A former state Department of Veterans Affairs nurse faces jail time after a patient at a veterans home in St. John the Baptist Parish died under her care. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A grass cutting crew found a body this afternoon in the median of Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish. The local coroner has yet to identify the body or cause of death. State Police is not sure how long the body may have been there. An official with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office says it’s possible the person is a victim of a hit and run.

In these tough budget times, some state senators are concerned about growing Louisiana’s film tax credit program. Lawmakers are reviewing the budget for next fiscal year which currently contains a $600 million dollar hole, and proposals to cut healthcare and education are on the table. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau thinks the movie incentives don’t have a tangible economic impact:
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But others who defend the program says the movie making business does bring money to the state especially at the local level.

Former Lt. Governor Bobby Freeman has passed away at the age of 82 after suffering an aneurysm last week. The Democrat from Plaquemine served as the state’s second highest elected official from 1980 to 1988. His second term was under former Governor Edwin Edwards…
cut 11 (08) “great citizen”
Freeman was also a state legislator, a city judge in Plaquemine and he’s in the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame as he is a former member of the boxing team.

A former nurse with the state Department of Veterans Affairs is facing jail time after a patient died under her care. Inspector General Stephen Street says 58-year-old Cheryl Poirrier of LaPlace was on-duty the night a resident fell at a Veterans Home in St John Parish. He says after a fall, it’s policy to check the patient’s neurological signs for the next 72 hours…:
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Poirrier

Former Lt. Governor Bobby Freeman has passed away. Freeman was 82 years old and served as Lt. Governor from 1980 to 88. Edwin Edwards was the governor during Freeman’s second term and says Freeman was a promoter of race relations…
cut 10 (10) “…to him”
Freeman is also an LSU athletic hall of famer as he was on the school’s boxing team.

Senators on the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee voiced concerns today over the state’s film tax credit program, which is credited with bringing movies and jobs to Louisiana, but studies have shown it’s cost the state more than the revenue it produces. However, Baton Rouge Senator Yvonne Columb says she understands that many vital services are looking at cuts, but…
cut 13 (11) “…done here”

In Senate Finance, the leaders for the LSU Hospitals and medical schools express their concerns about potential budget cuts to their facilities. LSU Health Science Center in Shreveport Chancellor G.E Ghali says the proposed budget calls for them to receive a 35-million dollar cut…
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The Senate will have the opportunity to increase funding to LSU’s medical schools.

A former nurse who worked at the Southeast Louisiana War Veteran’s Home in St. John the Baptist Parish faces felony charges after she allegedly fasified records on a patient who died. Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street says 58-year-old Cheryl Poirrier of LaPlace lied on paperwork that she checked on a patient after he fell in his room and that patient passed away a few hours after his fall…
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Street says there’s also surveillance video that shows she didn’t perform any of the checks.

Officials say a grass cutting crew found a body on Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish. The investigation is just beginning, but authorities say it appears the person’s death was caused by foul play. The body was found in the median.

The leaders of the LSU Health medical schools in Shreveport and New Orleans went before lawmakers to express their concerns about large cuts to their facilities. Shreveport Health Science Center Chancelllor G.E. Ghali says the Shreveport hospitals is already as lean as it can be in terms of employees…
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Ghali is concerned about accrediation and enrollment if they receive a 35-million dollar cut.

The Senate and Revenue Fiscal Affairs Committee, discussed the state’s film tax credit program today and a couple of lawmakers said the state’s too broke to beef up the program to attract more movies. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau says even without the film tax credits, they already know move makers will come to Louisiana…
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Changes to the state’s film tax credit program could come in a potential special session in June.

Under the current budget proposal for next fiscal year, the LSU Health Science Centers in Shreveport and New Orleans would receive a combined 50-million dollars in cuts to state funding. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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Two women in Jefferson Parish died in a crash as they were fleeing the scene of a hit and run, according to deputies. They say it happened in Metairie off the I-10 Service Road and the two women were speeding to try to get away from the initial accident in a Mustang, but then crashed, overturned and skid into a utility pole. But the driver and passenger died at the scene.

A woman who was the on-duty nurse when a patient at a Veterans Home in St. Charles Parish died, is facing charges for allegedly trying to cover up negligence. Inspector General Stephen Street says a resident fell and 58-year-old Cheryl Poirrier failed to keep checking on him, as per policy. He says she then lied about what happened and could go to jail for it…:
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He says our Veterans deserves are highest level of care and this criminal act is going to be taken very seriously.

In these tough budget times, some state senators are concerned about growing Louisiana’s film tax credit program. Lawmakers are reviewing the budget for next fiscal year which currently contains a $600 million dollar hole, and proposals to cut healthcare and education are on the table. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau thinks the movie incentives don’t have a tangible economic impact:
CUT 12 (07) “investment”
But others who defend the program says the movie making business does bring money to the state especially at the local level.

The spending plan for next fiscal year is moving through the legislature with a proposed $35 million cut to the LSU Health Science Center in Shreveport and about a $15 million cut to the center in New Orleans. Chancellor of the New Orleans center, Larry Hollier (OAL-yay) says this will impact many of their programs..:
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The budget proposal for next fiscal year has been approved by the House and is being debated in the Senate Finance Committee.

Former Lt. Governor Bobby Freeman has passed away at the age of 82. The St. Martinville native served as Lt. Governor from 1980-88, and Edwin Edwards was the governor during Freeman’s second term…”
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Freeman’s family says he died this morning after suffering an aneurysm last week.

A former Department of Veterans Affairs nurse could spend time behind bars after a patient at a St. Charles veterans home died under her care. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A motorcyclist in Calcasieu Parish died in a Moss Bluff crash. Deputies say 46-year-old Johnny Coe ran off the road for unknown reasons, crashed and was ejected from his bike. Coe was wearing a helmet, but sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A former nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs is facing jail time after a patient died under her care. Inspector General Stephen Street says 58-year-old Cheryl Poirrier (pour-e-a) was on-duty the night a resident fell at a Veterans Home in St Charles Parish. He says after a fall, it’s policy to check the patient’s neurological signs for the next 72 hours…:
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She is charged with one count of malfeasance in office and four counts of filing false public records.

State Senators and leaders from the Edwards Administration have begun discussions on the more than $26 billion dollar spending plan for next fiscal year. House Bill 1 was approved Friday in the lower chamber, and lawmakers are still expected to make more changes to the proposed budget. The state is facing a $600 million dollar shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1st.

A man who was not buckled up died in a single vehicle crash this morning in Calcasieu Parish. State Police say 33-year-old Quincey Darnell Trail of Lake Charles traveled off the road into a ditch, struck a culvert and overturned several times. Trail was pronounced dead at the scene by the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office.

Today is the deadline for taxpayers to file state tax returns. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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Frank Selas, the former Monroe TV personality known as Mr. Wonder, entered a plea of “not guilty” to 13 counts of child abuse from an alleged incident that occurred on a 1979 camping trip in Rapides Parish. Legal Analyst Tim Meche says this will be a difficult case for the D-A’s office to prosecute…
cut 15 (12) “…to convict”
Selas’ attorney is Mike Small. Meche calls Small a legend of Louisiana trial courtrooms.

The state’s proposed spending plan for next fiscal year is being discussed in the Senate Finance Committee, after receiving approval by the House. Leaders of the LSU Medical School in Shreveport and New Orleans are concerned about a proposed 35-million dollar cut to their facility, which doctors say will lead to cuts to medical programs.

Legislation requiring a minimum of three years in prison if you commit a felony with a gun that results in a fatality is nearing final legislative passage. Michelle Southern has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Michelle Southern’

It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Amanda Pumilia, with the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says owners should take steps to prevent their dogs from biting people and there are things citizens who do not have dogs can do to avoid being bitten…
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Today is the final day for you to file you state tax return for 2015. Louisiana Department of Revenue spokeswoman Kizzy Payton those in the 36 declared disaster areas affected by March flooding can file for a special extension, but it’s not automatically granted…:
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Payton says they’ve already issued over one million refunds this year.

This week is National Dog Bite Prevention week, and the Louisiana SPCA is offering tips on ways you can prevent getting bitten, and ways to make sure your dog doesn’t snap at someone else. Spokeswoman Amanda Pumilia says when a dog bites someone, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are mean, they could just be scared…:
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State Farm says Baton Rouge ranked 27th in the nation for dog bites and New Orleans number 30.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman they say drowned in the Amite River while tubing Sunday afternoon as 32-year-old Kimberly Gillien of Franklin, La. They say deputies were dispatched to the upper Amite River and were working near Central. Foul play is not suspected.

After 10 and a half months in jail for manslaughter in the death of 15-year-old Austin Rivault, Seth Fontenot of Lafayette is back at home. Many people feel the sentence was far too lenient. So in response, Lafayette Sen. Page Cortez sponsored a measure that would take away some of the judges discretion in manslaughter cases, similar to first and second degree murder convictions:
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The measure, dubbed The Austin Rivault Act, passed out of the House Criminal Justice committee on a 7-6 vote.