Today the governor released his final recommendations of the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force, and plans for criminal justice reform to be taken up during the upcoming legislative session. Department of Corrections Secretary James Leblanc says if enacted, these proposals would put us second in the world…:
Cut 9 (10) “300 million”
Leblanc says their recommendations include changes to drug and property crimes, altering probation and parole supervision, simplifying the criminal code, and narrow sentencing ranges.

The Hammond Police Department says a man is behind bars for allegedly beating his grandmother with a hammer. They say 53-year-old Jerome Johnson is also accused of stealing the victim’s vehicle following the assault. 86-year-old Emma Richburg is in critical condition. Johnson is charged with attempted murder, armed robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.

One of the Lenten sacrifices made by Catholics between Mardi Gras and Easter is not to eat meat on Friday, but you’ll get a pass tomorrow. Fr. Frank Coens of St. Paschal Catholic Church in West Monroe says the St. Patrick’s Day tradition is to have corn beef and cabbage. He says if you do plan to eat meat tomorrow, find some other penance to do instead..:
Cut 15 (10) “on Friday”

A police officer in Livingston Parish has been suspended for three days without pay after hanging a noose in the department’s squad room. Walker Police Capt. John Sharp says the makeshift noose was hung on a pipe in public view…
cut 3 (09) “in the noose”
It is against state law to display a noose in public to intimidate.