The 32-year-old mother of an Acadiana High student arrested last week for posting a video on social media of two children fighting at the school will not be prosecuted. 15th Judicial District Attorney Keith Stutes says he has reviewed the case, and is not accepting the charges. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt believes the decision by the DA’s office is fair and just…
cut 7 (10) “…in prosecuting it”
Maegan Adkins-Barras was charged with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity and spent a night in jail.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy had a chance to question top executives from pharmaceutical companies about the high cost of prescription drugs. Cassidy pointed out Humira, which treats arthritis and Crohn’s Disease, is sold at an 80-percent discount in Denmark and the drug manufacturer still makes a profit.
Cut 4 (06) “…we are not″
Cassidy says there is acknowledgment from the pharmaceutical industry that there is a problem in prescription drug affordability, which is a good first step.

The U-S Army Corps of Eningeers has opened the first bays on the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish, which allows water from a rising Mississippi River to drain into Lake Ponthchartrain, protecting New Orleans from flooding. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 1 (30) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

State Police say a 17-year-old traveling at a high rate of speed lost his life when his vehicle left the roadway and collided with several trees in Natchitoches Parish. John Hunter Owens of Robeline was pronounced dead at at a local hospital. L-S-P says a deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Owens sped off before the fatal wreck occurred.

Republican U-S Senator John Kennedy says it’s time for Governor Edwards to fire Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Rebekah Gee. Kennedy is frustrated that L-D-H has discovered 37-thousand Medicaid recipients are no longer eligible for the taxpayer funded health care, because they make too much money. The health department credits a new computer system for finding the ineligible Medicaid recipients, but Kennedy doesn’t buy it…
cut 16 (12)”…ten times faster”
Gee says the majority of those found ineligible made just above the elibility line and would still be considered working poor…
cut 14 (08) “…any money”
Kennedy would like to see the legislative auditor do a thorough audit of the Medicaid program.

Louisiana’s Senior Senator Bill Cassidy had an opportunity to question top executives of several pharmaceutical companies about rising prescription drug costs. During a Senate Finance hearing, Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, thanked them for their advancements in medicine, but he says some patients can not take advantage of it, because of the high cost…
cut 3 (05) “…one concern”
Cassidy says Humira, which treats arthritis and Crohn’s Disease, is sold at an 80-percent discount in Denmark and the drug manufacturer still makes a profit.

Lafayette District Attorney Keith Stutes will not prosecute an Acadiana high school mother who posted a video of a school fight on social media. Scott police charged 32-year-old Maegan Adkins-Barras with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt says Adkins-Barras should not have been charged, because she was not physicaly present when the fight occurred…
cut 9 (08) “…waste of energy”

The 32-year-old mother of an Acadiana High student arrested last week for posting a video on social media of two children fighting at the school will not be prosecuted. Kevin Barnhart has more…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A federal judge has ordered former district attorney Walter Reed to report to prison on April 1st. Reed was convicted almost three years ago on allegations he used campaign money for personal use. The former top prosecutor for St. Tammany and Washington parishes was sentenced to four years in prison.

U-S Senator John Kennedy wants to know how much money was wasted on ineligible Medicaid recipients. Last week, the state health department told 37-thousand Medicaid recipients they are no longer eligible for the government health care, because they make too much money. Kennedy says it’s another example of L-D-H incompetence, but Health Secretary Rebekah Gee says that’s not the case….
cut 15 (06) “…incorrect”
Gee says a new computer system is doing what it’s supposed to do, alert the state when Medicaid patients no longer qualify for the taxpayer funded health care.

For the third time in four years the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish will open to help reduce the pressure on the New Orleans levee system, because of a rising Mississippi River…
cut 6 (09) “…from there”
That’s Colonel Michael Clancy. The water diverted from the Mississippi River flows into Lake Pontchartrain.

The 13th ranked LSU basketball team followed up last Saturday’s overtime win over 5th ranked Tennessee with a 66-55 victory over Texas A-and-M last night. Tigers Coach Will Wade was glad there was no hang over from the big win over the Vols…
cut 30 (06) “…big victory”

Senator John Kennedy wants to know how much the Louisiana Health Department spent on ineligible Medicaid recipients after a new computer system kicked tens of thousands of recipients off the rolls…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Louisiana’s  GDP rose to 252 billion in the third quarter, up 2.3 billion from the second. Department of Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says there’s a few heavy industries in particular you can point to for the state’s growth

Cut 11 (11) “…timber sectors.”

Critics point out the state’s growth is below the national average of 3.4 percent.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open over 30 bays on Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish this morning because of the rising Mississippi River. Water will be diverted from the Mississippi and sent into Lake Pontchartrain. Colonel Michael Clancy says the spillway will open to make sure the river’s flow doesn’t exceed 1.25 million cubic feet per second…

Cut 5 (08) “…picture that.”

This is the first time ever that the Bonnet Carre Spillway has been used in back to back years to control the flow on the Mississippi.

In a conference call with reporters, Republican U-S Senator John Kennedy says it’s time for Governor Edwards to fire Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Rebekah Gee. Kennedy is frustrated that L-D-H has discovered 37-thousand Medicaid recipients are no longer eligible for the taxpayer funded health care, because they make too much money. The health department credits a new computer system for finding the ineligible Medicaid recipients, but Kennedy doesn’t buy it…
cut 16 (12)”…ten times faster”
Gee says the majority of those found ineligible made just above the elibility line and would still be considered working poor…
cut 14 (08) “…any money”
Kennedy would like to see the legislative auditor do a thorough audit of the Medicaid program.

The Edwards administration says Louisiana set another record high for total Gross Domestic Product in the third quarter of 2018. The state’s GDP rose to 252 billion in the third quarter, up 2.3 billion from the second. Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says it continues the success story for the state’s economy.
Cut 10 (11) “…record number.”
Pierson says the numbers are even more impressive when you consider the negative impact a series of trade wars have had on Louisiana’s agricultural and export/import based economy.

Court documents filed today by the defense attorney for Matthew Naquin, the former LSU student, charged with negligent homicide, in the suspected hazing death of Maxwell Gruver, portrays Gruver as a party animal, who drank a lot and smoked marijuana, before he died in 2017. Legal analyst Tim Meche says Naquin’s lawyer is doing what he should be doing…
cut 11 (12) “…period of time”
The Gruver family posted on Facebook “Let the Victim shaming begin.” The trial is set for July.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy is unsure how he will vote on a congressional measure that seeks to block President Donald Trump’s national emergency over the southern border wall.
Cut 3 (06) “…I see that.”
Cassidy says his big concern is the precedent that the national emergency sets for future presidents.

State Superintendent of Education John White is not happy the governor’s budget proposal to lawmakers does not include extra dollars to help low income families pay for early childhood expenses. White says they have a waiting list of 33-hundred families seeking assistance and the waiting list will grow to 10-thousand once a federal subsidy runs out…
cut 14 (09) “…their child”
A statement from the governor’s office says Edwards has committed to giving teachers a pay raise this year and he’ll push for an increase in early childhood funding in 2020, if he’s re-elected.

There’s been a 44-percent drop in the violent crime rate in northeast Louisiana according to the U-S Department of Justice. US Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, David Joseph, credits the prosecution of 200 defendants in the past year on gun charges, more than 60 of which have been in the Monroe area…
cut 7 (07) “…in office”
The state has also provided a special prosector as well.

The Raise the Age Act legislation approved in 2016 goes into effect Friday. It says 17-year-olds charged with non-violent crimes will be prosecuted in the juvenile justice system, instead of as an adult. Rachel Gassert, with the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights says it’s a good thing for troubled 17-year-olds, because there is a better chance these teenagers will not re-offend if they are in the juvenile court system compared to the adult system…
cut 5 (12) “….the process”

Yahoo Sports reports LSU Basketball Coach Will Wade will be subpoenaed for a federal basketball corruption trial that will begin in April. Wade says he has not been following the case and his focus is on tonight’s game against 13th ranked Texas A-and-M. Back in October, Wade’s name reportedly appeared in a transcript from a separate federal trial involving a man who was found guilty of multiple felony fraud charges.

Senator Bill Cassidy says he wants to see more of an an effort in freeing a Lake Charles man from a Venezuelian prison. Tomeu Vadell is one of six Citgo executives who faces what their families claim to be trumped-up corruption charges. Cassidy says political unrest in the country is complicating their efforts….
cut 8 (10) “…war criminals”
Cassidy says he’s working to maintain diplomatic contact with Vadell, even as the political situation in Venezuela grows more chaotic.

Bayou Tech Brewing in Arnaudville will release a new limited-edition beer on March 2nd called Cajun Breakfast Stout. It’s a beer brewed with coffee, cane syrup and boudin.Karlos Knott says it tastes like nothing, you’ve sipped before…
cut 13 (10) “…the hops”
Knott says they are sure that this is the first beer to ever include boudin in its recipe.