Five teams from Louisiana are in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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The LSU AgCenter hosts a meeting today to address the growing problem of feral hogs. Don Molino has more…
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The Senate Finance Committee makes major changes to the state’s proposed 26-billion dollar spending plan for next fiscal year. Halen Doughty has the story….
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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The Senate Finance Committee has made their changes to the proposed budget for next fiscal year and sent it to the Senate floor. Amendments made to the budget only fund 48% of the TOPS scholarship program. Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur says they hope to have more money to fund the program after the special session.
Under the committee’s version of the budget, all waiver programs that assist the elderly and families with developmentally disabled children are funded. However, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says other important services are still underfunded.
Louisiana DHH undersecretary Jeff Reynolds says fully funding the waiver program took away from funding the state’s safety net hospitals, which provide care for the poor.
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Feral hogs are a big problem in Louisiana, so the LSU AgCenter is hosting a meeting today at their Dean Lee Research Center in Alexandria to give updates on latest research and new regulations that are being implemented. AgCenter area agent Donna Morgan says strides have been made to control the feral pig population…
Morgan says feral hogs are responsible for thousands of dollars in damage every year as they’ve been known to destroy ag fields, golf courses and personal property. She says the AgCenter started research about three years ago looking into toxic baits for the feral swine and they’re looking at additional ways to manage the population.
Morgan says because the hogs are so widespread, trapping, shooting and toxic bait are methods to manage the population. She hopes the meeting from 1 to 3 PM is educational for everyone who attends.
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The “Ban the Box” bill, which would prohibit state agencies from asking job applicants about their criminal history before the interview process, is waiting on the governor’s desk to be signed. US Justice Action Network Executive Director Holly Harris applauds the Louisiana legislature for passing legislation that breaks down barriers to employment for thousands of citizens with criminal records…
Cut 10 (03) “crime free lives”
Harris says individuals who have been incarcerated work nine fewer weeks a year, and take home 40% less annual pay than their colleagues. She says this legislation can help felons get back to work and turn away from crime…
Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to sign the measure. Harris says a misconception during debate was that employers wouldn’t be able to ask about criminal history in an interview, but she says that’s not the case…:
cut 12 (10) “rehabilitate themselves”
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The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says New Orleans is one of the top ten most challenging places to live with asthma. Director of the Division of Lung Diseases, Dr. James Kiley, says in Louisiana, about 271,000 adults are living with asthma, which is inherited and also caused by environmental factors…:
Kiley says with appropriate treatment, nearly all patients should be able to achieve good control with minimum symptoms, normal lung function and normal activity levels. He says if you suffer with asthma, you should take notice of your symptoms, and see your physician for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan…:
cut 14 (09) “as directed”
Kiley says it’s important to visit your doctor, get and stay on a treatment plan..and develop an action plan so that friends and family know what to do in the event of an attack…
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LSU baseball will begin NCAA Tournament play on Friday at Alex Box Stadium by hosting Utah Valley. The Wolverines are out of the Western Atheltic Conference and they boast a record of 37-21. Coach Paul Mainieri says Utah Valley has defeated some good teams along the way…
Rice and Southeastern Louisiana are the other two teams in the Baton Rouge regional. LSU is seeded eighth nationally, so if they win the Baton Rouge regional, they’ll host a super regional series against the winner from the Raleigh Regional.Mainieri says it’s up to the Tigers to prove they are Omaha worthy…
The Ragin Cajuns are also hosting a regional this weekend as they face Princeton on Friday at Tigue Moore Field. Arizona and Sam Houston State are the other two teams in the Lafayette Regional. Coach Tony Robichaux’s team brings a 10-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament…
Robichaux says there’s three good teams coming to the Tigue, but they can’t worry about the opponent…
Louisiana Tech is in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 29 years as the Bulldogs are the three-seed in the Starkville Regional hosted by Mississippi State. Second-year Head Coach Greg Goff says this is an awesome experience for their program…