Governor John Bel Edwards hopes to revamp the Louisiana tax system in the upcoming legislative session. Emelie Gunn has more…
Cut 3 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

An effort to recall Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni has unsuccessfully ended. Attorney Robert Evans the Third had six-months to get 90-thousand signatures to force a recall and three weeks before the deadline he only had 55-thousand signatures. Evans sought a recall after Yenni reportedly sent sexually explicit texts to a 17-year-old boy.

As federal lawmakers devise a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, US Senator John Kennedy says he will vote for any plan that’s better than Obamacare. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

What a night at Alex Box Stadium for Lafayette native Antoine Duplantis. The sophomore left fielder drove in seven runs on a single-game school record six hits as the 6th ranked LSU Tigers belted Georgia 22-9. Duplantis was 6-for-6 on the night. LSU and Georgia meet again tonight at 6:30.

20-year-old Armande Stephen Tart faces four counts of first degree murder. Jefferson Parish investigators believe he’s the man who killed four people at a Metairie apartment complex earlier this week. Three of the victims were fatally shot and the fourth victim was reportedly stabbed over 40 times. Sheriff Newell Normand calls Tart a cold-blooded killer, who murdered these people over drugs.

There are 12 confirmed cases of the mumps and it will likely keep rising, according to Dr. Frank Welch with the state Department of Health. He says the viral infection has a long incubation period which is why it’s important to know how to prevent the spread of mumps this St. Patrick’s Day weekend…:
cUT 5 (11) “through saliva”
He says know the symptoms, such as headache, fever, fatigue, and jaw swelling just below your ear.

The St. Landry Sheriff’s office announces three teenagers have been arrested for the hanging of a noose on the campus of Westminster Christian Academy. Major Eddie Thibodaux says one of the juveniles involved performed well in school, but made a very bad decision…
cut 14 (10) “….his life”
The school says all three students are no longer enrolled at Westminster.

A Washington Parish man is behind bars after police say he shot and killed five abandoned puppies in February. Chief Deputy Mike Haley with the Sheriff’s Office says a concerned citizen contacted the Humane Society after seeing the abandoned puppies on the side of the road:
Cut 9 (10) “they were dead”
25-year-old Shawn Glen Jones of Angie faces animal cruelty charges.

LSU police arrest a 20-year-old man in the reported kidnapping and sexual assault of an LSU student on campus. Frank Herrera was booked on numerous charges after detectives say they found his DNA in the victim’s vehicle. Authorities say Herrera kidnapped his victim, as she was walking into a sorority house and forced her to perform oral sex at another location. The victim was able to call for help after Herrera dropped her off at a convenience store to buy condoms.

The major criticism with the House Republicans plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system is that fewer people will be insured as they are now under the Affordable Care Act. But Senator John Kennedy says that’s because the GOP’s plan repeals the individual and employer mandates. He says residents will decide whether they want insurance or not…
cut 8 (08) “….American way”

Three arrests have been made after a noose was hung at the baseball field of Westminster Christian Academy following an argument between three black boys and three white boys. Maj. Eddie Thibodaux with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office says even though it was meant as a joke, a noose is humiliating and hateful.
Cut 13 (06) “lives”
Two juveniles and one 18-year-old are charged with public display of a noose with intent to intimidate.

The State Department of Health predicts the mumps outbreak in Louisiana will get worse. Medical director of the state Immunization Program Dr. Frank Welch says the viral infection has a long incubation period so it could be a few weeks before cases are reported. He says it’s a good idea to know the symptoms…:
cut 4 (08) “both sides”
So far, LDH has confirmed 12 cases.

As federal lawmakers devise a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, US Senator John Kennedy says he will vote for any plan that’s better than Obamacare. …
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The state has restarted the process of selecting a contractor who will manage the distribution of one-point-six billion dollars in federal flood relief dollars for homeowners. U.S. Representative Garret Graves says this will lead to further delays, but the governor’s office says they plan to hire a program manager next month.

There are 12 confirmed cases of the mumps and it will likely keep rising, according to Dr. Frank Welch with the state Department of Health. He says the viral infection has a long incubation period which is why it’s important to know how to prevent the spread of mumps this St. Patrick’s Day weekend…:
cUT 5 (11) “through saliva”
He says know the symptoms, such as headache, fever, fatigue, and jaw swelling just below your ear.

A Washington Parish man is behind bars after police say he shot and killed five abandoned puppies in February. Chief Deputy Mike Haley with the Sheriff’s Office says a concerned citizen contacted the Humane Society after seeing the abandoned puppies on the side of the road:
Cut 9 (10) “they were dead”
25-year-old Shawn Glen Jones of Angie faces animal cruelty charges.

The major criticism with the House Republicans plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system is that fewer people will be insured as they are now under the Affordable Care Act. But Senator John Kennedy says that’s because the GOP’s plan repeals the individual and employer mandates. He says residents will decide whether they want insurance or not…
cut 8 (08) “….American way”

The State Department of Health predicts the mumps outbreak in Louisiana will get worse. Medical director of the state Immunization Program Dr. Frank Welch says the viral infection has a long incubation period so it could be a few weeks before cases are report. He says it’s a good idea to know the symptoms…:
cut 4 (08) “both sides”
So far, LDH has confirmed 12 cases.

A man in Washington Parish is facing animal cruelty charges for allegedly shooting and killing 5 puppies. Deputy Mike Haley with the Sheriff’s Office 25-year-old Shawn Glen Jones of Angie initially denied being involved in the February incident, but then the truth came out…:
CUT 10 (09) “at the location”
Jones is booked on five counts of cruelty to animals, and he’s being held in the Washington Parish Jail on a $15,000 bond.

The St. Landry Sheriff’s office announces three teenagers have been arrested for the hanging of a noose on the campus of Westminster Christian Academy. Major Eddie Thibodaux says one of the juveniled involved performed well in school, but made a very bad decision…
cut 14 (10) “….his life”
The school says all three students are no longer enrolled at Westminster.

Proposed changes to the state’s criminal justice system have been sent to the governor and now the work begins to get the legislature to support the plan, which supporters say would save the state 151-million dollars over the next 10 years. New Orleans Representative Walt Leger is a member of the task force that came up with the proposals…
cut 4 (10) “…across the board”
Some of the reforms that will be discussed include new sentencing guidelines and expanding probation and parole eligibilty.

Jury selection is complete in the murder trial of Derrick Stafford. Stafford, who was working as a Marksville deputy marshal, is accused of killing a six-year-old boy during a police chase in 2015. The attorneys on both sides selected two alternates today and opening arguments begin Monday.

A Tulane stufy finds cancer patients are more receptive to palliative (pay-lee-ay-tive) care once they know more about it. Researcher Michael Hoerger says there’s a resistance to this kind of care, because some patients confuse it for hospice…
cut 11 (11) “….two months longer”

The Greater Ouachita Water Company is looking for a buyer and Ouachita Parish Police Jury President Scotty Robinson says this is good news for the 25-thousand customers who have been dealing with discolored water and billing errors for year from G-O-W-C. Robinson on why the water has been bad…
cut 8 (12) “….slimy stuff”
Robinson says the police jury will have a say in the buyer.

A group ommissioned by Governor Edwards has released its recommendations to reduce Louisiana’s highest-in-the-world incarceration rate. Department of Corrections Secretary James Leblanc says they are presenting 26 ideas borrowed from other states that reflect compromise and innovation…:
Cut 10 (11) “other states”
The proposals will be debated by lawmakers in the upcoming regular session.

Catholics who abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent get a pass on St. Patrick’s Day, sort of. Father Frank Coens of St. Paschal Catholic Church in West Monroe says the St. Paty’s Day exception dates back to an old Irish tradition..:
Cut 13 (09) “Irish family”
He recommends that if Catholics do eat meat tomorrow, make a point to make some type of other Lenten personal sacrifice.

A new record has been set in the Pelican State for seat belt usage. Based on a study from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, 88-percent of drivers and passengers are buckled up, which is up two-percent from the previous year. The commission’s executive director is Doctor Katara Williams …:
Cut 6 (07) “seat belt”
Usage rates were up in each region of the state, except for the Alexandria and Monroe areas.

A Walker police sergeant has been suspended for three days without pay after hanging a noose in the department’s squad room. Walker Police Capt. John Sharp said it was a piece of twine that had a cookie tied to it. He says there’s a law on the books that prohibits the display of a noose in public to intimidate a person or persons…:
Cut 5 (12) “squad room”