A bill to raise the state’s cigarette tax to 68-cents a pack gets approval from the House Ways and Means Committee. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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The strong storm activity that swept through southeast Louisiana earlier today has resulted in wind damage and street flooding in the area. Eric Gill reports…
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The severe weather that ripped though the state this morning has left thousands of residents without power. Entergy spokesman Tom Peters says, with storm activity like today, there are several factors that can cause power outages….
He says it could be a while before power is fully restored…
CUT 4 (09) “straight line winds”
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The strong storm activity that swept through southeast Louisiana earlier today has resulted in wind damage and street flooding in the area. Frank Rivette, with the National Weather Service, says trees and power lines are down throughout the region. He says the damage caused by these storms is fairly widespread…
CUT 5 (10) “squall line moved”
He says they still have to survey the area to determine if any damage was the result of tornadoes. Rivette says downpours with these storms has caused street flooding in several communities. He says the area may not be out of the woods just yet…
CUT 6 (11) “severe weather overnight”
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The family of 27-year-old Kris Beall of Pineville, who was competing in a regatta in Mobile Bay when a powerful storm capsized several sailboats, says he is among the dead. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Seth Johnson says the incident happened Saturday afternoon…
The family says Beall’s body was one of two recovered, although authorities have yet to release names of the victims. Over 100 sailboats and more than 200 people were participating in the regatta when the storm hit. Johnson says the storm was quite powerful…
Beall’s wife reported his death in a Facebook post Sunday. Four people remain missing and officials say they are focused on finding them. Johnson says the storm caught boaters by surprise…
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The House Ways and Means Committee approves a bill that increases he state’s cigarette tax from 36-cents per pack to 68-cents, to match the tax rate in Mississippi. The bill’s author, Bogalusa Representative Harold Ritchie, originally proposed a tax increase of over one-dollar, but agreed to the lower tax, so the measure would be approved…
The tax proposal passed on a 11-5 vote. It’s expected to generate an estimated 67-million dollars for the state annually, which could be used towards the one-point-six billion dollar shortfall. Opposition came from convenience store owners, like former state senator Fred Hoyt…
Ritchie’s bill originally proposed a tax increase from 36-cents per pack to $1.54, which is a national average. Jack Casanova is a cigarette wholesaler and he says such an increase will have an impact on jobs and bring security concerns…
Health advocates lined up to speak in favor of a higher tax on cigarettes. Frances Gilcreast, a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, is a former smoker and told the committee about how smoking has impacted her file…
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Today is the start of Navy Week in Shreveport/Bossier — an opportunity for the community to meet Sailors and learn about their missions. Lead Navy week planner Gary Ross says events include free concerts, demonstrations, commemorative events, school visits and participation in service projects…:
Ross says this is one of 12 Navy Weeks their Office of Community Outreach is hosting in 2015. He says the US Navy Parachute team, the Leapfrogs, are also in town for the week…:
You can get a full list of the Navy Week events online at navy-outreach-dot-org. Ross says Shreveport/Bossier is such an Airforce town that it’s good to bring in the Navy to let everybody know what they are all about: