The House Education Committee rejected a bill to make a TOPS recipient pay back some or all of their scholarship if they fail or withdraw from school. Kenner Representative Julie Stokes authored the proposal. She says a lot of students get to college and have too much fun, then they end up dropping out.

cut 10 (04)  “take it seriously”

A proposal to increase the GPA a college student must achieve to keep their TOPS scholarship was also rejected.

Two new Zika cases have been confirmed in Louisiana, bringing the total number to four – but DHH says they are all okay. Medical Director for the Louisiana Center for Community Preparedness, Dr. Frank Welch says this Zika confirmation is really a few weeks late, because the tests had to be sent to the Center for Disease Control for confirmation.

cut 12 (07) “positive”

Welch says doctors have a much faster method for testing for Zika now.

Legislation that attempted to prevent local governments from removing Confederate monuments failed in a Senate Committee today. The bill would create a statewide commission that would have to grant a waiver before a monument could be altered, moved, or renamed. Confederate monument supporter Leslie Tassin says monuments of Confederate soldiers are a history lesson…

CUT 6 (04) “brighter future”

Opponents for the legislation believe it shouldn’t be up to the state what happens to city property.

A petition on change-dot-org is calling for Natchez, Mississippi, to secede from the state after legislators there approved a bill that allows individuals and institutions with religious obligations to deny services to gay people. Natchez resident Casey Hughes says she wants to send a message to people who would visit the historic city.

CUT 3 (08)  “to everyone”

Hughes says Natchez welcomes all kinds of people, even if the rest of the state does not.

The House Education Committee did not pass a bill to make a TOPS recipient pay back some or all of their scholarship if they fail or withdraw from school.  New Orleans Representative Walt Leger says changing TOPS to a loan makes it less of an opportunity for students.

CUT 9 (11) “many students”

Hammond Representative Chris Broadwater proposed a bill that would make TOPS a partial scholarship, in which recipients would receive more money each year. That bill also failed to make it out of committee. Broadwater says lawmakers have to do something to save the TOPS program.

Cut 11 (05) “a challenge”

The committee also rejected a proposal to increase the GPA a college student must achieve to keep their TOPS scholarship.

A rally in support of legislation to have 17-year-olds charged as juveniles rather than adults took place on the State Capitol steps yesterday. Meg Garvey with the Youth Justice Coalition says Louisiana is one of only 9 states that routinely prosecutes 17-year-olds as adults… with a law like this.

cut 23 (09) “and unfair”

Governor John Bel Edwards is spoke at the rally.

A bill that would prevent local governments from removing Confederate monuments failed in a Senate Committee today. Opponents for the legislation believe it shouldn’t be up to the state what happens to city property. Democrats on the panel voted against the bill, while Republicans supported it. Author of the legislation Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell urged legislators to vote favorably to allow the monuments to educate future generations…

CUT 8 (08) “shared history”

The bill failed on a 5-4 vote.

A bill that would prevent local governments from removing Confederate monuments failed in a Senate Committee. Confederate monument supporter Leslie Tassin says this issue is important to future generations so they will have the opportunity to understand the history of Louisiana. He says historic monuments shouldn’t be torn down, new monuments should be built.

CUT 7 (12) “their lives”

The bill failed on a 5-4 vote.

Two new Zika cases have been confirmed in Louisiana, bringing the total number to four. Medical Director for the Louisiana Center for Community Preparedness, Dr. Frank Welch says these results are from tests submitted 6 to 8 weeks ago. He says only one in five people who contract Zika actually get sick, and the illness only lasts three to five days.

Cut 13 (03)  “the illness”

The House Education Committee rejected a proposal to make a TOPS recipient pay back some or all of their scholarship if they fail or withdraw from school. Kenner Representative Julie Stokes authored the proposal. She says a lot of students get to college and have too much fun, then they end up dropping out.

cut 10 (04)  “take it seriously”

The committee also rejected a proposal to increase the GPA a college student must achieve to keep their TOPS scholarship.

A petition on change-dot-org is calling for Natchez, Mississippi, to secede from the state. The idea comes as a response to a bill that allows individuals and institutions with religious obligations to deny services to gay people. Natchez resident Casey Hughes says the petition was mostly a joke, but she wouldn’t mind if her town moved over to the Bayou State.

CUT 5 (08)  “that’d be great”

The petition has been signed by almost 700 people.

Today a Senate Committee failed to pass legislation that would prevent local governments from removing Confederate monuments. The bill would create a statewide commission that would require a waiver to alter, move, or rename a monument. Confederate monument supporter Leslie Tassin says monuments of Confederate soldiers are a history lesson…

CUT 6 (04) “brighter future”

Tassin says this issue is important for future generations to understand the history of Louisiana.

The total number of zika cases in Louisiana is now up to four, as two new zika cases have been confirmed. Medical Director for the Louisiana Center for Community Preparedness, Dr. Frank Welch says the mosquito that carries the Zika virus is active in Louisiana, but only in the summer. He says so far the only people who have gotten Zika were bit by mosquitos outside of the country.

cut 14 (06)  “has happened”

Welch says these cases were from people who had traveled to South America.

Three bills that would put limitations on the TOPS Scholarship Program failed to make it out of the House Education Committee today. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (26)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Search and rescue crews from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries found two 19-year-old off the coast of Cameron Parish this morning after their boat sank. Shane Martin of St. Martin Parish and Derek Romero of Iberia parish were reported missing last night. They were both taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries, but Romero did not survive the incident. The cause of death and why the boat sunk are not yet know.

Legislation aimed at preventing the removal of Confederate monuments failed to get out of a senate committee. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell is the author of the bill…
cut 8 (08) “…shared history”
The measure failed to advance out of committee on a five to four vote. Democrats opposed the measure while Republicans voted yes.

On the House side, there were three bills that would have put limitations on the TOPS scholarship, but none of them passed out of the Education Committee. Hammond Representative Chris Broadwater had one fo the proposals. He says the program has to be altered because of the state’s budget problems…
cut 11 (05) “…a challenge”
The Senate education committee is expected to debate its own set of bills to change TOPS tomorrow.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says one of the two 19-year-old boaters that was rescued off the coast of Cameron Parish this morning has died. LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says two young men launched an aluminum boat from Joseph’s Harbor yesterday and were found this morning clinging to their sunken boat…
cut 30 (04) “…Joseph’s harbor”
The deceased boater has been identified as 19-year-old Derek Romero of Iberia Parish. The other 19-year-old rescued is expected to survive.

Two new Zika cases have been confirmed in Louisiana, bringing the total number to four – but DHH says they are all okay. Medical Director for the Louisiana Center for Community Preparedness, Dr. Frank Welch says this Zika confirmation is really a few weeks late, because the tests had to be sent to the Center for Disease Control for confirmation….
cut 12 (07) “…positive”
Welch says the two individuals who tested positive for the Zika Virus recently traveled to the Caribbean and South America.

The House Education Committee said “No” to a bill that would make a TOPS recipient pay back some or all of their scholarship if they fail or withdraw from school. New Orleans Representative Walt Leger says changing TOPS to a loan makes it less of an opportunity for students…:
CUT 9 (11) “many students”
They also rejected a proposal to increase the GPA a college student must achieve to keep their TOPS scholarship.

Two new Zika cases have been confirmed in Louisiana, bringing the total number who have had the infection here to four — and the Department of Health and Hospitals says all have recovered. The CDC told state officials that two Louisiana residents who recently traveled to the Caribbean and South America were found to be infected, but no longer had the virus in their bloodstream. They say there have been no cases of local transmition of the virus in the US.

The Confederate monuments bill failed in a Senate Committee today. Lawmakers voted along party lines, 5-4, that they didn’t want to make it harder for local municipalities to remove statues of Confederate soldiers.

A petition on change-dot-org is calling for Natchez, Mississippi, to secede from the state and into Louisiana after our neighboring governor signed a bill saying people with religious objections don’t have to serve gay people. Natchez resident Casey Hughes says she launched the petition with tourism in mind…:
CUT 4 (07) “come here”
Hughes says Natchez welcomes all kinds of people, even if the rest of the state does not.

A couple from Vidalia was found shot to death in bed by their two children this morning, according to cops. They say a person of interest has been identified, but no other information is being released at this time.

A Natchez resident started a petition for the town to secede from Mississippi after the governor signed a bill that allows people with religious obligations to deny service to gay people. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Two men who were reported missing when they didn’t return from a fishing trip Tuesday off the coast of Cameron Parish, were located this morning — but their condition is uncertain at this time. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesman Adam Eicnk says one of the men rescued from the water had to be revived with CPR…:
CUT 2 (08) “in the water or not”

The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 5-4 to kill a bill seeking to make it more difficult for municipalities to remove Confederate monuments. Monument supporter Leslie Tassin says historic monuments shouldn’t be torn down, new monuments should be built…:
CUT 7 (12) “their lives”
Democrats voted against the bill, Republicans voted for it.

At least three bills which seek to alter to the TOPS scholarship program have not passed out of the House Education Committee. On of the measures would have required students to pay back the scholarship money if they flunk out of school, another sought to require students to maintain a higher GPA while in school.