Republican gubernatorial candidate, US Senator David Vitter, is getting the endorsement of an ex-president. Michelle Southern reports…
==================
The Jindal administration laid out its plan today on how to cope with a one-point-six billion dollar revenue shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July first. Jeff Palermo has the story…
===================
This week’s wintry weather that hit Louisiana could result in a lower supply of crawfish this weekend. Mark Shirley, with the LSU AgCenter, says pond water temperatures dropped into the 40′s this week, which keeps crawfish from crawling into traps. Shirley says if you want some crawfish this weekend, you may want to get them early…
He says you will be able to find crawfish this weekend, but the supply will be below normal. Unfortunately, the decrease in production will see a rise in the price of mudbugs. Shirley says you should see an improvement in the price as temperatures warm up…
Because of the cold temperatures, you may see some smaller crawfish on your plate, but Shirley says crawfish are good, no matter what size they are. He says, although the winter weather has slowed the crawfish harvest, it hasn’t shut it down completely…
CUT 5 (08) “Louisiana crawfish”
============================
Republican gubernatorial candidate, US Senator David Vitter, is getting the endorsement of an ex-president. The Vitter campaign sent an e-mail to supporters announcing the endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says this is significant, especially on top of the endorsement of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul…
In his endorsement, Bush describes Vitter as an effective, conservative leader and urges people to contribute to his campaign. Stockley says the backing of Bush and Paul are a big boost to Vitter’s quest to become governor…
Vitter is the front runner in this year’s governor’s race, ahead of Republicans Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, and Democratic state Representative John Bel Edwards. Stockley says Vitter’s opponents will now have to step up their game…
===============================
The Jindal administration presented a proposed budget today that provides a starting point on how to prevent drastic cuts to health care and higher education, despite a one-point-six billion revenue shortfalll for next fiscal year. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols says they want lawmakers to scale back a dozen refundable tax credits which would save the state 526-million dollars
Even with a cap on certain tax credits, the cut in the proposed budget to higher ed is 211-million dollars. Nichols offered solutions to further reduce cuts to higher education and one includes raising the cigarette tax and using those revenues to provide families with a tax credit to help offset the costs for higher fees at public colleges..
cut 10 (07) “100 million dollars “
The potential drop in funding for health care sevices is 235-million dollars according to the proposed budget. Lawmakers who serve on the budget committees seemed like some of the ideas and Delhi Senator Franics Thompson is glad the cuts to higher ed and health care are not as bad as once feared…
============================
The Jefferson Davis Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men in connection with the homicide of a Lake Arthur man. Spokesman Christopher Ivey says deputies were dispatched to the home of 73-year-old Charles Talen, Sr. to notify him that his stolen vehicle had been found burned…
18-year-old Roderick Cawthrone, Jr. and 26-year-old Brett Hebert, both of Lake Arthur, face first degree murder charges in the death of Talen. Ivey says arrest warrants for the pair were issued yesterday afternoon… (Detectives are expecting more arrests in this investigation.)
============================
The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office says a man is under arrest accused of pranking 911 calls because he was bored. Sheriff Jason Ard says 27-year-old Brandon Kirkland allegedly called 911 dispatchers and reported that 2 masked men were entering a business in Watson to rob it…:
Kirkland admitted he did this as a prank two times and that’s two counts of felony terrorizing. Ard says the suspect’s story to detectives obviously didn’t fly…: