The Caddo Parish Commission votes today on removing the statue of a Confederate soldier outside the parish courthouse. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 1 (23) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Governor Edwards says he met with Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator about his concerns over the release of hundreds of inmates next month as part of the state’s criminal justice reform effort. Emelie Gunn has more…
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A Jackson Parish paper mill will remain open thanks state tax breaks which will result in an updated facility. Kelley Ray has more.
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The Caddo Parish Commission will likely vote today to remove the statue of a Confederate soldier outside of the parish courthouse in Shreveport. LSU Shreveport Associate Professor of Political Science Jeffery Sadow says last month the council preliminarily voted to support the removal of the monument…
The United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the statue and the parish has kept no official record of who currently owns the land which it stands on. Sadow say this could create problems if the council does vote to remove the monument.
Sadow says the monument was placed on the location of the last capitol of the Confederacy. He says the statue received the designation to be on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 but that likely won’t affect if the monument can be removed or not.
Sadow says the community has not made much public noise keeping up the monument or removing it.
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In just a few weeks, hundreds of inmates will be released in Louisiana as a result of a criminal justice reform package signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards. Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator voiced concern that violent criminals will be released early without proper rehabilitation. But Edwards says Prator didn’t have the best information at hand…
Prator also said it was important to keep “good” prisoners incarcerated, so they can pick up trash, wash cars, and cook for first responders. Edwards says these are the individuals Louisiana wants to release early, because they have proven themselves trustworthy and did not commit a violent offense.
The goal of the criminal justice reform is to reduce the state’s incarceration rate, to lower inmate costs and use the savings to fund more rehabilitation programs. Edwards says the majority of inmates will only be released about two months early. He says these reform efforts will help do more than just reduce the incarceration rate.
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A Jackson Parish paper mill will continue to play a vital role in the local economy. WestRock will perform a 200-million-dollar expansion, saving about 400 jobs at the mill and another 37-hundred indirect jobs. State Economic Development Secretary Don Pearson says a big win for north Louisiana.
The mill’s annual payroll is some 28-million-dollars. To help with their payroll and other operating costs, Pearson says WestRock will receive tax breaks.
Hodge Representative Jack McFarlin says if the facility closed down, it would be catastrophic to the community since the mill also provides needed utilities.
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The mill produces 800-thousand tons container board paper each year.
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Police are investigating the discovery of a female body near the Pineville expressway. The victim is identified as 42-year-old Latish White of Alexandria. Pineville Police Deputy Darrell Basco says they are trying to determine why the body was there…
This is the city’s first apparent murder of the year. Basco says where the victim was found is known as a pretty safe area…
Basco says troubling to police is the state the body was in when it was found…
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Basco says and autopsy will be conducted.
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The Ragin Cajuns have another big Sun Belt matchup tonight as they visit Arkansas State. UL Lafayette won last Thursday, beating Texas State. Tonight they’ll face a Red Wolves team that’s 2-0 in league play. Louisiana beat A-S-U last year 24-19, but Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says the Red Wolves are a better team this year
This is the 46th meeting between these two schools and they’ve met annually since 2001. Hudspeth says every time they play Arkansas State conference championship implications are on the line..
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ULM looks to get back in the win column this Saturday when they visit South Alabama. The Warhawks were defeated for the first time in conference play last weekend by Georgia State. Coach Matt Viator says his team learned a valuable lesson that you can’t take victory for granted…
South Alabama is coming off a win over Troy University. Viator says the Jaguars last performance shows their talent level…