Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says people don’t seem to be dismissing the idea of a gas tax increase. Michelle Southern reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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A Raycom Media Poll on the U.S. Senate race puts Republican John Kennedy and Democrat Foster Campbell in the runoff if the election were held today. Emelie Gunn has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”
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State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says, after meeting with residents in each region of the state, there seems to be growing support for increasing the state’s gasoline tax. He says the public realizes a bigger financial investment is needed…:
Cut 3 (09) “and improving infrastructure”
Governor John Bel Edwards named the task force charged with coming up with recommendations on how to repair Louisiana’s transportation problems. Wilson says there is a $13 billion dollar plus backlog in projects that need to be improved throughout the state, but that doesn’t include new infrastructure…:
cut 4 (09) “transportation”
The task force’s proposals are due by the first of the year, and a boost in the gas tax is expected to be one of the key suggestions. Wilson says 19 states link their gas taxes to inflation and other things, and the response from the electorate is most often a positive one because people care about quality transportation. He says they welcome all ideas…:
Cut 5 (11) “possibly inflation”
(It’s been almost 29 years since the state has adjusted the gas tax, and Wilson says it’s lost almost 50% of its value.)
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is trying to figure out how a 23 foot whale washed up on Little Florida Beach in Cameron Parish. Marine Biologist Mandy Tomlin says whales are in the Gulf of Mexico, but very rarely seen near the coast, so it appears this young whale got separated from its mother…
Cut 6 (11) “very very young”
Tomlin says the whale did not appear to be in good health and they also know a whale washed up recently on a Florida beach. She says they did extensive evaluation of the whale in the hopes of finding out how this happened…
CUT 7 (11) “worked on”
Tomlin says they took several samples from the whale’s body in the hopes they can figure out why this animal died and they hope to learn more about the sperm whale itself…
Cut 8 (09) “as well”
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A Raycom Media Poll on the US Senate race has Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy and Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell leading the large field of candidates. In the survey of 625 registered voters, 24 percent say they plan on voting for Kennedy, while 19 percent say Campbell is their choice. ULM Political Science Professor John Sutherlin…
Cut 9 (06) “likely scenario”
The poll has Republican and former KKK leader David Duke receiving five-percent of the vote, which means he receives an invite to a televised debate on November second. Sutherlin says Duke, who ran for US Senate and Governor in the early 90s, still has good support in rural areas…
Cut 10 (06) “right now”
Democrat Caroline Fayard finished third at 12-percent, followed by Republican Congressmen Charles Boustany and John Fleming, who are at 11 and 10 percent respectively. Sutherlin says it’s unlikely this threesome can make a big jump with election day just over two weeks away…
cut 11 (11) “Kennedy Campbell runoff”
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Three people riding in a dump truck that was towing a trailer are lucky to be alive after it careened over the guardrail into water on Interstate 55 near the Ruddock exit. State Police Trooper Jared Sandifer says only two people were slightly hurt….
cut 12 (12) “ended up being”
Witnesses told a New Orleans TV station that Good Samaritans pulled a woman and child from the water and helped them get to safety. Sandifer says State Police is still following up to confirm those reports…
Cut 13 (10) “above and beyond”
Sandifer says they believe a pickup truck that was pulling a trailer, cut off the dump truck, forcing it over the side of the road. He says the search for that vehicle is ongoing…
cut 14 (09) “law enforcement agency”