Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry says Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has been an obstacle in efforts to carry out executions of death row prisoners. The governor has responded by saying there’s a lack of availability of drugs to carry out lethal injections…
cut 8 (10) “…made available’
But Landry says Louisiana could expand the options to carry out a lethal injection, which has happened in other states.

A handful of protesters attempted to stop Governor Edwards from walking into the L-R-N studios for his Ask the Governor monthly call-in show. They are upset over the construction of the Bayou Bridge pipeline…
cut 12 (10) “….evacuation route”
Edwards says he’s spoken with St. James Parish officials and there are no major concerns about the pipelin.

LSU P-H-D student Felix Santiago-Collazo is working on developing a new hurricane computer model that predicts both rainfall runoff and storm surge. Santiago-Collazo wants to make sure emergency planners take into account the combined effect of both rainfall and storm surge during a hurricane…
cut 6 (12) “….on that”
Felix hails from Puerto Rico and survived the devastating Hurricane Maria last September.

Congressman Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish will have a major say on what the final version of the Farm Bill will look like. He’s been named a member on the conference committee that will attempt to iron the differences between the House version of the Farm Bill and what the Senate passed. The current Farm bill expires in September.

Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry is putting blame on Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards for not doing enough to execute death row prisoners. The last execution in the state was in 2010 and since then there’s been a shortage in the drugs needed to carry out death sentences. But the A-G’s Sloicitor General Liz Murril says….
cut 9 (07) “….overcoming those obstacles”
Edwards says under current Louisiana law the state can’t follow the protocol on carrying out a lethal injection because of the drug shortage.

Over a dozen Bayou Bridge protesters attempted to break into the Louisiana Radio Network studios, site of the monthly Ask the Governor talk show, to demand an audience with Governor Edwards….
cut 11 (08) “….chanting”
The protesters are concerned the pipeline, which is under construction, will prevent an evacuation route out of a St. James community, if there’s a chemical accident. Edwards has been a supporter of the Bayou Bridge pipeline.

LSU PH-D student Felix Santiago-Collazo is attempting to develop a new hurricane computer model that can predict both rainfall runoff and storm surge. Last September, the native of Puerto Rico survived Hurricane Maria…
cut 5 (09) “…this study”
Santiago-Collazo hopes his new hurricane computer model can help emergency planners determine where extreme flooding may occur.

Much of the state will be under a heat advisory this afternoon. National Weather Service Meteorologist Mario Valverde says it will be even warmer tomorrow, with triple digit readings in north and central Louisiana…
cut 16 (06) “….D-F-W area”
The intense heat will remain in place over the weekend.

Over a dozen Bayou Bridge protesters tried to force their way into Louisiana Radio Network studios when Governor Edwards showed up for his monthly call-in radio show. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (33) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A heat advisory will be in effect for most of the state this afternoon as the heat index values could surpass 110 degrees. National Weather Service Meteorologist Mario Valverde says the hot temperatures are expected to last a while…
Cut 15 (06) “…heat of the day”

In an open letter from Attorney General Jeff Landry to Governor John Bel Edwards, Landry blamed the governor for the lack of executions in the state since 2010, saying victims’ families suffer in legal limbo while waiting for justice to be carried out. Edwards responded during his “Ask the Governor” radio program, saying Landry had not attempted to contact him or his office and the letter was out of the blue.
Cut 7 (07) “…October of last year.”
And Edwards says the state can not carry out an execution because of a national shortage of drugs that could be used in Louisiana for a lethal injection, but Landry points out that executions are taking place in other states.

A man facing a gun charge in East Feliciana is asking for his court case to be moved, because there’s a statue of a Confederate solider in front of the courthouse. Attorney Niles Haymer…
cut 7 (08) “…political statements”
District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla says the East Feliciana Parish Policy jury has already determined that the statue is not inflammatory, but a part of history.

Natchitoches Police say a six-month-old child found in a burning barn has died at a local hospital. Captain Christopher Payne says they were searching for the toddler for about an hour after it was abducted from a trailer park…
cut 5 (09) “…it’s body”
Payne says no arrests have been made in the case as of yet. Payne says the child’s mother said two unknown subjects came to her door, sprayed her with mace and took the baby.
The Louisiana Health Department announces six people have been diagnosed with the West Nile virus. It’s the first human cases of 2018. Assistant State Health Officer, Doctor Parham Jaberi, says the public should take the necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites…
cut 9 (12) “…we can”
Three of the cases are the more serious form of the disease which can result in life-threatening brain and spinal cord disease. Those cases were confirmed in DeSoto, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.

Former state lawmaker AG Crowe was the first person to qualify for the special election for Secretary of State on November 6th. Crowe says if elected, he would focus on upgrading the office’s technology, to better protect election privacy and integrity.
Cut 12 (10) “highest level”
Democrat Renee Fontenot Free also qualified today.

Natchitoches Police detectives are investigating the death of a six-month-old child that was kidnapped from a residence in the Mayberry Trailer Park. Captain christopher Payne says the toddler’s mother called 9-1-1 after an attack on her and the abduction…
cut 4 (06) “…baby missing”
The baby was found dead about an hour later in a barn that had caught on fire about three miles north of the trailer park. The search is on for suspects.

Can a black person get a fair trial in a courthouse with a confederate statue in front of it? Attorney Niles Haymer says he doesn’t believe so. Haymer has a black client currently facing a gun charge, but has requested a change of venue from the East Feliciana courthouse. He says his client is intimidated by a 30-foot soldier at the entrance of the building.
Cut 6 (07) “…at the courthouse.”
District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla says the presence of the statue is no reason to change the location of the trial.

Two of the four announced candidates seeking to become the next Secretary of State qualified for the November 6th election today. Republican and former state legislator AG Crowe says he plans to run a clean campaign….
cut 13 (10) “…my opponents”
While Democrat Renee Fontenot Free, who works in the A-G’s office, says she will not rely on big money to back her campaign….
cut 15 (08) “…warchest”
Two current state lawmakers are also expected to qualify, Rick Edmonds and Julie Stokes.

Candidates can qualify in Baton Rouge today through Friday to run for Secretary of State and Congress. The six members of Louisiana’s House delegation are up for re-election. There’s a swell of Democratic enthusiasm heading into the 2018 midterms, but political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says not in Louisiana…
cut 8 (11) “…large numbers”
Pinsonat doesn’t expect any big upsets in the congressional races.

Governor John Bel Edwards announces funding for 23 recreation projects in nine coastal parishes. The $60 million being used to fund the projects comes from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement…
Cut 10 (09) “…citizens and visitors.”
The money will renovate cabins at State Parks, along with new fishing piers and docks. The state also plans on enhancing its artificial reef sites.

The Tulane Primate Research Center has received a 42-million dollar grant to help the center find cures for infectious diseases. Matt Doyle has more.
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A teaching assistant in Union Parish has been accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her students. 39-year-old Erin Ludwig has been charged with having prohibited sexual conduct with her 17-year-old student at D’Arboone Wood Charter School. Authorities say the inappropriate relationship lasted seven months.

Qualifying is underway for the November sixth election. All six of Louisiana’s US House of Representatives are up for re-election. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says they should all breeze to another term, but the race could get interesting in the third district, where Congressman Clay Higgins is facing a challenge from fellow Republican Josh Guillory, who has the endorsement of Trump lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giulani….
cut 9 (12) “…attention too”
Those seeking to fill the remaining term of former Secretary of State Tom Schedler also qualify today through Friday.

The CDC advises customers to throw out any crab products from Venezuela. Health officials say a dangerous bacteria has been found in fresh crab meat from Venezuela, causing two people from Louisiana to get very sick.

The Tulane National Primate Research Center has received 42-million dollars to keep the lights on at their facility in Covington. The grant is from the National Institute of Health. Research Center Director Jay Rappaport says this money will allow them to continue important research…
Cut 13 (09) “in progress”
Rappaport says they plan to expand their scientific direction to look at diseases of aging, including cardiovascular disease and drug abuse.

The state is using 60-million dollars in BP settlement money to pay for 23 recreation projects that span the coast. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the oil spill settlment funding will refurbish and maintain a number of state parks…
cut 11 (13) “…fish in Louisiana”