The highly anticipated return of Garth Brooks to Baton Rouge could make a call for the record books. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 1 (39) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Meeting up with a snake is many people’s greatest fear, but LDWF says though snakes may not be man’s best friend, most aren’t your enemy either. David Grubb has more.
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m David Grubb.”
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Several bills seeking to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana go before the House Committee on Labor today. Kevin Gallagher looks at their chances of advancing…:
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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The capital city is gearing up for a huge influx of visitors with Garth Brooks set to take the stage in Tiger Stadium before an anticipated crowd of more than 102,000 Saturday night. President and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, Paul Arrigo believes it will be the largest outdoor attended concert in the US.
Arrigo anticipates for at least half the crowd it will be their first time in Death Valley. And when you look at hotel bookings this weekend a large percentage of attendees will be out-of-town visitors who are paying top dollar for their accommodations.
And unlike a game at Death Valley, Arrigo imagines the huge crowd will stay for the entire concert just to hear that call live and in person as opposed to a pre-game recording.
Cut 6 (11) “…Baton Rouge time.”
The last time Brooks made a local call in Baton Rouge was April of 1998 at the PMAC.
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An early morning shooting in Opelousas kills a 46-year-old man and a four-year-old and injures three children. Opelousas Police Chief Martin McLendon says officers had already visited the Mia Street address Tuesday night after reports of fighting, but when they arrived all was calm, but at 1 AM they received a frantic 9-1-1 call.
McLendon says three children in the home were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. A four-year little girl died at the hospital and her seven-year-old and 17-month-old siblings remain in the hospital.
Cut 8 (11) “…medical attention.”
Investigators say as a result of the fight earlier in the evening, others joined in and invaded the home hours later. McClendon says the shooter was a person inside and a warrant for their arrest has been issued and an arrest is imminent.
McClendon says the tragic shooting has been extremely hard on the community and those who responded to the scene.
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reaching out to the public to educate them about what to do when they come face to face with a snake. Spring and summer are when snake encounters are typically at their peak. State herpetologist Keri Lejuene says, most times there’s no need for worry, especially if you know exactly what type of snake you’ve encountered.
Cut 10 (12) “…and non-venomous.”
There are 47 different species of snakes native to the state, though only seven are venomous. Lejuene says there’s a very slim chance that you’ll see a venomous snake in your yard or around your neighborhood, and gives some simple advice to keep your chances of being bitten low…
Lejuene says one of the biggest problems is people killing snakes, either out of fear or just not knowing what they’re dealing with. These reptiles serve a very important role in the state’s ecosystem, and she says they do far more good than harm.
Cut 12 (08) “…rodent species.”
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The House Labor Committee is set to hear a number of bills seeking to increase the minimum wage in Louisiana, but the passage of any of the bills is far from assured. Three bills to be considered would raise the minimum for all workers, a 4th would increase the minimum for state employees and a 5th is a minimum wage hike for tipped employees; like waiters and waitresses. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the GOP majority on that committee won’t be friendly to the idea…:
Cut 13 (10) “…Kathleen Blanco.”
One bill would simply raise the minimum wage to $11.65 an hour. Another would make two increases to eventually reach $12, while a third would make four incremental increases to an eventual $15 an hour. Pinsonat says Republican lawmakers feel raising the minimum will hurt small businesses, and actually reduce the number of minimum wage employees they can hire…:
Cut 14 (10) “…are republicans.”
Pinsonat says he expects the bills to meet defeat in House Labor, as they have for years before this. He says committee members will at least let those in favor have their say…before down-voting the bills…:
Cut 15 (12) “…sides of an argument.”
Those bills are all due today in the House labor committee.
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Saints general manager Mickey Loomis enters this year’s NFL Draft with a new coach and several needs to address, including along the offensive line and a wide receiver. Earlier this month the Saints acquired a second first-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles, and Loomis says he liked the value of what he got in comparison to what the team gave up.
Cut 16 (15) “…you have the draft.”
The Saints have the 16th and 19th picks in the first round, and Loomis says there are definite targets with those picks. However, he added that with the draft there are no guarantees that things will go according to plan.
Cut 17 (12) “ …it’s never foolproof.”
Loomis would love to grab a couple of starters in the first round, but that depends on how the first round plays out. He says the draft is a constant balancing act to try to find the right player in the right spot.
The draft begins at 7 pm.
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The New Orleans Pelicans face elimination Thursday night when they host the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their playoff series. One storyline to watch is the health of Brandon Ingram. Ingram injured two fingers on his right hand in the second half and in the fourth quarter shot 0-for-4 from the floor and 1-of-3 from the line. He says he’ll be good to go with the season on the line.
Turnovers killed the Pelicans in Game 5, as their 15 giveaways led to 23 points for the Suns. Phoenix had scored just over 10 points per game off of turnovers in the first four games. Coach Willie Green says taking care of the basketball has to be a priority.
Game 6 tips off at the Smoothie King Center at 6:30 pm.