Law enforcement is on patrol throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving. State Police spokesperson, Melissa Matey, says Thursday there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans. She says these crashes were preventable if people had made smart decisions…
CUT 3 (12) “across the state”
During last year’s five-day Mardi Gras holiday, there were 13 deaths statewide. Over half of those deaths involved alcohol.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol Tobacco Control says they’ve conducted over 600 alcohol and tobacco compliance checks across the state since February 2nd, finding some 83 violations. The ATC undercover operatives were 16 and 17 years old, and ATC Commissioner troy Hebert says the undercover opertations will continue.
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It was a deadly Thursday night during the Krewe of Muses Parade in New Orleans on St. Charles Avenue. NOPD superintendent Michael Harrison says they believe there was an altercation that ended in a shooting, resulting in two men dead, and a teen-aged suspect arrested arrested…
CUT 6 (08) Q: ‘at the intersection”
19-year-old John Hicks was charged two counts of second degree murder.

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain says the mid-year budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are just not fair across the board. He says most all of the larger cuts are hitting departments being manged by elected officials, and that’s not fair…
CUT 11 (07) Q; “other agencies”
The Department of Ag received mid-year cuts equivalent to $2.6 million dollars.