The US could once again be a trade partner with Cuba when Congress lifts the embargo, and Alto Congressman Ralph Abraham is heading down there in April to ensure Louisiana is in the mix. He says we’re on the tip of the spear to be the first state to get our goods to Cuba in a big way. Cuba imports about 80-90 percent of their ag products, Abraham says…:
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Abraham expects the trade embargo with the island to be lifted by 2017.

GOHSEP says new numbers show an estimated 12,000 homes were damaged in this month’s horrific flooding event. Communications Director Mike Steele advises people to document and take pictures of damage to their homes sooner than later:
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The site to register is disasterassistance.gov.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Plaquemines Parish until 7pm this evening. A strong line of storms producing gusty winds is moving through southeast Louisiana this afternoon, but forecasters say we should be seeing dry, cool air and sunny skies for good Friday.

Matthew Flugence of Harvey has entered a guilty plea in the death of a 6-year-old girl who was killed then stuffed into a trashcan in 2013. Flugence was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder. Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. will not pursue the death penalty. Legal analyst Tim Meche says money may be a factor in the DA’s decision…:
CUT 9 (12) “pleasant experience”
He also says the process of prosecuting a death penalty case takes time.

Alto Congressman Ralph Abraham is traveling to Cuba in April to ensure Louisiana becomes a trading partner with the country, once Congress lifts the embargo. Abraham says he’ll speak with Cuban officials to determine potential delivery and distribution. He says currently, the island receives imports from Asian countries, but the Port of New Orleans is only 36 hours away so a partnership makes sense….:
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Abraham expects the trade embargo with Cuba to be lifted by 2017.

Governor John Bel Edwards is slated to speak this afternoon at 3 to give details of the estimated $70 million dollars in cuts that have to be made in this fiscal year that ends June 30th. It’s expected that higher ed and health care services will bear the brunt of the reductions. Lawmakers raised several taxes in the special session, but not enough to fill the gap so now the Edwards’ Administration is tasked with making cuts.

Three people were killed and three more were seriously injured in a fire in Winnsboro during the overnight hours. Halen Doughty has more…:
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The Louisiana statewide average gas price for a gallon of regular jumped 3 cents from the previous day, according to AAA. The price at the pump is now $1.85.

Three people were killed in a tragic fire during the overnight hours in Winnsboro, a father and two sons. A mother, a daughter, and another son were also seriously injured. Brant Thompson, with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, says when the firefighters arrived, they found the single wide trailer fully engulfed in flames…:
CUT 3 (10) “8-year-old-child”
The father is identified as Derrick Boley, and the two young sons are Kenderrick Boley and Bryson Scobbee. The 29 year old mother, a 6 year old and 19 month old were those injured in the tragedy.

New numbers from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness show more than 12,000 homes received some type of flood damage from this month’s catastrophic event. FEMA is still operating several Disaster Recover Centers throughout the state, and more locations are expected to be added.

A must-have for Louisiana Easter baskets is a candy that’s been around over 160 years and is manufactured in Ponchatoula — Elmer’s Chocolate’s. CEO Rob Nelson says says Emler’s is getting ready for a big company expansion, but they will always be, first and foremost, all about the candy…:
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He says the company produces about 12 million Gold Brick Eggs each year.

International Paper has made a $500-thousand donation to the Red Cross for flood relief…:
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Governor John Bel Edwards will describe at a 3 PM press conference the type of cuts the state will have to make to address a 70-million dollar budget gap for this fiscal year. Most of the cuts are expected to come in the areas of higher education and health care services.

An LSU survey finds Louisiana residents have mixed feelings about public schools in the state. Don Molino has more…
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International Paper has donated $500-thousand to the Red Cross in response to the recent flooding in Louisiana. Red Cross spokesperson Nancy Malone says they are incredibly grateful for the company’s generosity. She says the Red Cross is continuing to work with families in need as they move into recovery….
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IP has nine facilities in Louisiana, employing two-thousand people.

A popular item in Easter Baskets this weekend will be Gold Brick Eggs and Heavenly Hash, which are made at Elmer’s Chocolate in Ponchatoula. Elmer’s CEO Rob Nelson is grateful that their candies have become an Easter tradition in the Gulf South…
cut 11 (06) “….to generation”
Nelson says the success of Heavenly Hash and Gold Brick Eggs has allowed them to expand their factory.

The state fire marshal’s office says three people were killed and three others were seriously injured in a house fire in Winnsboro. The three fatal victims are said to be a father and two sons. A mother and two other children were also injured. No other details have been released at this time.

A survey out of LSU finds 46-percent of Louisiana residents believe there’s too much of an emphasis on testing in public schools…
cut 8 (09) “….like half”
That’s Doctor Michael Henderson, director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab. Henderson says 55-percent of the respondents favor the idea of using test scores to issue letter grades to public school districts.

Governor John Bel Edwards will announce how the state will cut 70-million dollars for this fiscal year’s budget during a press conference at 3 PM. Many of the cuts are expected to occur in health care and higher education.

The mayor of Donaldsonville has declared a state of emergency as a result of state health officials telling residents in the Ascension Parish town not to drink or cook with the water that comes out of their faucet. The no drink alert was issued after testing determined high levels of chlorine dioxide.

Elmer’s Chocolate, the Ponchatoula-based candy manufacturer, is enjoying another successful Easter. Halen Doughty has more…
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Governor John Bel Edwards has scheduled a three PM press conference where he’ll announce budget cuts totaling 70-million dollars for the fiscal year that ends June 30th. The governor and his commissioner of administration Jay Dardenne have described the anticipated cuts to be painful.

International Paper has made a 500-thousand dollar donation to the Red Cross for flood relief. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 3 (31) “….I’m Emelie Gunn”

An LSU survey finds Louisiana residents are becoming more skeptical of Common Core. Dr. Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s public policy research lab, says support fell from 39-to-34-percent over the past year. Henderson says this is likely due to political tension surrounding the issue…
cut 7 (08) “…in their minds”
Henderson says when you describe the academic standards and take away the name “Common Core” support grows to 57-percent.

A bill to allow blaze pink to be worn while hunting in addition to hunter’s orange has been approved by a House Committee. Cole Garrett with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they don’t have any issues with adding blaze pink.
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The measure heads to the House floor for more discussion.

A new LSU study finds nearly one in four Louisiana residents believe limited funding and teacher pay are the biggest problems facing public schools. Doctor Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s public policy research lab, finds the results interesting, because the state legislature has focused its attention on other public education issues…
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Henderson says the legislature has been more focused on charter schools, voucher programs and Common Core.

A bill moving through the legislative process would allow hunters to wear “blaze pink” instead of the traditional orange. Supporters say it could help to encourage more women to get involved in the outdoors. Oil City Representative Jim Morris…
cut 6 (06) “….favorable”
The measure heads to the House floor for more debate.

The American Red Cross announces they’ve received a half-million dollar donation from International Paper that will go towards flood relief efforts. Red Cross spokesperson Nancy Malone says they’ve had hundreds of volunteers serving meals, delivering supplies and giving emotional support…
cut 14 (10) “…do it”
I-P has nine facilities in Louisiana and employ two-thousand people.

Ponchatoula-based Elmer’s Chocolate says they’ve had another successful year producing the popular Gold Brick Eggs and Heavenly Hash Easter candies. Elmer’s CEO Rob Nelson says in the past, production continued all the way through Good Friday, but fortunately technology has improved….
cut 10 (09) “…good thing”
Nelson says the company produces about 12 million Gold Brick Eggs each year