State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says 60-percent of the Louisiana residents who purchased insurance through the marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act face a double-digit rate hike next year. Donelon says that’s based on paperwork filed with the state’s insurance department
CUT 3 (11) “for the subsidy”
Donelon says the big rate hike is the result of a federal premium tax that’s been placed on the policies.

BESe’s efforts to legally challenge Governor Bobby Jindal’s decision to scrap Common Core has hit a snag. As the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was attempting to hire a lawfirm in the matter, Commissioner of Adminstration Kristy Nichols says the law firm cannot represent a party that is harmful to the state.

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Thousands of people found themselves without power this morning in Northwest Louisiana after a very bad storm that snapped power lines and blew trees down. The very windy storm proved tragic for one woman…:
cut 7 :09 sec. Q: “yesterday evening”
That’s National Weather Service Senior Meteorologist Jason Hansford who says the woman was walking down the street in the height of the storms.

Higher education leaders, state officials and representatives from the oil industry have formed a long-term public-private partnership to come up with solutions to meet with the increased workforce needed for the growing Gulf oil and gas industry. Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Chris John says they need to ramp things up now…;
cut 10 :09 sec. Q: “out in the Gulf”
40% of that workforce is expected to retire over the next 10 years.

An Organized Crime Task-Force investigation has led to 7 indictments in North Louisiana for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other related drug charges. The 2 year-long undercover investigation resulted in the seisure of over a half-million dollars in cash, firearms and 16 pounds of marijuana.