PM Newscall November 21, 2014

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is coordinating a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign aimed at saving lives. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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The teenager who was driving the vehicle that crashed in Ouachita Parish and killed 5 of the 8 family members on their way to Disney World was issued a citation for careless operation. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is coordinating a statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign aimed at saving lives. Executive Director Lt. Col. John Leblanc says last year’s Thanksgiving holiday was one of the most dangerous of the year on Louisiana roadways…

CUT 3 (07)  “689 injuries”

Leblanc says there were 409 fatal and injury accidents during last year’s five-day Thanksgiving holiday that resulted in five deaths. He says Louisiana’s seat belt compliance rate is 82.5-percent, the highest it’s ever been. Leblanc says the compliance rate has gone up 8-percent in the last four years…

CUT 4 (11)  “87-percent”

He says the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest for travel with more vehicles on the road and a greater chance of accidents. Louisiana law requires all people to use seat belts and Leblanc says it’s important to “Click It” to reduce the risk of fatal injury in an accident…

CUT 5 (06)  “in an accident”

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The teenager who was driving the vehicle that crashed in Ouachita Parish and killed 5 of the 8 family members on board was issued a citation for careless operation. The family was on their way from Texas to Disney World for a vacation. State Trooper Michael Reichardt says the teen, who has not been identified, was cited when he was released from the hospital…

CUT 6 (06)  “with a crime”

He says the 16-year-old is not charged with any crime, but merely given a traffic citation as a result of the accident. Reichardt says the teen is having to deal with so much right now…

CUT 7 (06) “tragic accident”

Two adults, Michael and Trudy Hardman, and three of their children, 15-year-old Dakota Watson, 7-year-old Adam Hardman, and 5-year-old Kaci Hardman were killed in the crash. Reichardt says the teenager was issued a citation because it’s State Police policy…

CUT 8 (04) “citation written”

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Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols announced the state plans to use amnesty money, eliminate 167 unused positions and reduce spending as part of the plan to fill the state’s current $171 million dollar budget shortfall. Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says this falls in line with Jindal’s promise higher ed would be spared mid-year cuts…:

CUT 9 (07)  “no jobs were lost”

The deficit was tied to low severance tax and mineral royalties from dropping oil prices, combined with weak growth in personal income taxes. Alford says the Jindal Administration said it’s found $130 million in unused funding…:

CUT 10 (08)  “unused spending”

Alford says says there will be another meeting in December by the Joint Budget Committee to review the plan more thoroughly and make a final vote. He says the largest single chunk of money is coming from the tax amnesty program this year…:

CUT 11 (08)  “has put forward

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The National Weather Service is asking Louisianians to be prepared for the risk of another round of severe weather throughout the state this weekend. Robert Ricks, Lead ForLouisianansecaster with the NWS in Slidell, says there’s a strong upper level disturbance moving into Louisiana from Texas which should hit us hard Saturday evening…:

cut 12 (12) “severe thunderstorm threat”

Ricks says along with torrential rain, damaging winds and tornadoes will be the main threat; so storms from Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning will need to be watched closely. He says the cold air is flushing out and tropical moisture is moving in from the Gulf…:

cut 13 (10) “thunderstorm activity”

The potential of the severe weather has caused UL-Lafayette to move their Saturday football game against Appalachian State up three hours to 1pm. Ricks says rainfall from 1 to 3 inches with isolated higher amounts will be possible throughout the state but getting worse as you move south…:

cut 14 (08) “12-18 hour period”

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