US Representative Steve Scalise admits to speaking to a white supremacist group while serving in the Louisiana legislature in 2002, but the republican from Jefferson Parish says he detests any kind of hate group. U-L Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the controversy surrounding Scalise will likely not end his political career…

cut 6 (07) “quite awhile”

Scalise was a speaker at a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights organization, which was founded by former K-K-K leader David Duke.

As Louisiana’s industrial boom continues, the state’s largest utility company will need to be able to generate more power to meet the demand. Entergy spokesperson Mike Burns says they are already looking at ways to increase energy production…

cut 3 (09) “continuing to grow”

Burns says Entergy has already bought a power plant in El Dorado, Arkansas to make electricity and a new unit in Westwego will go online soon.

The Baton Rouge Police Department has arrested the mother of a 2-year-old who died Monday night because of trauma. They say 21-year-old Candice Smith told investigators that she forcefully pushed her daughter causing the child to hit her head against a shower wall. Smith also confessed to other physical abuses against her child. Smith is charged with second degreee cruelty to juveniles. Other charges are possible pending an autopsy report.

There’s a good chance you’ve accumulated plenty of trash this month during the Holidays and the Department of Environmental Quality is urging you to recycle. DEQ spokesman Greg Langley says more garbage is produced in the month of December than any other month. He says if you’ve got a lot of boxes, many businesses will accept used packing supplies…

cut 10 (08) “in landfills”

Langley says they also encourage people to recycle Christmas trees.