The curtain has all but fallen on the 2018 First extraordinary legislative session with nothing happening. Jim Shannon has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jim Shannon”

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Cameron Parish authorities have new information on the severed head found in a ditch alongside Highway 27.  Kelley Ray has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray”.

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The special session is all but over as far as lawmakers are concerned. Time limitations have eaten up any real possibility of banging out a deal to plug the nearly billion dollar budget hole that opens up July 1st. Republican Jack McFarland of Jonesboro…

Cut 3 (:11) “going on.”

Democrats are crying foul on promises made and promises broken. Representative Gene Reynolds is the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

Cut 4  (11) “things changed.” 

Republican Representative Jack McFarland was noticeably disturbed by the way things played out but more concerned about the damage going forward in the upcoming regular session..

Cut 5  (05 ) “the public.”

Reynolds says he plans on taking a different approach when the regular session rolls around because the old one isn’t working.

Cut 6 (10)  “plan together.”

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The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office has released the preliminary findings in connection with a partly decomposed severed head found south of Hackberry on Highway 27 last week. Sheriff Ron Johnson says they know it’s a 25-40 year old female with dark colored hair, with no trauma to the skull. They believe it wasn’t in the marshy area very long…

Cut 7 (09)  “the head.”

It appears there was a lot of dental work that had been performed and Johnson hopes it will be easy for forensics at the LSU FACES lab to identify the victim through dental records…

Cut 8 (06) “this point.”

Johnson says they know it’s more than likely not a missing persons case from Cameron Parish. He says they need more information before moving forward…

Cut 9 (09) “are released.”

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Parts of Louisiana could see some strong thunderstorms as a cold front invades the bayou. State Climatologist Barry Keim says expect the weather to take a turn this afternoon.

Cut 10 (08) “high winds.”

A half inch to two inches of rainfall is expected, which is raising concerns in north Louisiana after record breaking rain totals across north Louisiana for February. Along with some nasty storm systems, Keim says temperatures will plummet.

Cut 11 (12) “south Louisiana.”

Pierre C. Shadeaux, Louisiana’s rodent weather forecaster predicted an early end to winter back on ground hogs day, but Keim says the nutria’s prediction was premature.

Cut 12 (10) “of year.”

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The Corps of Engineers is recommending opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway just outside of New Orleans this Thursday as Mississippi River levels are expected to steadily rise after several weeks of intense rains in the Midwest. Colonel Michael Clancy says if the spillway is not opened, New Orleans could get swamped.

Cut 13 (10) “unnecessary risk”

The Bonnet Carre is expected to be operated at half capacity.

The spillway diverts river water into Lake Ponchartrain, and Clancy says it could see an extended tour of duty.

Cut 14 (10) “for longer”

The river was expected to rise more slowly, and later in the month, but has swelled rapidly. Clancy says the Mississippi is getting close to topping the New Orleans levee system.

Cut 15 (08) “designed for”

It’s possible the special session will conclude tonight without a resolution to the one-billion dollar shortfall that will hit the state on July 1st. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Reynolds says the House could never get on the same page on how to increase revenues to make up the loss of a billion dollars in temporary sales taxes that will expire at the end of June…
cut 6 (10) “…plan together”
It’s possible another special session will occur before June 30th to address the fiscal cliff.

High temperatures are in the 70s today, but a strong cold front will bring our high temperatures back in the 60s. Low temperatures will be in the 30s Wednesday and Thursday for north Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim…
cut 12 (10) “…time of air”

Cameron Parish authorities have new information on the severed head found in a ditch alongside Highway 27. Kelley Ray has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray”.

A man wanted for second-degree murder out of Iberia Parish has been arrested in Houston. Authorities say the U-S Marshal’s Violent Offender Task Force apprehended Akeam Daniels. He’s accused of fatally shooting 29-year-old Courtland Hall, who was dating the mother of his child. The incident resulted in an Ambert Alert involving their two month old child, but the infant was found unharmed.

The curtain has all but fallen on the special session with nothing happening. Jim Shannon has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jim Shannon”

In a statement, Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras blames the governor for failing to reach a compromise. Barras says Edwards’ solution was to raise 994-million dollars in taxes, instead of using a combination of spending reform measures and tax increases. The governor plans to have a press conference 30 minutes after the House adjourns later today.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s office released more information today on the severed head that was found on Highway 27, south of Hackberry. Initial forensics testing has determined it’ s a woman between the ages of 25 and 40 years old. The victim also had extensive dental work done. Sheriff Ron Johnson says they hope the LSU FACES lab can provide more clues…
cut 9 (09) “…are released”
The severed head was found by a road crew last week.

Temperatures are in the mid to upper 70s today, but a strong cold front will move through today bringing a marginal risk for severe weather. State Climatologist Barry Keim says once the cold front moves through, cooler air will move in….
cut 11 (12) “….south Louisiana”
The next chance for rain after today is Saturday.

The special session is all but over as far as lawmakers are concerned. Time limitations have eaten up any real possibility of banging out a deal to plug the nearly billion dollar budget hole that opens up July 1st. Representative Jack McFarland of Jonesboro
cut 3 (11) “….going on”
Democrats are crying foul on promises made and promises broken. Mindent Representative Gene Reynolds is the chairman of the Democratic Caucus….
cut 4 (11) “…things changed”
It is possible that legislators can vote to end the session tonight. The governor has called a press conference 30 minutes after the House adjourns.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office has released the preliminary findings in connection with a severed head found south of Hackberry on Highway 27 last week. Sheriff Ron Johnson says they know it’s a 25-50 year old female with dark colored hair, with no trauma to the skull. They believe it wasn’t in the marshy area very long…
Cut 7 (09) “the head.”
It appears there was a lot of dental work that had been performed and Johnson hopes it will be easy at the LSU FACES lab to identify the victim through dental records.

Site Selection magazine ranks Louisiana eighth on a per capita basis, among states with the most new and expanded facilities in 2017. It’s the ninth consecutive year Louisiana has landed in the top 10.

It’s possible the special session ends tonight with legislators unable to come to an agreement on how to generate revenues to address a looming one-billion dollar shortfall. The special session must end by midnight Wednesday night, but Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland says it’s disappointing they couldn’t come to an agreement on a plan to address the fiscal cliff…
cut 5 (05) “…the public”

The Louisiana School Board Association was hoping the state legislature would have enough to provide public schools with a 2.75 percent increase in state funding. Scott Richard is the executive director of the L-S-B-A….
cut 11 (07) “…the state”
Richard says schools are seeking more money to provide better security and safety for the students.

A bill to prohibit convicted felons from running for office has been pre-filed for the regular session by Metairie senator Conrad Appel. It’s already been passed once, but as Michael Farrar reports it’s back again.
Cut 1 (28) “I’m Michael Farrar.”

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s office has released more information about the severed head found on the shoulder of Highway 27, south of Hackberry. Based on forensic testing, it’s believed the victim is a white female between the ages of 25 and 50, with auburn or brown hair. The victim also had a lot of dental work done and not apparent trauma to the skull.

Three days are left in the special session and it looks like the House will not pass any legislation to address the fiscal cliff. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Bestschools.org has ULM as the only Louisiana college to be ranked in the 100 Best Online Colleges, coming in at number 58. Online Programs coordinator Katie Dawson says the commitment to excellence the professors provide on campus spills over to the online program, which is a big part of the program’s success…

Cut 8 (08) “our success.”

The Louisiana School Board Association is asking the state legislature for an increase of 70-million-dollars to provide better school security and increase safety measures. LSBA Executive Director Scott Richard says the increase would allow schools to put their local funds to better use…

Cut 9 (12)  “local funding.”

A sort of “Re-do” bill has been pre-filed for the upcoming legislative regular session by Metairie Senator Conrad Appel. Senate Bill 31 disqualifies would be candidates from running for office after convicted of a felony for at least 15 years after they have served a sentence. Voters approved this legislation before, but the Louisiana Supreme Court tossed it out, because the version that appeared on the ballot was different than what legislators approved. So Appel wants to put it on the ballot again…

Cut 4  (10) “has elapsed.” 

All hope appears lost that the state legislature will pass any tax measures in this special session to address a nearly one-billion dollar shortfall. A sales tax bill that would provide nearly 300-million dollars in revenues was defeated soundly for a second time last night. Jeremy Alford, the publisher of LA-politics-dot-com,

says it’s unlikely the fractured House will gather the necessary 70 votes to pass this sales tax bill or the 53 votes to approve a separate income tax bill that’s also been discussed…

Cut 13 (07)  “from this”

Bestschools.org has ULM as the only Louisiana college to be ranked in the 100 Best Online Colleges, coming in at number 58. Online Programs coordinator Katie Dawson says the wide range of degrees they offer through the internet is a large reason they get high marks.

They are especially proud of one group who can’t make it to the campus, but Dawson says they still are seeking a high quality education…

Cut 7 (06)  “taking classes.”

A sort of “Re-do” bill has been pre-filed for the upcoming legislative regular session by Metairie Senator Conrad Appel. Senate Bill 31 disqualifies would be candidates from running for office after convicted of a felony for at least 15 years after they have served a sentence. Voters approved this legislation before, but the Louisiana Supreme Court tossed it out, because the version that appeared on the ballot was different than what legislators approved.

The “re-do” measure was also killed last session in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, but Appel is resurrecting it.

Cut 5  (11)  “or not.”

Early March triggers an up-tick in allergy related issues. Physician and Allergist, Dr. Peter Boggs says we are already a month into what’s usually a very long pollen season with tree pollen’s but as March wears on the grass pollens join in which causes multiple effects on people. Boggs says most of the Most of the good Antihistamines are over the counter now to combat sniffles and sneezing.

All hope appears lost that the state legislature will pass any tax measures in this special session to address a nearly one-billion dollar shortfall. A sales tax bill that would provide nearly 300-million dollars in revenues was defeated soundly for a second time last night. Jeremy Alford, the publisher of LA-politics-dot-com,

Two weeks ago, a 17-day special session began with hope lawmakers would close a 994-million dollar shortfall that will come about when temporary sales taxes expire on June 30th. Alford says this session is on the verge of crashing and burning, because no one was able to get on the same page on how to solve the fiscal cliff

Cut 14 (10) “off of it.”

Governor John Bel Edwards says House leadership is not negotiating in good faith. He says a vast majority of the House wanted to solve this problem, but were not given the chance. The governor says budget reform proposals wanted by the speaker made it through the process. He says the governor kept his promise, House leadership did not.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe has one of the best online courses in the country.  Kelley Ray has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

The Louisiana School Board Association is asking the state legislature for an increase of 70-million-dollars to provide better school security and increase safety measures. LSBA Executive Director Scott Richard says Governor Edwards supports LBSA’s funding increase request by 2.75 percent. Richard hopes Edwards can make good on his promise to…

Cut 11 (07) “the state.”

Three days are left in the special session and it looks like the House will not pass any legislation to address the fiscal cliff. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The House Democratic caucus issued this statement last night following adjournment, in part. Quote…”our republican colleagues displayed little interest in actually passing a package to solve our problems tonight when they refused to take up instruments in a bipartisan manner. Their bad behavior and irresponsibility was rubber stamped by republican leadership as usual.”

A sort of “Re-do” bill has been pre-filed for the upcoming legislative regular session by Metairie Senator Conrad Appel. Senate Bill 31 disqualifies would be candidates from running for office after convicted of a felony for at least 15 years after they have served a sentence. Voters approved this legislation before, but the Louisiana Supreme Court tossed it out, because the version that appeared on the ballot was different than what legislators approved. So Appel wants to put it on the ballot again…

Cut 4  (10) “has elapsed.” 

The Louisiana School Board Association is asking the state legislature for an increase of 70-million-dollars to provide better school security and increase safety measures. LSBA Executive Director Scott Richard says In light of the Florida school shooting that killed 17, all schools are on high alert. Even if the request is not granted, Richard says it’s a good time for schools to look over protocols currently in use…

Cut 10 (09) “in place.”