Two men are behind bars for allegedly robbing and murdering a Natchez, Mississippi school teacher and then burying his body under garbage in an abandoned Ferriday food plant. Concordia Parish Chief Deputy David Hedrick says the victim, Fred McCray Jr., apparently met the suspects who said they needed a ride.
Cut 12 (11) “…murder.”
48-year-old Jimmy Lewis of Ferriday and his alleged accomplice Cedric Tennessee are facing first degree murder charges.

About 23-hundred teachers are receiving training this week in New Orleans so they can better mentor aspiring teachers and improve classroom instruction among peers. Assistant superintendent of education Hannah Dietisch says…
cut 11 (09) “…students”

Personal income growth was up four-percent in the first quarter of the year, outpacing the national average according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The governor’s office says the income growth rate was even higher than Texas. Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says its evidence the state is headed in the right direction.
Cut 3 (10) “…the future.”

LSU’s Vet School is receiving viral fame after equipping a turtle with wheels…

A Triple-A study finds that 70% of drivers in America believe they are unlikely to be caught by the police while driving while under the influence of marijuana. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has issued 20 temporary permits to retailers who are now able to sell C-B-D products. The temporary permits will expire at the end of February and permanent permits will only be issued after A-T-C receives a certification from the Louisiana Department of Health.

Video of a turtle missing its back legs has gone viral. Pedro the Turtle is now able to move around much quicker thanks to LSU veterinarians who used wheels from a lego car kit as a prosthetic…
cut 7 (10) “…into that”
LSU Vet School spokesperson Ginger Guttner says the story has spread like wildfire, giving Pedro and the vet school plenty of media attention.

Coast Professional Incorporated announces an expansion of its contact center in West Monroe which will result in 146 new jobs with an average salary of 36-thousand dollars. Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says the state’s workforce program called FastStart will guide recruitment…
cut 5 (11) “…to play”
Coast Professional will renovate a former Sears Hometown store to accommodate the new workforce.

Personal income growth was up four-percent in the first quarter of the year, outpacing the national average according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The news comes on the heels of an announcement by Coast Professional call center in West Monroe adding 146 jobs.  Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says good paying jobs will be created through the 750,000-dollar expansion…

Cut 4 (09) “…area.”

2,300 of the state’s best teachers have begun specialized training aimed at preparing them to be mentors to new educators and struggling students. Assistant Superintendent Hannah Dietsch says the program will give experienced educators the tools to be able to better prepare their rookie peers for those first, challenging years in the classroom.

Cut 9, 10 seconds, teachers

A box turtle who was missing his rear legs now has a new set of wheels thanks to LSU veterinarians. The heartwarming story has gone viral and Spokesperson for the LSU Vet School Ginger Guttner says medically, Pedro the turtle was fine, but zoological medicine intern Dr. Kelly Rockwell was up for the challenge of improving his mobility.

Cut 6 (10) “…look at toys.”

Pedro’s family had adopted the turtle when he was missing only one leg, but following an escape from his enclosure and being on the lam for a bit, when he returned, he didn’t have either of his hind legs.

Operation Broken Heart, a statewide effort to catch child predators has resulted in 63 arrests for child exploitation. Brooke Thorington on why law enforcement say parents need to play a more active role when it comes to what their kids are doing on the phone….
voicer 1 (30) “….Brooke Thorington”

A former Playboy playmate has been arrested on drug charges by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. A deputy conducted a traffic stop over a brake light issue. Inside the car they found the driver and two passengers, one of which was Valerie Mason, a playmate of the month from 2008. The deputy searched the vehicle, finding 2 grams of meth and syringes.

Personal income growth was up four percent in the first quarter of the year, a rate that paces the national average. The income growth rate was higher than even Texas’s for the first quarter, and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says that’s evidence that the state is headed in the right direction.
Cut 3 (10) “…the future.”
The four percent increase means Louisianans personal income grew by more than two-billion-dollars.
South Louisiana is getting a 400,000-dollar EPA grant to clean up two environmentally contaminated sites as part of the “Brownfields Program”. Congressman Garret Graves says Brownfields are plots of land, often in the middle of booming markets that have sat abandoned as a result of environmental issues. Graves says studies showed just 12.4 million dollars of investment yielded 29 to 97 million dollars of new local tax revenue in the first year alone, saying that’s a lot of bang for your government buck.

Cut 11 (11) “…you invested.”

A Triple-A study indicates about 70% of drivers in America feel they are unlikely to be caught by the police while driving while under the influence of marijuana. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the findings are a big concern as more states look into legalizing recreational pot.
Cut 7 (11) “…kind of fashion.”
And the research found that marijuana users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash.

Ragin Cajuns baseball head coach Tony Robichaux is recovering following open heart surgery yesterday. UL-Lafayette Athletics spokesperson Patrick Crawford says Robichaux went to the hospital on Sunday and found out he was experiencing a cardiac event.
Cut 13 (11) “…a heart attack.”
Robichaux, who just completed his 25th season, is expected to make a full recovery.

Coast Professional Incorporated announces an expansion of its contact center in West Monroe which will result in 146 new jobs with an average salary of 36-thousand dollars.

And today, Edwards announces that data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis finds that the state’s personal income grew by four-percent in the first quarter, which is faster than the national average, including Texas.

The EPA has authorized a 400,000 dollar grant to clean up two contaminated plots of land in Houma and Lafayette…
Voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

A Triple-A study says nearly 70-percent of American drivers believe they will not get caught by the police while driving high on marijuana. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the survey also found that more Americans are driving while high…
cut 8 (10) “….are the women’
Redman says marijuana users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash.

63 people were arrested across Louisiana for child exploitation during a two-month sting operation called Operation Broken heart. FBI Special Agent Eric Rommal says their participation lead to multiple spinoff investigations.
Cut 6 (07) “…as we speak.”
45 suspects were charged for crimes associated with sexual abuse images and videos of children under the age of 13.

South Louisiana receives a 400,000-dollar EPA grant to clean up two environmentally contaminated sites as part of the “Brownfields Program”. Congressman Garret Graves says Brownfields are plots of land, often in the middle of booming markets that are vacant as a result of environmental issues…
Cut 10 (09) “…fueling station.”
The two locations that will receive money are a former V-F-W Hall in Houma and a federal office building in Lafayette.

UL-Lafayette baseball coach Tony Robichaux is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing open heart surgery after doctors say the 57-year-old suffered a heart attack. Ragin Cajuns athletics spokesperson Patrick Crawford says the coach will be on bed rest for a bit…
cut 15 (12) “….will look like”
Robichaux just completed his 25th year at the helm on the baseball program for the school, scoring his 900th victory in this most recent season.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says multiple law enforcement agencies arrested 63 people on child exploitation charges during a two-month initiative called Operation Broken Heart. Landry says many of these suspects are not easy to identify and they could be your neighbor or even the person walking next to you in the grocery store…
cut 5 (12) “….out there”
45 suspects were charged for crimes associated with sexual abuse images and videos of children under the age of 13.

South Louisiana is receiving 400-thousand dollars from the E-P-A to clean up two environmentally contaminated sites. Congressman Garret Graves says they are a former V-F-W Hall in Houma and a federal office building in Lafayette. Graves says they sit in vital economic corridors….
cut 12 (09) “…market”
A recent study by AAA indicates about 70% of drivers in America believe they are unlikely to be caught by the police while driving while under the influence of marijuana. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has issued a total of 20 temporary permits statewide to retailers who can now sell C-B-D products. The temporary permits will expire at the end of February and permanent permits will only be issued after A-T-C receives a certification from the Louisiana Department of Health.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says 63 people have been arrested statewide for child exploitation as part of Operation Broken Heart. Landry says several law enforcement agencies were involved in the two-month initiative to apprehend those involved in child pornography…
cut 4 (13) “…young as three”
Three of the people arrested face 500 counts of possession.

Two people are behind bars in the fatal shooting of a Mississippi school teacher whose body was found in Ferriday. Concordia Sheriff deputies say Fred McCray gave two individuals, Jimmy O’ Neal and Cedric Tennessee, a ride on Sunday and those two men were involved in shooting McCray in the head. McCray was named teacher of the year for the Natchez-Adams County School District.

A new study from AAA finds that a majority of drivers underestimate the dangers of driving while high. Nearly 70 percent of the people who took the survey believe a driver is unlikely to be caught by police when driving within an hour of using marijuana. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the cannabis industry is downplaying the impact of marijuana when behind the wheel in an effort to sell states on legalizing pot.
Cut 9 (05) “…or totally misleading.”
Efforts to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Louisiana were defeated in this year’s legislative session.

Ragin Cajuns baseball head coach Tony Robichaux is recovering following open heart surgery. UL Lafayette Athletics spokesperson Patrick Crawford says Robichaux went to the hospital on Sunday evening and found out he was experiencing a cardiac event.
Cut 13 (11) “…a heart attack.”
Robichaux is expected to make a full recovery.