henry Montgomery, convicted at 17 in 1963, will now get his case back in Louisiana and likely before a parole board hearing…:
CUT 7 (10) “ultimately”
The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that because children have a heightened capacity for change, states can not automatically sentence them to life in prison.

The Army Corps of Engineers have begun closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The process started today, will end in February when the final pins are put back in place. The spillway was opened January 10th to help divert water out of the swollen Mississippi River and into Lake Pontchartain.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office says a family of four is on life support following a Sunday fire in West Monroe. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson says 26-year-old Jeremiah Owojori (oh-wa-jor-ee), his 24-year-old pregnant wife Ashley, and their two sons, aged 5-years and 7-months are clinging to life. He says they believe the fire started in the attic…:
CUT 9 (11) “to this fire”
He says the family was unable to escape the blaze and are all struggling to stay alive.