State Police announced today that Louisiana is the first state that will equip all state troopers with body cameras. Don Molino has more…
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Governor John Bel Edwards calls 2016 a challenging year. Edwards says he entered office and immediately addressed an unprecedented budget deficit by making cuts and raising revenues through tax increases…:
Cut 9 (09) “myself in”
He say the most difficult day was July 17th, that’s when three police officers were killed in Baton Rouge.

Louisiana wildlife and fisheries secretary Charlie Melancon tells the Associated Press that he’s resigning immediately, because people in the office are making it difficult for him to implement reforms to improve the department’s finances. After clashing with recreational fishermen and employees with L-D-W-F, it was announced that Melancon would leave in February, but he’s decided to step down now.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirms the first sighting of a wild cougar in the state since 2011. It said a trail camera picture sent to the department in November out of Morehouse Parish is authentic. L-D-W-F biologist Maria Davidson says this is unusual as there is no cougar population here:
CUT 6 (10) “thousands of miles”
She says they move so fast that there is little chance the cougar would still be in Northeast Louisiana.

Governor John Bel Edwards met with reporters today outlined his goals for 2017. Edwards says addressing long-term structural budget reform, so that Louisiana has a fair and predictable tax structure is a priority. Edwards says his administration also plans on tackling criminal justice reform…
cut 11 (09) “…saved money”

Louisiana will become the first state to equip all State Troopers with body cameras. State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says they hope all troopers in the state will have body cameras before this summer. He says they plan to start rolling out the first round of body cams after the holidays.
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Existing dollars in L-S-P’s budget will pay for it.

State wildlife biologists have determined that a picture of a four-legged animal taken in Morehouse Parish is that of a cougar. It’s the first time the state has been able to verify a cougar sighting since 2011. Maria Davidson says cougars are known to travel hundreds of miles, so it’s likely the animal is no longer in Louisiana, but they encourage the public to report any physical evidence of cougar sightings…
cut 8 (09) “…orginated from”

Louisiana women earned about 76% of what their male counterparts earned from 2014-2015, according to the Us Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tulane business professor Dr. Mark Rosa says almost no one would argue that women and men should be paid the same, but there are a lot of labor intensive jobs in Louisiana..:
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Governor John Bel Edwards met with reporters today to talk about the challenges and successes of 2016. Edwards says his most difficult day in office came on July 17th when a gunman shot six Baton Rouge law enforcement officers, killing three of them. He says the two historic floods were also challenging…
cut 10 (12) “…13 individuals”

Governor Edwards has fought for Equal Pay during his time in office and there’s a new report that shows women earn on average 76-percent of the salary men make in Louisiana. Tulane Business Professor Mark Rosa says business owners agree with the concept of equal pay for equal work, but it’s hard to make it a reality when job duties are diffferent…
cut 5 (07) “…to pay”

State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson announces that troopers will begin wearing body cameras next year. Edmonson says law enforcement around the state are changing their training methods to better prepare officers for the field, and the footage from these cameras will help improve their methods. He says from a training perspective, this is a homerun….
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The cameras will be paid for through the existing State Police budget at a cost of five-point-three million dollars over five years.

A Mississippi man has been charged with arson for starting a fire that caused damage to the ULM waterski house. Campus surveillance captured video footage and authorities have determined that 36-year-old Michael Daquilla of Centerville allegedly set fire to the building. Daquilla has no known connections to ULM.

Governor John Bel Edwards holds a press conference today to review the challenges and successes the state has seen in 2016. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says based on his latest Southern Media and Opinion Research survey, Edwards approval rating is at 64-percent. But Pinsonat says the governor faces a number of challenges in 2017, which will impact his popularity going forward….
cut 9 (08) “….houses fixed”
Edwards had a meeting with Senator-elect John Kennedy and US Representatives-elect Mike Johnson and Clay Higgins to discuss flood recovery efforts and asked them to push the Housing and Urban Development Department to approve rules on how the state can spend the second installment of federal recovery dollars.

A student at Northshore High School in Slidell has died after a car he was riding in ended up submerged in water in the Salt Bayou area. He’s been identified as Tyler Levy.

The latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics finds women earn on average 76-percent of the salary men make in Louisiana. Tulane business professor Dr. Mark Rosa says typically, women spend more time caring for families, and being out of the office could affect earnings, especially in commissioned jobs.
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In Louisiana, there’s been a push for several years to pass an Equal Pay Bill requiring companies to pay women the same salary as men for equal work.

The Southern Rail Commission has provided cash to Baton Rouge and a couple of other cities to help develop a passenger rail service that connects Baton Rouge with New Orleans. John Spain is with the commission and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, he says there’s also talk of passenger trail service between New Orleans and Orlando….
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The ACLU of Louisiana is suing the City of Slidell to block an ordinance that requires panhandlers to have a permit. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says Slidell residents have a constitutional right to ask for money, without being forced to get a free permit…:
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Slidell has yet to enforce the ordinance, which was passed in October. A spokesperson says they are waiting for the newly elected police chief and mayor to decide how to proceed.

Governor John Bel Edwards met with Senator-elect John Kennedy, along with Congressmen-elect Mike Johnson and Clay Higgins to discuss flood recovery efforts. Edwards says he’s asked the entire Louisiana Congressional delegation to press the Housing and Urban Development department to publish guidelines on how the second round of federal dollars can be used by the state.

Nearly $277 million in cuts go into effect today across state agencies. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says they were glad that this round higher ed was spared a dramatic cut…:
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The full budget picture will be known when the Revenue Estimating Conference meets again next month.

A man from Walker is facing attempted murder charges after he allegedly shot several times at a man in a road rage incident. Walker Police Captain John Sharp says 35-year-old Johnny Franz shot at 31-year-old Bradley Deville’s vehicle. He says cops noticed bullet holes in Franz’ vehicle after both men were pulled over..:
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Deville faces several charges including attempted 2nd degree murder, illegal use of a firearm, and possession of an open container.

State agencies are implementing budget cuts for the current fiscal year today. It’s to the tune of about $277 million dollars, according to Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne. But he says another round of cuts might be necessary and we’ll find out more when the Revenue Estimating Conference meets on January 17th…:
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The Department of Health is taking the biggest hit this round, but these are across the board reductions that also hit State Police and Higher Ed.

The state’s revenues will likely get a boost with the news that Amazon will begin collecting state and local sales taxes on purchases made by Louisiana consumers, starting January 1st. State Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson hopes other online retailiers follow Amazon’s new policy. It’s a state law that taxes must be paid on internet purchases, but it’s up to the consumer to self report.

The ACLU of Louisiana is suing the City of Slidell because of an ordinance that requires a permit to panhandle. Halen Doughty has more..:
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A Livingston Parish man is charged with attempted murder following a road rage incident. Walker Police Captain John Sharp says 35-year-old Johnny Franz and 31-year-old Bradley Deville got into a heated exchange over tailgating. He says the two stopped and Franz invited Deville to get out of his car…:
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Sharp says in addition to attempted murder, Deville is charged with illegal use of a firearm, and possession of an open container.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of three panhandlers in Slidell, over an ordinance that requires them to get a permit in order to beg for money on city streets. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says the city of Slidell’s requirement violates the panhandlers First Amendment Rights….
cut 12 (11) “…this country”
Slidell city attorney Brian Haggerty says they have no comment on the lawsuit.

Beginning January 1, Amazon will collect sales taxes on purchases made by Louisiana residents. State department of revenue spokesperson Byron Henderson says both state and local sales taxes will be added to purchase totals…:
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State department make cuts to their respective agencies today as $277 million dollars has been carved from the state’s operating budget. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says these cuts are being made through attrition – by not hiring people to fill vacant positions…:
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Dardenne says more cuts this fiscal year are likely and we should know more when the Revenue Estimating Conference meets again in January.

A Walker man has been charged with attempted second-degree murder as a result of a road rage incident. Walker Police Captain John Sharp says 31-year-old Bradley Deville fired a nine milimeter gun into the side of a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Johnny Franz….
cut 5 (08) “…Mr Franz”
Sharp says Franz tailgaiting Deville sparked an argument between the two men, which ended up leading to shots fired, but no injuries.