Louisiana’s high school graduation rate has reached an all-time high. Don Molino reports…:
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Officials in St. Tammany announce the start of a program that would let drug addicts turn in their drugs to police and get help instead of being arrested. Michelle Southern reports…:
CUT 2 (28) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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South Louisiana is under flash flood watch until seven o’ clock tonight. State Climatologist Barry Keim says much of the state is already water logged after severe storms dumped several inches of rain along the I-10 corridor…
Keim says the heavy rainfall is the result of a slow moving cold front that could produce in excess of three inches of rain in isolated areas…
Keim says the heavy rainfall is expected to move out of the state tomorrow, but until then, we have another afternoon where the umbrella will be needed…
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Cleco utility customers can expect a $475 credit on their bills beginning in July, as a result of the Pineville-based company’s sale to foreign investors. Cleco spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says the Louisiana Public Service Commission created this credit as a part of their transaction.
Cahill says the credit will be applied until it runs out, meaning some customers will not have to pay a utility bill for a couple of months.
Cahill says the deal, which closed on April 13, will benefit both residents and businesses.
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Louisiana’s high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, as 78-percent of the Class of 2015 received their diplomas. State Education Superintendent John White, says that’s almost a 3-percent increase over the previous year, which is the second largest annual gain in 10 years. He believes more students are graduating, because educators raised the bar.
White says this achievement continues a trend since 2012 when BESE implemented policy changes that includes the start of the Jump Start program which prepares students for technical careers and the expansion of the Advanced Placement program. He says this graduating class also participated in education classes prior to kindergarten.
White says Louisiana is also the most improved state in the country on ACT test scores, and the second most improved in the number of graduates achieving an Advanced Placement college credit. Louisiana still lags behind the national graduation rate which was 82-percent in 2014. But White says the state’s graduation rate is rising faster than the nation’s.
Cut 11 (06) “significant gains”
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Officials in St. Tammany Parish announced today the beginning of “Operation Angel” – a program whereby a person addicted to drugs can walk into a police station and ask for help instead of being charged with a crime. Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz says it’s time law enforcement changes the way they do business…:
Lentz says this program would provide addicts with the help they need, without fear of being arrested. He says chemically dependent people would need to surrender any drugs they have, then they’ll be escorted by an “angel” to walk them through the recovery process at Giving Hope Retreat in Lacombe…:
Agencies participating include the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Slidell Police, Mandeville Police, Madisonville Police, Folsom Police and Pearl River Police. Lentz says the only requirement is that an addict must want to change their life. He encourages those suffering from addiction in St. Tammany Parish communities to go to your police department of sheriff’s office, and ask for help…:
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