Governor John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency in seven parishes as a result of Tuesday’s severe weather outbreak. Halen Doughty reports.
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About two-thousand students rallied at the state capitol today to protest cuts to higher education. Michelle Southern reports…:
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State Police is investigating a deadly shooting in Baton Rouge involving several deputies with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Troop A spokesman Bryan Lee says detectives were responding to a report of a domestic disturbance indicating a man had attacked two women with mace..:
Lee says witnesses reported that the subject, identified as 48-year-old Travis Stevenson, was threatening to kill himself all day. He says cops eventually caught up with him…:
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Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said it’s possible Stevenson was trying to commit suicide by cop when he rammed them with his vehicle. The DA’s office will conduct an independent investigation. Lee says troopers were asked to investigate, as is typical protocol with officer involved shootings…:
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Cleanup is underway in several south Louisiana parishes today after as many as seven suspected tornadoes touched down during a powerful storm system that roared through the state yesterday. St. James spokesperson Brandon Keller says two people were killed when one of twisters leveled an RV park in Convent….
Keller says 30 people were injured, seven of them are in critical condition. Keller asks that people avoid the immediate area around the park to keep the roads open for emergency vehicles and cleanup crews. He says there are ways people can get involved to help.
Assumption Parish was also hit hard by a tornado. John Boudreaux, director of the Assumption office of emergency preparedness, says there’s extensive damage and power outages. Power lines are still down, but power should be restored for most residents by the end of the day. He says a water tower on LA-1 also collapsed.
Boudreaux says the cleanup process after this storm is similar to the procedure after a hurricane. He says crews from the state will assess the damage from the storm.
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The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would cut 117 million dollars from this fiscal year’s budget, which is 87 million dollars more than what Governor John Bel Edwards recommended. Chairman Cameron Henry of Jefferson Parish says there is bi-partisan support to go above and beyond what the governor has called for in budget cuts.
K-12th grade public school education would receive a 44 million dollar cut as part of Henry’s plan to reduce government expenses. Governor Edwards has said he opposes any cuts to public schools. Democratic Representative Walt Leger of New Orleans also objects…
Baton Rouge Representative Pat Smith says she’s also concerned with proposed cuts to K-12 public education. She also doesn’t support Henry’s proposal to cut from Veterans Military Services…
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Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at a rally on the steps of the state capitol today in which about two-thousand students attended to protest proposed cuts to higher education. Edwards told the group he’s always stood with the students and he stands with them now…:
Higher education could be on the chopping block in light of a massive budget deficit. Edwards said to the students they all have to work together to make their voices heard, because that’s the way things will get done:
The Council of Student Body Presidents and the Board of Regents organized today’s rally. UNO Student Government Vice President Jessica Willis told the students from colleges and universities throughout the state that this effort is about working together as a group…:
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