Governor John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency after severe weather caused two deaths and left a wake of destruction. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The bids to produce medical marijuana are in with the LSU Ag Center, but how much longer do patients have to wait? Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Severe weather across the state resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries, as well as road closures and downed power lines in all corners of Louisiana. Maj. Ginny Higgins with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office says two people were killed when an EF1 tornado touched down in a rural area of the parish.

Cut 3 (09) “flipped over”

The victims have been identified at 38-year-old Francine Gotch and 3-year-old Neveah Alexander. Higgins says the woman’s other child, a little boy, left the trailer home to go next door just moments before the tragedy.

Cut 4  (09) “a home”

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Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb says his parish sustained major damage, resulting in one injury. He says trees were uprooted or snapped in half, roofs were blown off buildings, and some structures even shifted in the heavy winds. He says limbs ripped from trees and flying debris downed power lines and injured one person.

Cut 5  (10)  “hospital there”

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Vernon Parish wasn’t spared from the storm’s destruction. Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Kenneth Moore says more than 30 parish roads were closed, and several homes took on water. He says three people had to be rescued by sheriff’s deputies.

Cut 6 (10) “life jackets”

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LaSalle Sheriff Scott Franklin says there was extensive damage throughout the parish as the storm moved from Rapides to Catahoula Parish, leaving a wake of destruction. He says volunteers and parish officials are working to open roads and restore power.

Cut 7 (09)  “work effort”

A suspected tornado caused of much of the wreckage. Franklin says the area of Fellowship, south of Jena, saw extensive damage from the storm.

Cut 8 (08) “houses and cars”

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Rapides Parish was also hit by a suspected tornado along the Highway 165 corridor. Capt. Tommy Carnline with the Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported, but they worked 30 weather related calls between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

Cut 9 (10)  “high water”

Carnline says deputies are working to clear roadways, and Cleco has people on the ground repairing power lines. He says everyone is thankful no one was hurt.

Cut 10 (08) “that’s for sure”

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There are two bills filed for the upcoming legislative regular session that seek to raise the minimum GPA for high school students to receieve the TOPS scholarship. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is currently required and the proposed legislation raises the requirement to 3.0. Minden Representative Gene Reynolds is the author of the one of the bills

Cut 11 (04) “3.0”

There are currently 50-thousand students who receive the TOPS scholarship. But this year for the first time, the state was able to fully fund the program. So legislators are looking at ways to make TOPS more cost effective. Reynolds says raising the standards on receiving the scholarship is a good place to start…

Cut 12 (04) “more dedication”

Reynolds bill also would give TOPS students the opportunity to leave college or postpone entering college for a year or two, possibly for a job, and then receive the scholarship once that person makes the decision to go back to college. He’s hopeful his legislation will pass…

Cut 13 (04) “how it goes”

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Now that the bids are in with the LSU Ag Center to produce medical marijuana in Louisiana that would one day be used for patients who suffer from specific diseases, many are wondering how much longer they’ll have to wait. New Iberia Senator Fred Mills, who was instrumental in creating the medical marijuana law, gives his best guess on a timeline…:

Cut 14 (09) “that’s done”

LSU is expected to select a contractor by June, who will pay for the production costs. The facility will be located off campus and the first crop should be ready by the end of 2017. Mills says patients have to know that they are working to make a pharmaceutical grade product that’s consistently delivered. He says they can’t get this wrong…:

Cut 15 (10) “we’re being cautious”

The estimated cost to cultivate the drug it its raw form is 10-million dollars. Mills says he knows this process is going a little slower than some people had hoped, but it could be much worse…:

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A state lawmaker wants the public to decide whether speed enforcement cameras should be legal. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The rising popularity of essential oils for massaging, air fresheners and medicinal purposes is posing a greater risk to children. Emelie Gunn has more on why…

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You can now donate household items to flood victims through the new online donation campaign CrowdRelief. Jeff Palermo has more…

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Speed enforcement cameras would be taken down around the state, under a proposal to be discussed in the regular session. Covington Representative Paul Hollis says these cameras deny people their constitutional right to confront their accuser. He says he’s uncomfortable turning the duties of police over to robots and cameras.

Cut 4  (11) “your mailbox”

Hollis says only a few cities in the state even allow these devices, which means a majority of municipalities have decided against these money grabs. But he says Louisianans are travelers, so many will be subject to tickets if they pass through a city that uses the cameras.

Cut 5  (09)  “the constitution”

Hollis says many times drivers aren’t even aware the cameras are there, they just get a ticket in the mail. The proposed constitutional amendment will need a two-thirds vote approval by the legislature and then go on the ballot for the public to decide. He’s confident that if given the chance, voters will reject using speed enforcement cameras.

Cut 6 (08) “uncomfortable”

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The popularity of essential oils are on the rise for massages and air fresheners, but they also poses a greater risk to children. Louisiana Poison Center Managing Director Dr. Mark Ryan says more and more children are accidentally ingesting these oils which can lead to seizures or liver damage. He says it’s easy for kids to get into air fresheners.

Cut 7 (11)  “their mouth”

Poison control centers saw an uptick in calls reporting children ingesting essential oils. Ryan says the majority of cases reported were very minor. He reminds parents to be mindful of where they place these oils.

Cut 8 (06) “and away”

Ryan advises parents to call the poison control system if they suspect their child has gotten into essential oils. He says the symptoms of ingestion of many oils are the same…

Cut 9 (10)  “nasty outcome”

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The online donation campaign CrowdRelief is working to replace items families lost in the floods. Founder Rob Gaudet says all the household items that were piled up on the side of the road after the flood need to be replaced. He says flood victims can fill out a survey online, and then a CrowdRelief volunteer will meet with them to hear their story and take pictures of their rebuilding.

Cut 10 (09) “their help”

Once approved, the site lists specific items that flood victims need replaced next to the story of the family seeking help. Gaudet says donors can visit the site and find a family they connect with. He says they can then donate specific items they need.

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Gaudet says over 120 flood victims have already completed the initial surveys, and they’ve raised over $1,500 for the first two families who are on the website. He says the call center based in Lafayette, and the whole organization, is operated by volunteers. He says the campaign is changing the lives of both flood victims and volunteers.

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To donate or apply for assistance, visit CrowdRelief.net.

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A measure in the Governor’s proposed criminal justice package for the regular session seeks to improve police training. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James authors a bill that strengthens requirements for the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST. James says this bill requires all officers to complete 400 hours of this training, with an additional 20 hours annually.

Cut 13 (10) “developmental disabilities”

James says after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling last summer, lawmakers have worked with police to discuss how everyone can do better. He says this is all about making sure police officers go home, and the people they encounter go home, which is why de-escalation tactics are a key part of the training.

Cut 14 (09) “last year”

James is optimistic this modernized training can help ease tensions and build trust between law enforcement and the public. He says there’s also a provision to revoke an officer’s training certification after certain disciplinary actions. He says this will prevent those officers from moving to other agencies.

Cut 15 (08) “certain agencies”

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A cruel April Fool’s joke was played on the LSU baseball team on Saturday. Up 3-0 in the 9th inning,  pitcher Caleb Gilbert and the Tigers gave up 4 runs and ended up losing to Texas A&M 4-3 and lose the series to the Aggies. Coach Paul Mainieri says the defeat was a hard punch to the stomach…

Cut 16 (11) “good team”

Mainieri on what he told the team after the loss…

Cut 17 (13)  “can do”

The loss drops LSU’s record to 5-4 in the SEC. Senior shortstop Kramer Robertson described the loss as shocking…

Cut 18 (19)      hurts a lot“