The first direct flight from New Orleans to London takes off tonight and is very affordable for a traveler. Halen Doughty has more…
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A former Marksville City Marshal has been found guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter by an Avoyelles Parish jury. Emelie Gunn has more on his sentencing…
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Two weeks to go before the legislative session and we’re still waiting on Governor John Bel Edwards to announce his tax reform plans. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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Today the first direct flight from New Orleans to London takes off out of the Louis Armstrong Airport. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser will be aboard the British Airways flight and says this is an exciting day for all travelers in the state. He says now that this direct flight is available, it opens up the doors for international tourism to Louisiana.
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Governor John Bel Edwards and other state officials will also be on the flight. Nungesser says the introduction of this direct fight allows for more business endeavors to come to the Bayou State.
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A ticket to London from New Orleans cost 900-dollars round trip. Nungesser says it’s easy getting international travelers to visit New Orleans, but the struggle will be attracting them to other locations around the state.
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An Avoyelles Parish jury found former Marksville City Marshal, Derrick Stafford, guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old boy and the injuring of his father. Stafford will be sentenced on March 31st. Legal analyst Tim Meche says the judge will be under enormous pressure so Stafford is likely looking at close to 40 years in prison…
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In 2015, Stafford and another marshal, Norris Greenhouse Jr., were accused of opening fire into Chris Few’s vehicle, killing the child and wounding Few. Meche says this is a classic case of a compromised verdict. He says the theory of manslaughter was not brought forward during the trial, only murder or self-defense.
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Stafford took the stand Friday and said he fired into the vehicle because he believed the child’s father, Chris Few, would use the vehicle as a weapon. Greenhouse is scheduled to go to trial later in the year. Meche says Stafford’s conviction will heavily affect Greenhouse’s trial.
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With two weeks to go before the legislative session, Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to roll out his tax reform plans for the upcoming legislative session. LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says many were surprised when they recently learned the governor is moving away from the idea of tweaking the individual income tax. He says the Administration is moving towards something completely different..:
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The state of Ohio has a similar “gross receipts tax” which they say is imposed on the privilege of doing business in the state. Alford says the governor is likely moving in this direction because voters don’t want to see individual income taxes adjusted…:
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Alford says the governor is also expected to give his stance on the state’s film tax credit program and increasing the gasoline tax. He says in the meantime Republicans are working on their mission for the session that begins April 10th, and they are staying the course that priorities need to be realigned.:
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A report by Delta Waterfowl finds the number of duck hunters declining nationwide. Luke Laborde with the LSU School of Natural Resources says we’re seeing a similar trend in Louisiana. He says the number of duck hunters has been declining since the 1970s.
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Laborde says access and crowding are big issues driving people away from the sport. He says maneuvering public hunting lands is becoming more difficult because many require unpowered boats, and maintaining private hunting lands is expensive. He says they also have research to indicate youth are less interested in the great outdoors.
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Laborde says LSU and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are doing what they can to get more people interested in duck hunting. He says two years ago LDWF introduced a mentor hunting program that allows new hunters who have not completed the safety course to hunt, as long as they’re accompanied by someone who has. He says LSU has similar programs.
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