PM Newscall, April 2nd 2015

US Senator David Vitter has picked up the endorsement of fellow Republican Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany in this year’s governor’s race. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

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For the third year in a row, Louisiana has increased the number of tourists and set another record for the industry.

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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US Senator David Vitter has picked up the endorsement of fellow Republican Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany in this year’s governor’s race. Vitter is one of three Republicans eyeing the state’s highest elected office. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says being endorsed by a sitting congressman is a good thing…

CUT 3 (05)  “means something”

Vitter also picked up the endorsement of three-term Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel. Cross says the combination of these two endorsements are an indication of Vitter’s strength in the upcoming gubernatorial election…

CUT 4 (05)  “favorite to beat”

Cross says this is kind of a slap in the face for Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle as these endorsements come from his home region. He says the backing of Boustany and Durel is a real win-win for the Vitter campaign…

CUT 5 (07)  “and Angelle”

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An escaped inmate charged with murder has been captured and a guard at a mental facility in East Feliciana Parish has been arrested in connection with the prisoner’s escape. State Police trooper Melissa Matey says 37-year-old Antonio Webb was arrested after they interviewed several employees at the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health Hospital where prisoner Lorenza Conner was being held..:

CUT 6 (07)  “helped Conner escape”

Conner got out of a DHH transport vehicle in Orleans Parish and he was re-arrested this morning at a laundromat in Jefferson Parish.  Matey says the investigation into Conner’s escape is still ongoing….

CUT 7 (06)  “he escaped”

Matey says Webb has been booked with Malfeasance in Office…:

CUT 8 (12)  “to his escape”

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Former four-term governor Edwin Edwards is now a licensed real estate agent. Edwards says he got his broker’s licence last week and he’s excited at the prospect of getting back to work. He says that just because his political career has ended, he’s not completely retired…

CUT 9 (09)  “obvious reasons”

Edwards says he has to supplement his retirement income because he has a family to support. His wife Trina also received her real estate license. Edwards says as a team, he will concentrate on commercial properties while she will focus on residential properties…

cut 10 (10) “very much doing”

Edwards says he had a broker’s license years ago but gave it up. He lost in last December’s runoff election for the Sixth District Congressional seat. Edwards says that while he wants to focus on commercial properties, he’s just getting started and all options are open…

cut 11 (10)  “to list it”

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For the third year in a row, Louisiana has increased the number of tourists and set another record for the industry. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says there were 27.7 million people who visited Louisiana in 2014 which is a 5 percent increase over the year before…:

cut 12 (09)  “who don’t live here”

Dardenne says the revenue generated through visitors represents a more than 38-1 return on investment of state funding. He says this is great news for Louisiana and also means a lot of spending around the state at restaurants, bars, attractions, hotels and more…:

cut 13 (09)  “generated”

Dardenne says there was $11.2 billion dollars in total visitor spending in 2014 and $836 million dollars in state tax revenue generated. He credits the great year in tourism to creative marketing, dedicated industry leaders throughout the state and an incredible product in the many passions Louisiana offers…:

cut 14 (10)  “major conventions”

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