With just 8 days left in the special legislative session, lawmakers are slowly working to fix Louisiana’s massive budget deficit. Ruston Representative Robert Shadoin says things are moving, but sometimes it seems to be at a glacial pace. He believes in the coming days there will be increased communication between the Senate and the House on bills…:
cut 12 (09) “it done”
The $940 million dollar hole must be filled by July 1st.

A Baton Rouge man is facing rape charges after an unrelated December arrest lead to DNA being obtained which links him to a 1996 assault. Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says 59-year-old Jerry Williams was asked about the rape of a 17-year-old 20 years ago, but cops ran into a road block with the case…:
CUT 7 (10) “be served”

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the second suspect in the case of Marksville officers accused of shooting a vehicle occupied by a six year old boy who died, could be released on bond as soon as tomorrow. 31-year-old Derrick Stafford has been in jail since the November arrest, but officials say paperwork is being completed to meet a $1 million dollar property bond. The other officer, Norris Greenhouse Jr, was released on the same bond in November. The trial for Stafford is set for September; trial for Greenhouse is in November.

Education leaders are working on a plan to make sure more students apply for financial assistance to attend a two-year or four year college. Department of Education’s Assistant Superintendent Ken Bradford says only 44% of students are applying for any kind of financial aid, which is disappointing…:
CUT 9 (12) “graduating seniors”
He says, in two years, students will have to either fill out a financial aid form, apply for TOPS or opt out in order to graduate.