Governor John Bel Edwards is delivering a historic statewide address tomorrow. Emelie Gunn has a preview…:
CUT 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Edwards Administration economist Manfred Dix says the lagging oil industry is only partly to blame for these budget woes as other sectors of our economy are also struggling…:
CUT 8 (07) “negative territory”
The special legislative session to address the budget begins Sunday.

A measure filed for the upcoming special session which beings Sunday would raise the state cigarette tax by 22 cents a pack. West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman says he’ll push a higher cigarette tax, but it is still important to make cuts in the budget while increasing revenue…:
CUT 5 (06) “across the state”
The measure would make the cigarette tax $1.08 per pack.

A man from Tennessee was busted on I-10 near Henderson today with over 200 pounds of marijuana in his truck, according to State Police. They say 59-year-old Michael Willis was pulled over for a traffic violation and began acting strange. Troopers smelled the drugs and located about 202 pounds of pot. He was booked at the St. Martin Parish Jail.

The lenten season begins today and it’s a busy time of the year for the seafood industry. Crawfish fisherman Sherbin Collette of Henderson says the mudbugs coming out of the Atchafalya Basin are outstanding this year, because the conditions have been just right to produce quality and quantity…
cut 1 (05) “in the season”