Baton Rouge Congressman and Senate candidate Bill Cassidy has agreed to only two public debates before the November 4th election which Senator Mary Landrieu says signals a lack of courage. But Cassidy says meeting voters face to face is a better way to discuss issues…

cut 11 (09) “of meeting voters”

Landrieu says she’s been traveling the state asking different media outlets to hold debates and invite Cassidy, but he continues to decline…

cut 13 (15) “of the race”

Cassidy, Landry, and the other Republican challenger, Col. Rob Maness, will appear together at a debate in Shreveport on October 14th and in Baton Rouge on October 29th.

State Police say an on-duty St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot by a fellow deputy yesterday during a domestic dispute in LaPlace. Spokesperson Melissa Matey says when responding deputies arrived, Lt. Nolan Anderson fired several shots in the air and then turned his gun on the officers, forcing them to fire on him. Anderson was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Matey says this is a very tragic and difficult time for the St. John’s Sheriff’s Office…

cut 6 (05) “of their own”

She says Anderson was a 25-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. LSP is investigating.

Sugar cane harvest season starts to ramp up with the beginning of grinding season today. American Sugar Cane League’s Jim Simon says you’ll start to see more trucks loaded with sugar cane on the roadways…

cut 9 (11) “poor driving decisions”

Simon says a couple of sugar mills will begin operation today and all 11 mills in the state will be up and running by October 10.