It’s believed tonight’s meeting about the new proposed 1-10 Calcasieu River Bridge is the last one for the public to add their input. Brooke Thorington has more
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College football is mourning the loss of Mississippi State Coach Mike Leach who died last night after suffering a massive heart attack on Sunday. He was 61. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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State Police investigators have released more details about the death of an inmate yesterday at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse. Trooper Derek Senegal says the altercation occurred between the inmate and a corrections deputy in a deliberation room just outside a courtroom.
He says the inmate was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead by the medical staff. He says the corrections officer was not injured.
Senegal says the inmate was at the courthouse on official business. Investigators are trying to figure out what led up to the incident.
He says the inmate’s identity will be released once his next of kin has been notified.
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The Department of Transportation and Development is hosting a meeting tonight in Lake Charles about the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. Lake Charles Representative Phillip Tarver says concerned residents need to attend this meeting.
Tarver says the new bridge is expected to be constructed just north of the current structure and the route to the bridge for the most part will not change, but there are concerns about the transition into Westlake.
Tarver says approximately 90-thousand cars use the Calcasieu River Bridge daily.
The cost of the bridge is estimated to be $1.5 billion and Tarver says the legislature has already allocated one billion for the project. As for the remaining amount needed he says there are differing opinions on how it should be funded.
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If plans continue to proceed, Tarver expects construction should begin in the next year, a year and a half.
The meeting will be from 5 until 7 at the Pryce/Miller Recreational Center.
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The executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents says Louisiana is one of only 13 states that require all high school juniors to take the ACT test. Michael Faulk says the requirement is outdated.
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Faulk says students who are not planning on going to college shouldn’t have to take the ACT test because they are not taught classes that prepare them for it.
Faulk says students who aren’t preparing to go to college are also given a chance to take a test called WorkKeys. He says only students who are planning to go to college should be required to take the ACT test.
Faulk says when students who are not prepared to take the ACT tests have to take it, their low scores drag down the state’s overall average, which has been declining for five consecutive years.
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A large portion of the state is under a tornado watch until 10 PM. The watch area covers Shreveport, Monroe, Natchitoches, Alexandria and DeRidder Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says the threat for tornadoes exists for south Louisiana during the overnight hours…
Steele says this storm system moving in from Texas brings a variety of threats
Steele says much of the southern half of the state is also under a flash flood watch tonight through tomorrow…..