A bill filed for the April legislative session would punish fentanyl dealers the same as convicted killers. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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If you’ve ever been scammed or had your identity stolen you’re not alone. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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The NFL league year begins today and the Saints got under the salary cap with new one-year deals for quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Michael Thomas. Saints analyst Ross Jackson and The Advocate’s Luke Johnson shared their insight on the moves and look ahead to free agency. Kace Kieschnick has the story.
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A Crowley lawmaker files legislation to raise criminal penalties for distributing fentanyl to make that equivalent to murder. Republican John Stefanski filed the bill for the legislative session that starts April 10th. He says the consequences for dealing the drug should “match the violent damage it causes”…:
Cut 4 (10) “…rest of your life.”
Stefanski’s bill would make possession of more than 28 grams of fentanyl (which is considered possession with intent to distribute) punishable with life in prison. Possessing smaller amounts could get 5 to 40 years in prison and up to $50-thousand in fines. Thousands die from fentanyl overdoses yearly in Louisiana. Stefanski says Louisiana has dealt with other drug scourges in similar fashion before…:
Cut 5 (12) “…those penalties.”
Stefanski says he has consulted with fellow lawmakers, sheriffs and district attorneys before filing his bill and they support the idea. He says he also expects bipartisan support from colleagues…:
Stefanski is also running for state Attorney General this fall.
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Governor John Bel Edwards and elected officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a state-of-the-art building on the Northwestern State University campus yesterday. NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones says the groundbreaking marks a special moment for the university.
Cut 7 (10) “…sixteenth president.”
NSU was awarded $44 million for the new building which will become the university’s main academic building. Jones says education is the engine for economic growth and diversification.
The more than 73,000 square feet building will feature laboratories for nursing and anesthesia programs, clinics, a cafe, 60 offices, and an administrative office suite that could include space for staff. Jones says it will become a hub of innovation for students
The building will replace John S. Kyser Hall – the largest building on NSU’s campus.
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Louisiana is among the top five states when it comes to the highest per capita rates of both reported fraud and identity theft. Federal Trade Commission Senior Data Researcher Emma Fletcher says they received fraud reports from 2.4 million Americans last year with a total loss of $8.8 billion to scams.
Cut 10 (06) “…really staggering numbers.”
And that’s up 30 percent from 2021.
The FTC says the most popular scams last year included Imposter or Romance Scams. Followed by Online Shopping Scams, Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams. The fourth most popular is Investment Scams like cryptocurrency and then Job Scams.
If you’ve been a victim Fletcher encourages you to report it by going to ReportFraud-dot-FTC-dot-gov and even if you haven’t lost money to make them aware of a potential scam.
Cut 11 (10) “… for investigations.”
The FTC also has tips on their website on how to possibly recover your losses if you’ve been scammed along with a description of ongoing scams. Fletcher says to be on guard and if anyone ever asks you to buy gift cards to fix a problem…
And to receive tips and updates about the latest scams visit FTC-dot-gov-slash-consumer alerts and enter your email address.
You can visit the article posted on LouisianaRadioNetwork-dot-com for those websites.
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Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announces nine companies have applied for grant money that would result in them offering residential and commercial policies in coastal areas. Donelon says the response is more than what they anticipated…
Cut 13 (09) “…that’s available”
Earlier this year, lawmakers appropriated 45-million dollars for the Insure Louisiana Incentive Program. Donelon says since they have nine companies seeking 62-million dollars, they’ll look to appropriate more dollars for the fund when the legislative session begins next month.
Donelon says in the meantime they will review the applications from the nine insurance companies seeking grant funding…
Donelon says once their review is complete they will ask the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for approval as early as this Friday. He says the companies that qualify could begin offering competitively priced options to Louisiana home and business owners soon
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The Saints are expected to sign former All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas to a one-year incentive-based deal. The new deal avoids the over $60 million dollars Thomas would have been guaranteed had he played just 4 games in 2023 and allows Thomas to return to New Orleans now with new quarterback Derek Carr. Saints analyst Ross Jackson says it’s a good deal for both sides…
Thomas won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award after a record-setting 2019 season but has played in only three games since then. The deal will allow Thomas to return to an offensive scheme he’s thrived in and an opportunity to earn $15 million with incentives. Luke Johnson of The Advocate says that the deal protects the Saints and will be more than worth it if even a fraction of the old Michael Thomas returns…
The Saints have also resigned quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year contract in an effort to free up more cap space. The move comes as a surprise for some as Winston is not expected to compete for the starting spot, but many teams with availability are expected to address the position in the draft or elsewhere. Winston chose to return to a familiar system in what Jackson says was a great move for the Saints…
Cut 18 (19) “…salary cap relief.”
As free agency kicks off and New Orleans fights yet again to get under the cap, they’ve had to watch many young talents find contracts elsewhere. Most notably defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, David Onyemata, and Shy Tuttle have all left for division opponents. After recent moves the Saints are only a few million under the salary cap, but with more cap-saving opportunities and how the front office structures their deals, Johnson says the Saints will still be active in free agency…
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