There’s still a lot of hard feelings after the second special session ended on a contentious note, and legislators are now prepping for round three…
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The Livingston Sheriff’s office has arrested 33-year-old Christopher Glenn in the fatal stabbing of 44-year-old Tosha Smith. Sheriff’s office spokesperson Lori Steele says another woman was also injured in the domestic incident at a Denham Springs home and…
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The reward has trippled to 15-thousand dollars for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in last week’s fatal shooting of 29-year-old Cameron Mack and his four-year-old daughter in LaPlace. Authorities believe it was a lone gunman, who fatally shot the two as they were walking up the stairs to their home.

We’ve already seen record high temperatures this summer, which has prompted Entergy to give advice on how to keep electric bills low, while still keeping cool. Customer service manager Patrick Hamby says proper attic insulation is the number one way to conserve energy and use the air conditioner wisely.
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Hamby also says L-E-D bulbs don’t give off as much heat and use less energy than ordinary bulbs.

Baton Rouge Police have arrested a 50-year-old Slaughter woman who is accused of fatally poisoning her male partner. Meshell Hale has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Damian Skipper, who died from Barium poisioning in 2015. B-R-P-D Sergeant Don Coppola says New Orleans Police started the investigation into Hale after her husband, 42-year-old Arthur Noflin, was found dead and burnt beyond recognition in a truck. Coppola says before Noflin’s death, he complained of the same symptoms that Skipper experienced before his death….
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A warrant details that Hale allegedly purchased 500 grams of barium with a Paypal account.

A town councilman in LaFourche Parish has been charged with his third D-U-I. State Police arrested 39-year-old Wayne Bourgeois of Lockport after he allegedly side-swiped another vehicle. Bourgeois says he regrets the incident and he’ll appear in court July 6th.

The second special session of 2018 ended without a sales tax bill passing that would replace 648-million dollars in expiring sales taxes. A Senate backed tax bill that renewed half of the expiring penny sales tax to fund higher ed, healthcare, and TOPS was six votes short of passage. Louisiana Budget Project director Jan Moller says if the revenue can’t be raised in an expected third special session, 500 million dollars of cuts will be distributed across state government…..
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Higher education would be cut by 96-million dollars and TOPS would be funded at 70-percent. University of Louisiana system President Doctor Jim Henderson says its disappointing…
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Googling “how common is barium poisoning “on your phone might not be a good idea if you plan on poisoning someone. That information is in the warrant for 50-year-old Meshell Hale of Slaughter who was arrested and charged with second degree murder in the 2015 poisoning death of a Damian Skipper. Baton Rouge Police Sergeant Don Coppola says the New Orleans homicide detectives assisted in the arrest.
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Other google searches documented in the warrant: “How bad does Barium Taste? – truly”,and “heart stopping drugs.”

The reward has trippled for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in last week’s fatal shooting of 29-year-old Cameron Mack and his four-year-old daughter Cali in LaPlace The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s office has announced a 15-thousand dollar reward. They’ve been searching for the gunman, who fatally shot the two as they were walking up the stairs to their home.

Fiscal conservatives applaud the failure of a sales tax bill in the second special session, while left leaning groups are concerned about proposed cuts…
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As it stands now, the taxpayer funded TOPS scholarship program is only funded at 70-percent for next fiscal year. University of Louisiana System President Doctor Jim Henderson says it will look bad if legislators do not fully fund the progam…
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A third special session is likely after lawmakers failed to address the fiscal cliff as the second special session of the year ended last night at midnight. 648-million dollars in temporary taxes are set to expire on July 1st and many House Republicans are not willing to pass a sales tax bill to replace much of the lost revenue. Americans for Prosperity State Director John Kay says it’s time to reduce state spending…
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The budget approved by legislators would reduce higher education funding by 96-million dollars and TOPS would be funded at 70-percent. UL System President Doctor Jim Henderson says he holds out hope that revenue will be found in the expected third special session to cover up the shortfall…
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A report is recommending a reduction in the use of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Kevin Barnhart has more.
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The state legislature approved a budget as the special session ended last night, but a sales tax proposal did not make it through, which means TOPS and public colleges are underfunded for next fiscal year. A bill to replace an expiring one-cent sales tax with a half-cent tax failed by six votes in the House. Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s embarassed by the lack of cooperation in the legislature…
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Edwards says another special session will be held. Political consultant Roy Fletcher says the governor may have to accept the House plan, which would set the sales tax rate at 4-point-3-percent after July 1st…
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More illnesses will be eligible to be treated with medical marijuana under a bill signed by the governor. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
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A strong line of thunderstorms is moving through central Louisiana at this hour. The National Weather says half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 miles per hour are possible with these storms and Alexandria, Bunkie, Moreauville, Leesville and DeRidder are some of the communities that could be impacted.

The second special session of the year crashed and burned at midnight last night, when lawmakers failed to pass a sales tax bill and that could result in a 30-percent cut to TOPS and a 20-percent reduction in higher education funding next fiscal year. The key moment was the House rejecting a Senate backed sales tax plan to replace 648-million dollars in expiring revenue. New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson laid the blame for the session’s failure at a large group of House Republicans….
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The Americans for Prosperity-Louisiana released a statement commending lawmakers who voted against the sales tax bill. State Director John Kay says state government should live within its means and if another special session is called, it would be a waste of taxpayer money.

Under legislation signed by the governor, glaucoma, PTSD, Parkinson’s and other conditions have been added to the list of illnesses that will be eligible to receive a prescription for medical marijuana once it becomes available at selected pharmacies later this year. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says his bill will also result in a cost savings for the state….
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The Secretary of State’s office has been warning the public that Louisiana has aging voting machines and now we have a price tag for replacing them, 60 million dollars. The feds have offered to chip in with nearly 6 million to get the process started. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says it will not happen overnight.
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A second special session ended last night without an agreement on how to replace an expring one-cent sales tax, leaving the state short when it comes to fully funding TOPS and higher ed. Matt Doyle has more…
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Governor Edwards is expected to call another special session.

Scattered thunderstorms are possible today across Louisiana and we are already seeing heavy rainfall from a cluster of storms moving through northwest Louisiana.

More Louisiana residents will have the ability to treat ailments with medical marijuana once it becomes available later this year. The bill had bipartisan support in what was an otherwise contentious regular session. Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the bill which was authored by Baton Rouge Representative Ted James.
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PTSD and Parkinsons are among the conditions now eligible for medical pot under this legislation.

A new study finds that chemotherapy may no longer be needed for those diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. LSU Health New Orleans Director of Precision Medicine, Doctor Lucio Miele (Mee-Lah) says the results are expected to spare up to 70-thousand patients a year in the U-S the ordeal and expense of chemotherapy…
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