Governor Edwards will be in New Jersey on Thursday for a meeting with President Donald Trump and a handful of other governors to discuss criminal justice reform. Edwards was successful in getting the legislature to support proposals to lower the incarceration rate and programs designed to reduce the recidivism rate. Edwards’ Deputy Chief of Staff, Richard Carbo, says the president is reaching out to a leader who knows how to craft bipartisan legislation…
cut 14 (11) “…broad spectrum”

Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones says he’s heard from Louisiana casino operators that they want to provide their players with a chance to offer sports betting. Jones says it will take legislative action…
cut 8 (08) “….in Louisiana” (2x)
Some legislators raised concerns about expanding gambling in Louisiana as a reason why sports betting was not approved in the last regular session

The state health department has fined five private companies that manage Medicaid health care plans a total of 250-thousand dollars for failing to provide accurate records of doctors, so that patients can make appointments and determine if a doctor is accepting new patients. Louisiana Medicaid Director Jen Steele says as part of their new agreements with Managed care organizations, the state is able to fine these companies if the error rates exceed 10-percent…
cut 12 (07) “…additional penalty”
Steele says failure to meet these minimum standards will result in continued monetary penalties.

Just in time for a new school year, the department of education has posted on its website back-to-school resources for parents and educators. Director of Family and Educator Communication, Annie Morrison…
cut 5 (11) “…our high school students”

Governor John Bel Edwards will fly to New Jersey Thursday to talk criminal justice reform with President Donald Trump. Kevin Barnhart spoke with the governor’s deputy chief of staff.
Voicer 3 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Coast Guard continues to search Lake Pontchartrain for 32-year-old Sadie Thibodeaux, who has been missing since Sunday night. Thibodeaux was a passenger on a sailboat found unmanned. The Baton Rouge woman was on the boat with 43-year-old Michael Lee Farley, who was found in the water Monday morning. He’s been questioned by police and released.

Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones predicts the state legislature will once again look at passing legislation to give voters an opportunity to decide if sports betting should be legal at Louisiana casinos. Jones says some lawmakers will look at it as a way to generate more revenue for the state, but how much is hard to say…
cut 9 (07) “…the state”
Jones says there’s a big concern about players going to Mississippi, because sports betting is available there.

A new school year begins for many this week and the Department of Education has provided parents and teachers with back-to-school resources that align with the state’s academic goals. Director of Family and Educator Communication, Annie Morrison, says the guidance can be found at Lousiaina-Believes-dot-com and they are available in different languages…
cut 6 (09) “…can be intimidating”

Mississippi has sports betting, but Louisiana may not be out of the game for long. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (31) ”I’m Matt Doyle”

A 62-year-old man was fatally shot yesterday afternoon at a skate park in Shreveport and at this time the gunman is not facing any charges. Investigators say the shooting victim armed himself with a blunt object as a well as a handgun and that’s when the gunman fired his weapon.

Louisiana has collected 250-thousand dollars in fines from private companies that manage care for most of the state’s Medicaid patients. Louisiana Medicaid Director Jen Steele says the companies had incorrect records for health providers, making it difficult for patients to make appointments or determing if a doctor is able to take new patients. Steele says the inaccurate data has been corrected…
cut 11 (07) “…their system”
Steele says additional fines could be coming if managed care companies fail to maintain accurate provider information.

Governor Edwards will be one of a handful of governors who will meet with President Donald Trump in New Jersey on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reforms. Republican Senator John Kennedy and Attorney General Jeff Landry say the governor’s reforms are soft on crime. The governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Richard Carbo, says Kennedy and Landry are playing politics with a critical issue…
cut 15 (08) “…Kennedy have”

Governor John Bel Edwards will travel to New Jersey on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform with President Donald Trump. The governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Carbo says the invite comes a year after statewide reforms led to a promising reduction in prison population.
Cut 13 (11) “did it”
Carbo says the reforms enacted last year have lowered the incarceration rate, improved public safety and is reducing the recidivism rate.

The Louisiana Department of Health has fined five private companies 50-thousand dollars each for failing to provide accurate information for where Medicaid recipients can access their care. Louisiana Medicaid Director Jen Steele says the error rates topped 10-percent, which triggered the fines…
Cut 10 (09) “…be correct”
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee meets this morning to discuss a state audit that was critical of the how L-D-H’s supervises their managed-care companies.

The Louisiana Department of Education has released back-to-school resource guides for parents….
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Many local school superintendents are cautioning parents that upcoming school letter grades could be lower this year, because of a tougher rating system. There have been changes in the calculation of school performance scores, which look at testing, academic growth and graduation rates.

Governor John Bel Edwards will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform efforts that were enacted last year. The legislation helped Louisiana lose the title of Incarceration Captial of the World, by reducing the inmate population, while expanding probation and parole opportunities for mostly nonviolent offender. Edwards is one of a handful governors invited to the meeting.

Colorado State University hurricane researchers continue to predict a below average season as we get closer to the season’s historical peak for activity. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A Kenner mom is under arrest after allegedly assaulting the citizens who rescued her 11 month and 3 year-old children from a hot car. Kenner Police Lt. Michael Cunningham says after the mother discovered strangers helped her children get out of the stuffy vehicle, the mother ran out out of a place of business, and started punching the good Samaritans.
Cut 6 (10) “called 911”.
The mother, 22-year-old Shawnise Sherman, was arrested and booked on battery and Child Desertion charges.

The Harvest Center Church in Lafayette had a break-in, where items from a school supply drive were stolen. But Pastor Daniel Kelly says they are not asking authorities not to press charges against the alleged thief….
cut 14 (10) “…in his life”
Kelly says news of the break-in has led to more financial and school supply donations.

The governor’s office says John Bel Edwards will be one of a handful of governors who will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform. Louisiana’s justice reforms have lowered the state’s prison population, but Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry and Senator John Kennedy say its put dangerous criminals back on the streets.

Kenner Police are applauding the Good Samitarians that rescued two children found locked in a vehicle in a strip mall parking lot. Lt. Michael Cunningham says the citizens got an 11-month and three-year-old child out of the hot car…
cut 8 (10) “….there eventually”
Cunningham says unfortunately the children’s mother, 22-year-old Shawnise Sherman, tried to beat up the individuals who helped her kids and she now faces battery and child desertion charges.

The Colorado State hurricane forecast team continues to predict a below-average hurricane season. Lead researcher Doctor Phil Klotzbach says they expect nine additional named storms this year….
cut 4 (10) “…one major hurricane”
Klotzbach says there’s a 19-percent chance the Gulf Coast will see a major hurricane making landfall this year.

The pastor of Harvest Center Church in Lafayette says they will not press charges against a man who broke into their church and stole donated school supplies. Daniel Kelly says when they confronted the culprit, the man said he took the items, because he needed the school supplies for his family. Kelly says they will try and help the man and the story has resulted in more donations…
cut 13 (10) “…for their kids”

The President of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, Ricky Babin, says the criminal justice reforms approved over a year ago, has led to the release of five men who have been since rearrested and charged with murder. But the head of the state’s corrections department, Jimmy LeBlanc, says the reforms need time to get established…
cut 12 (11) “…gotta change”
Leblanc says the reforms saved 12-million dollars last fiscal year and 70-percent of those savings will be spent on programs to reduce recidivism.

Colorado State’s revised hurricane forecast still calls for a below-average season, with nine additional storms expected. But C-S-U researcher Phil Klotzbach says Gulf coast residents still need to be ready…
cut 5 (04) “…season for you”

The television channel Investigation Discovery will air a two-hour doucmentary tonight that will examine the fatal shooting of a black man handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser in New Iberia. Victor White the Third was in custody of the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s office when he suffered the fatal gunshot wound in 2014. Radio talk show host Tony Brown says the investigation has been filled inconsistencies. He points to the police report that says White shot himself in the back, but the coroner’s report says the bullet entered the front of his body…
cut 10 (07) “…decent Louisiana resident”
But the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s office says a State Police investigation and the coroner both determined that White’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The show “Sugar Town” airs at 7 PM.

According to the Advocate, Attorney General Jeff Landry favors Louisiana’s current split jury law, which requires 10 of 12 jurists to convict a suspect in a felony case. A constitutional amendment is on the November 6th ballot that would change Louisiana’s law, requiring unanimous verdicts.

A Kenner mom is under arrest after allegedly assaulting the citizens who rescued her 11 month and 3 year-old children from a hot car. Kenner Police Lt. Michael Cunningham says cameras showed the citizens helping the children exit the vehicle and after the mother discovered this, Cunningham says the mother ran out, and started punching the good Samaritans.
Cut 6 (10) “called 911”.
The mother, 22-year-old Shawnise Sherman, was arrested and booked with Simple battery and Child Desertion.

Colorado State University hurricane researchers continue to predict a below average season. Researcher Phil Klotzbach says a major contributing factor is the cold temperature of the tropical Atlantic Ocean waters….
cut 3 (11) “…for storm”
Klotzbach says we haven’t had a named storm since July 15th and 2009 was the last time a name storm had not formed between July 15th and August 6th.

Investigation Discovery will air a two-hour documentary tonight called “Sugar Town,” which examines the controversial death of Victor White the Third. The 22-year-old black man died from a gunshot wound he sustained while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser in New Iberia. Louisiana State Police and the Iberia Parish coroner say White shot himself, but White’s family says that can’t be the case. Journalist Tony Brown agrees…
cut 9 (09) “…Jimmy Hoffa”
The show begins at 7 PM.