For the first time since 1939, not one, but two baby whooping cranes have hatched in Louisiana. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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A Ponchatoula High School student has been arrested after posting a bomb threat against the school on social media. Emelie Gunn has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”
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Tax Day is this Monday, and time is running out to file federal taxes. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”
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The funeral for WWL Saints Color Analyst and former LSU and Saints player Hokie Gajan, who passed away at 56 from cancer, is today in Madisonville. Sportswriter and Gajan’s former LSU teammate John Ed Bradley say he remembers first meeting Hokie in 1974 when they played each other in a high school football game. He says Gajan was a terror on the field and an overall great guy.
cut 4 (08) “everybody else”
The visitation begins at 10 at St. Anselm Catholic Church and the funeral mass begins at 3 p.m. Bradley says there was so much about Hokie that makes him proud to be from Louisiana. He says Gajan was an original and will be greatly missed by everyone whose lives he touched.
Cut 5 (09) “heartbreaking”
Bradley says people gravitated towards Hokie’s personality. He says Gajan was a reliable teammate that never gave up.
Cut 6 (06) “be there”
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Another baby whooping crane has joined the family of endangered birds in Louisiana, as two eggs have hatched in Jefferson Davis Parish this week. LDWF biologist, Sara Zimorski, leads the whooping crane project that is working to reestablish the birds in Louisiana. Zimorski says this is an historic hatching.
CUT 7 (06) “that regard”
The whooping crane was once abundant here, but the birds had disappeared in Louisiana by 1950. In 2011, DWF began reintroducing these birds into the state. Zimorski says the success of their project hinges on whether or not these birds can reproduce in the wild.
Cut 8 (08) “right direction”
Zimorski says there are two other nests near White Lake that they are monitoring. She says they will do a survey of the area next week to look for others.
Cut 9 (08) “first time”
Zimorski says these baby chicks are vulnerable until they are about three months old and are able to fly. She says the baby birds have a long way to go, but they are monitoring them closely.
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A 17-year-old student has been arrested after another bomb threat circulating on social media was made against Ponchatoula High School. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards says the Internet Crimes against Children Division was mobilized to discover who was making the threats.
Cut 10 (09) “at school”
Edwards says when Richardson was questioned, he admitted to sending multiple threats. He says Richardson was arrested and charged with two counts of falsely stating that a bomb has been placed on school grounds and two counts of terrorizing.
cut 11 (10) “can suffer”
Officials say Richardson posted on social media, “PHS, bomb threat Thursday, April 14. Don’t come to school” under the screen name “Bomb Threat 12.” Ponchatoula High School Principal Daniel Strickland says it’s unfortunate that a teenager in today’s society does things like this without thinking…
cut 12 (10) “be severe”
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Tax Season is coming to a close, as Tax Day is this Monday. That means there are just a few days left to file federal taxes. Baton Rouge tax preparer Letti Lowe-Ardoin, with the Louisiana CPA society, advises people not to rush, because simple mistakes can be made.
Cut 13 (10) “status”
Lowe-Ardoin says people can also miss out on deductions and tax exemptions if they rush through filing. She encourages taxpayers to consult a local CPA to see what deductions they qualify for. She says itemized deductions are the most commonly overlooked.
Cut 14 (10) “can take”
Victims of the recent flooding in the state are eligible for an extension, and those dates can be found at I-R-S-dot-gov. Lowe-Ardoin says filing taxes can be a challenge, but it’s not too late to get some assistance with filing.
Cut 15 (07) “help you out”
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Saturday afternoon at 3 PM it’s the LSU spring game and we’ll get an idea if the passing game has really progressed. Brandon Harris is the returning starter at quarterback. Purdue transfer Danny Etling is the new back-up QB and Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says fans can see for themselves on Saturday is he’s really a contender for playing time the fall….
Cut 16 (20) “Anthony Jennings”
Worsham says the most interesting aspect of Saturday’s spring game is what will new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s defense look like…
Cut 17 (19) “are lining up”
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The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has called for a special meeting so member principals can vote on a new playoff proposal. In January, principals voted to expand the public-private school playoff split to more sports than just football. School Relations Committee chairman, Mike Boyer, says the expanded split is causing problems for the LHSAA, so they want to give principals another option…
Cut 18 (19) “available”
The new playoff proposal would end the split in Classes 5A and 4A and it would create metro and rural divisions in Classes 1A though 3A. It would also combine classes B and C. Boyer says in football, the number of state championships would be reduced from nine to eight…
Cut 19 (14) “one yet”
It has not been determined when this special meeting will take place.