On his monthly call-in radio show Governor Edwards briefly discussed the Pardon Board’s scheduling hearings to review clemency applications from 20 different death row inmates. Brooke Thorington has more…
Cut 1 (33) “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Three in four Louisiana parishes have seen more deaths than births between 2020 and 2022. Teiko Foxx has more…
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Even with a break from the extreme heat, the lack of rainfall is presenting problems in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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On his monthly radio call-in show, Governor Edwards discussed the clemency applications from death row inmates that will be reviewed by the Louisiana Pardon Board. The board originally rejected to hear the 56 cases on the grounds, they weren’t filed within a year of their final appeal being denied, but Edwards directed the panel to do so anyway. So far 20 of the cases have been scheduled for review.
Once the board reviews the individual cases, Edwards says they will send a recommendation on whether to grant clemency or not. He says it usually takes a week or two after it goes before the board, before he receives them.
In the last year of his second term, Edwards publicly stated he opposed the death penalty, and that was soon followed by 56 applications for clemency.
Edwards acknowledges the Pardon Board has difficult decisions to make. He says many factors are considered in clemency applications…
The death row inmate clemency applications are requesting life in prison without parole in lieu of the death penalty.
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Recent research from LSU Demographer Tim Slack found that three in four Louisiana parishes saw more deaths than births from 2020 to 2022. Slack says overall the state’s population declined by 67,000 during that time period…
Between 2020 and 2022, Louisiana had the fourth largest population loss in the country. Slack says the state had the fifth-highest overall death rate during that time period, with only 414 more births than deaths.
Cut 8 (11) “…overdose epidemic.”
Slack says urban areas and suburban parishes in south Louisiana are exceptions, as they are seeing more births than deaths. The same goes for the Fort Polk area, Bossier Parish and Lincoln Parish.
He says some of the parishes where deaths outnumber births by more than ten-percent, Webster, Morehouse, Winn, Franklin, LaSalle, Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes. Slack says it’s a significant problem…
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One more day of slightly lower temperatures and humidity and then it’s back to the excessive heat. Rain chances will stay low through the weekend, worsening the drought problem. State Climatologist Barry Keim says to give you a better idea of just how dire things are, for the last 30 days in northwest Louisiana, they’ve only had about a half inch of rain. That’s 15-percent of normal rainfall…
Cut 10 (10) “…normal rainfall.”
Keim says the lack of rain coupled with the extreme heat makes for a dangerous situation. And while residents are having to water their lawns due to the drought…
Keim says the situation is not as bad in southeastern Louisiana, but over the last 30 days, they’ve seen just 50-percent of what’s normal rainfall.
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72-year-old Hamid Ghassemi, a used car dealer in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, faces life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder after he hired three men to kill his ex-wife in 2015 so he would not have to pay her a $1 million judgment. The first-degree murder verdict was unanimous. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says a proper verdict was rendered
Ghassemi paid Daniel Richter, Tyler Ashpaugh, and Skyler Williams $10,000 to kill his ex-wife, 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi, and their son Hamed after the couple divorced. She was killed in April 2015. Moore says it has been a painful eight years for the son and the rest of the family…
Cut 14 (11) “…relationship with.”
Moore says this was a win for the community and a win for justice. He says his team and all of the law enforcement agencies worked diligently on this case.
Cut 15 (10) “…outstanding job.”
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19th. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.
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Former 5-star recruit and Texas A-and-M transfer cornerback Denver Harris has been missing from LSU’s practice this week. Coach Brian Kelly provided this update…
Kelly also gave an update on defensive tackle Maason Smith, who has been watching from the sidelines and says that his injury from Saturday is not serious.
Kelly likes what he’s seeing from his offense during the first two weeks of preseason camp. And he likes what he’s seeing from receiver Malik Nabors after leading the SEC with 72 receptions. He’s practicing with more focus this year…
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The Saints and Chargers will hold a joint practice today and tomorrow before the two teams play in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Coach Dennis Allen on going up against the Bolts.
Linebacker Jaylon Smith spoke to the media or the first time since signing with the Saints last Friday. Even though he just joined he does not think it will take a while to learn the defense.