A DWI suspect runs from law enforcement and almost becomes an alligator’s late night snack. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Private drivers are seeing relief when it comes to insurance rates, but that’s not the case for commercial drivers. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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Northwest High School football star Markez Davis committed to LSU’s 2027 recruiting class yesterday. Kace Kieschnick reports.
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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A St. Charles Parish man went to great lengths to escape police, including jumping into alligator-infested waters. State Police Trooper Kyle Wagner says during a DWI traffic stop on I-310 early Sunday morning, 40-year-old Victor Rivas ran from the vehicle and jumped off the elevated roadway into the swamp below.
Rivas ran into a swampy area, which apparently was a really dumb move on his part. Wagner says Rivas was attacked by an alligator.
Rivas is charged with DWI and resisting an officer. Additional warrants were obtained for hit and run and careless operation in connection with the earlier crash in Jefferson Parish that led to the traffic stop. Wagner says before jail, Rivas had to be taken to a hospital.
No word on whether LSP is recruiting the alligator for its maritime K9 unit.
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Assumption Parish is offering students the option to take 100-percent of their classes online. The Assumption Parish Schools Virtual Academy will also offer dual enrollment opportunities for homeschooled students. Assumption Parish Superintendent John Barthelemy says some families prefer a non-traditional education.
Cut 7 (09) “…their voices heard.”
Barthelemy says some students have requested remote learning for medical reasons, while others prefer to avoid added social stressors. He says online learning offers flexibility to address the needs of individual families.
As enrolled members of the Assumption Parish School system, students will still be allowed to participate in school clubs, sports and events. Barthelemy says providing traditional social and athletic experiences to students was a priority.
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Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says many property owners and drivers are seeing a drop in insurance premiums, but rates for commercial auto insurance continue to go up. Temple says that’s because those polices carry higher limits.
Cut 10 (12) “…still going up.”
Temple says one legislative proposal that could help bring down commercial auto rates is a General Damage Cap bill. He says a person’s medical bills and the cost to repair a damage vehicle would still be covered, but a person involved in a car wreck could not recover damages that are not quantifiable.
Temple says 17 other states have a General Damage Cap law, including Mississippi.
Temple says there were several bills in the recently completed legislative session that could have helped bring down commercial auto insurance rates, but they didn’t pass. Including a measure by Shreveport Representative Michael Melerine that said expert witnesses brought in to testify in a trial can only receive a fee for payment.
The House approved that bill, but it was never heard in the Senate
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An East Baton Rouge Parish woman is suing the parents of a 13-year-old boy who’s accused of spray-painting racist graffiti on her garage door last month. Ryan Thompson, the attorney who’s representing Carolyn Morrison-Howard, who’s Black, says the boy went to great lengths to racially intimidate her.
Cut 13 (15) “…as other individuals.”
The boy and his parents live directly across the street from Morrison-Howard in Zachary; as such, Thompson says she no longer feels safe in her own neighborhood.
Cut 14 (06) “…a repeated act.”
The boy was arrested and was booked into juvenile detention on several charges, including hate crimes. Thompson says what happened last month was actually the culmination of a pattern of racially-motivated acts of vandalism towards Morrison-Howard, including puncturing the tires of her caregiver’s vehicle and etching a swastika into the caregiver’s vehicle.
Cut 15 (10) “…community is safe.”
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After losing five-star edge rusher commit Jaiden Bryant to Miami last week, LSU added a flurry of talent to its 2027 class. The Tigers replaced Bryant with five-star pass rusher K.J. Green. The Georgia native is the second-ranked edge rusher in the class and had 18 sacks and 40 tackles for loss last season. Andre Champagne of 247Sports says the 6-4, 230-pounder is an elite pass rusher.
LSU also earned a commitment from three-star running back Brennan Lacey over the weekend. Lacey is a 6-foot-1, 187-pound speedster out of Frisco, Texas who has been shooting up recruiting boards. Champagne says the only reason he’s only a three-star is that he started his high school career as a wide receiver.
Cut 17 (17) “…in the offense.”
Four-star wide receiver Cade Cooper committed to the Tigers yesterday. The 6-3, 192-pound receiver is the tenth-ranked prospect in the state of Pennsylvania. Champagne says he’ll bring some unique traits to a packed receiver room.
Cut 18 (19) “…able to flourish.”
LSU’s 2027 class of eight commits now ranks 22nd in rivals’ industry rankings.
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The Tigers kept three-star Northwest High School cornerback Markez Davis in the boot. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound prospect announced his commitment to LSU yesterday. Northwest Head Coach Chris Edwards says he’s been a game-changer for the Raiders.
Cut 19 (18) “…off from there.”
Edwards says Davis’s junior high coach told him he would change the Northwest program one day when he was in sixth grade. Edwards has been the Raiders’ head coach for 13 years and is an Opelousas native, and he says he can’t remember another Power Four commit from the school.
Cut 20 (15) “…for the program.”