The St. Landry Parish town of Sunset is mourning the loss of Police Officer Henry Nelson. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

=================

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture unveils its new mobile pet shelter that can be used in the next Hurricane. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

===================

The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office and Capital Area Human Services are teaming up to raise awareness about the growing heroin and synthetic marijuana problem in the area. Coroner Dr. Beau Clark says his office has already seen 24 heroin overdose deaths so far this year. He says the message of this campaign is clear…

CUT 3 (07)  “last ride”

He says at this rate, East Baton Rouge Parish could surpass the record of 35 heroin overdose deaths recorded in 2013. Clark says it’s not a coincidence that this campaign is being launched at this time of year…

CUT 4 (07)  “of overdoses”

He says they’ve seen an uptick of heroin overdoses in the fall over the past few years. Clark has confirmed three deaths this year directly from synthetic marijuana use, but those are much more difficult to determine with current testing methods. He says the ultimate goal of this campaign is to save lives…

CUT 5 (08) “synthetic marijuana”

============================

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture says its new mobile pet shelter is ready for use. Commissioner Mike Strain says the tractor trailer can be used to evacuate up 55 domesticated animals in the event of an emergency.

CUT 6 (11)  “and ramps”

Before the mobile shelter, they were loading pets into 18-wheelers to transport them during natural disasters which was very difficult and not as safe. He says if a natural disaster strikes and you can’t take your pet with you, when you come to an evacuation point, L-D-A-F will provide safe transportation to a mega pet shelter….

CUT 7 (10)  “and others”

Strain says 40-thousand of the 80-thousand dollars needed to complete the project was donated by veterinary foundations. He says they want to ensure all animals are safe and well taken care of in the event of an emergency.

CUT 8 (11)  “during emergencies”

============================

The St. Landry Parish town of Sunset is mourning the loss of Police Officer Henry Nelson. 35-year-old Harrison Lee Riley is accused of shooting and killing Nelson in the line of duty Wednesday while responding to a domestic disturbance. Sunset Mayor Charles James says the town will get past this tragedy…

CUT 9 (09)  “not explainable”

Riley is also accused of stabbing three women in the incident, killing 40-year-old Shameka Johnson. James says this incident has really shaken the town of approximately 3,000 residents…

cut 10 (09)  “knows everyone”

Riley faces charges of first degree murder of a police officer, first degree murder, and attempted first degree murder. James says he knew Nelson since he was a child and he will be someone who won’t be forgotten…

Cut 11 (06)  “his job well”

============================

10 years ago thousands of people were evacuating out of the New Orleans area as Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on Louisiana; and it was chaos. So in that time how has the state improved efforts to make such a large scale evacuation smoother? Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says they now contract with bus services…:

cut 12 (10)  “evacuations”

At the time Katrina approached, there was no real mechanism in place to get so many citizens safely out of harm’s way — but Mallett says now there is. He says one of the important things they’ve learned in dealing with past contraflow situations, is to work closely with our neighbors:

cut 13 (08)  “contraflow plans”

Mallett says they have also expanded the Motorists Assistance program so that in a mass evacuation situation, there would be more vehicles out on the road to help out motorists who get stranded in travel lanes. He also says they have since added traffic cameras on interstate systems in metropolitan areas…:

cut 14 (08)  “traveling public”

President Obama visits the Crescent City today to honor those lost in Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago and see the progress made. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

For a second time this week a Louisiana police officer has been gunned down while on-duty. Jeff palermo has the details…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Public Service Commission has approved the merger of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana. Michelle Southern has more on what this means for customers…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

President Barack Obama visits New Orleans today and he’ll visit areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago. Between the Obama and Bush administrations, a reported 71 billion dollars in federal money was allocated to assist recovery efforts in the region. U-N-O Political Science professor Ed Chervanek says while the federal money helped, the recovery didn’t accelerate until Mayor Mitch Landrieu got into office.

cut 4  (09)  “to move”

Chervanek says the federal government did supply billions of dollars to the recovery but is also responsible for the damage to New Orleans because of an inadequate flood control system. He says President Obama did the best he could to aid in the rebuilding of the Crescent City.

Cut 5  (11)  “Bush administration”

Chervaneck says Obama wants to make New Orleans a showcase of his administration to separate his administration for Bush’s. He is surprised former President George W. Bush is coming on Friday and says he would’ve thought Bush would stay away.

Cut 6 (09)  “after that”

______________________________________

Researchers at the University of Louisiana Lafayette New Iberia Research Center are testing an Ebola vaccine for wild apes. The Research Center says Ebola is one of the leading killers of gorillas and chimpanzees. Division Head of Research Resources at the center Jane Fontenot says the vaccine is similar to a rabies immunization and this testing could benefit future vaccinations in humans and other wildlife.

CUT 7 (09)  “the wild”

Fontenot says there have been other wild ape vaccination programs in the past, but were difficult to complete because they required three different shots over a span of time. But she says now they are testing an oral vaccine in a controlled environment…

Cut 8  (11)  “activity levels” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2014 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa took the lives of about 11-thousand people. The global effort is led by Apes Inc., President Dr. Peter Walsh who says this testing could help pave the way for an oral vaccination for humans….

Cut 9 (12) “in Africa”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Public Service Commission has approved the merger of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana. The single utility company will be called Entergy Louisiana and the consolidation will take effect in October. Entergy Louisiana President Phillip May says they anticipate this will mean up to $140 million in savings to customers…:

Cut 10 (10) “December 1”

May says the merger of the two Entergy units will save customers at least $107 million dollars over nine years, which translates to an 11-dollar savings for the average customer in the first year. He says this larger and more financially strong company will allow them to better obtain capital required to improve systems…:

cut 11 (08) “our customers”

May says the combined company expects to invest more than $5 billion dollars in upgrades over the next four years to boost industrial load growth and meet the demands of our growing economy. He says this means more major business customers will be attracted to the state…:

 Cut 12 (10) “state of Louisiana”

______________________________________

Another Louisiana policeman has been shot dead in the line of duty. Sunset Police officer Henry Nelson was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the suspect, Harrison Lee Wiley Junior of Arnaudville, fatally shot Nelson in the front yard of the home and then stabbed three women he was arguing with

Cut 13 (09)  “Lafayette General Hospital”

The other fatal victim has been identified as 40-year-old Shameka Johnson, who is a sister Grand Coteau Mayor Shaterral Johnson. Guidroz says Officer Nelson was fatally shot in the front yard of the home where the stabbings occurred…..

Cut 14 (07) “the officer”

One of surviving victims is Wiley’s wife, Courteny Jolivette, who was airlifted to a hosptial in Alexandria.  Wiley is in police custody, but not before he barricadded himself inside a nearby convenience store. Guirdoz says they believe Wiley was on some sort of illegal narcotic, but they are not sure what….

Cut 15  (09)  “hurt your”

______________________________________

The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish deviates from the state party in endorsing incumbent Buddy Caldwell in the Attorney General’s race. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29)  “I’m Eric Gill”

=================

A new poll by Triumph Campaigns shows Republican David Vitter and Democrat John Bel Edwards neck and neck in the governor’s race.  Michelle Southern reports…

CUT 2 (29)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

===================

State Police say a high-speed chase that began in Carencro ended in Duson with one trooper injured and four State Police units damaged. Master Trooper Brooks David says Carencro Police asked for assistance with this pursuit around 7:30 this morning. David says the pursuit really became dangerous when the vehicle entered Interstate 10…

CUT 3 (08)  “Police units”

David says speeds exceeded 110 miles per hour with the driver running people off the road and purposely hitting State Police units. He says the suspect vehicle exited the interstate in Duson and when the driver tried to re-enter the roadway, troopers took action…

CUT 4 (07)  “complete stop”

He says the suspect appeared to be highly impaired at the time of his arrest. One trooper received minor injuries in the incident and was treated at a local hospital. David says it’s unclear what started the chase, but the unidentified man is in a lot of trouble…

CUT 5 (09) “Carencro’s jurisdiction”

============================

The Louisiana National Guard, which played a huge role during the Hurricane Katrina response, has dedicated an exhibit to the destructive storm at their Jackson Barracks museum in New Orleans. Captain Heather Englehart says one of the biggest parts of the exhibit is a Huey helicopter used to save thousands trapped on rooftops.

CUT 6 (08)  “during Katrina”

Englehart hopes the exhibit shows the soldiers’ spirit of hope and determination to help during Katrina and the rebuilding efforts that took place. She says the National Guard flew in around 32-thousand guardsmen to Louisiana to rescue those stranded during the flooding.

CUT 7 (11)  “wide spread”

Englehart says the 10^th anniversary exhibit will be open for the next year but they’re working to keep a permanent display in the museum for years to come. She says the Katrina display has interactive stations where visiting survivors can share their memories of Katrina, as well as, large photos and paintings of the destruction and flooding along with other discovered artifacts.

CUT 8 (12)  “as well”

============================

The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish deviates from the state party in endorsing incumbent Buddy Caldwell in this year’s Attorney General’s race. The Republican Party of Louisiana threw their support behind former congressman Jeff Landry. East Baton Rouge GOP chairman Woody Jenkins on the endorsement…

CUT 9 (10)  “he has done”

Jenkins says Caldwell has done an excellent job in standing up for conservative values. He lists the AG’s attempt to block Obamacare and filing suit to lift the President’s moratorium on drilling in the Gulf as a couple of examples. Jenkins says this endorsement is in no way a criticism of Landry…

cut 10 (10)  “be re-elected”

Jenkins says when you have more than one Republican running for a political office a difference of opinion like this could happen. There are three Republicans running for the AG’s office, including Martin Maley. Jenkins says Caldwell’s litigation experience is a real plus…

Cut 11 (09)  “anywhere”

============================

A new poll by Triumph Campaigns shows Republican David Vitter and Democrat John Bel Edwards neck and neck in this year’s governor’s race. The telephone survey of over 2,000 respondents shows Vitter leading with 31-percent of the vote followed by Edwards with 30-percent. Pollster Justin Brasell says they kept this survey focused solely on the governor’s election to get a good look at the race…

cut 12 (10)  “of error down”

Republicans Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle come in with 14-percent and 13-percent respectively. The survey has a margin of error of 2.1-percent. Brasell says the big question is whether Dardenne and Angelle can do enough to shake this race up…

cut 13 (10)  “have to see”

The survey shows that 11-percent of respondents are undecided. Brasell is not sure what kind of impact this will have on October’s election…

cut 14 (10)  “at this point”

============================

State Health Officer, Dr. Jimmy Guidry, is not surprised about the discovery of the brain eating amoeba in three water systems in the state this summer. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

=================

The number of on-duty police officer slayings rises to five in 2015 after this week’s fatal shooting of Trooper Steven Vincent. Emelie Gunn has more on why the number is so high…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

===================

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is accepting applications for the “Wildlife Enforcement Cadet” position until September 9^th. L-D-W-F Spokesperson Adam Einck says they want to bring in new recruits to bolster the ranks they have in the field and the plan to enroll around 24 cadets for training which will begin in December.

CUT 3 (08)  “as well”

Einck says the cadets will train at the L-D-W-F’s training facility at the Waddill Outdoor Education Center in Baton Rouge. He says they’ll be taught boating laws, state and federal wildlife and fisheries laws and other law enforcement training.

CUT 4 (12)  “on land”

Einck says they’re searching for men and women who want to make a difference in wildlife conservation. He says applicants can apply online at the Louisiana Civil Service website.

CUT 5 (11) “website”

============================

This summer the state Department of Health and Hospitals has reported three water systems in the state that tested positive for the brain eating amoeba. State Health Officer, Dr. Jimmy Guidry, is not surprised. He says these discoveries are not likely due to a sudden appearance of the amoeba in water systems…

CUT 6 (10)  “not the case”

Guidry says the public should be aware of the discoveries, but not alarmed. He says improved testing techniques now allow officials to better detect the amoeba. He says this amoeba has probably been in our water systems for years…

CUT 7 (11)  “we did before”

He feels officials are doing something right because there are no widespread infections from the amoeba being reported. Guidry reminds residents that the water in systems where the amoeba has been found is safe to drink, just avoid getting that water up your nose…

CUT 8 (10)  “it up there”

============================

Army officials announce about 1,000 infantrymen from Fort Polk’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Afghanistan next month. Base spokesperson Kimberly Reischling (rye-shling) says the unit will be serving as advisors to the Afghan National Defense Security forces which includes their army and police…:

CUT 9 (08)  “self sustaining”

A ceremony for the soldiers deployment will be held on the base September 3rd. Reischling says Afghanistan is now capable of securing their own country and the focus of this mission will be to advise them how to maintain security over time. She says this mission continues to evolve because the capability of the Afgan security institution keeps growing…:

cut 10 (09)  “over there”

============================

Baton Rouge Police arrested a Kenner man after he allegedly tried to run over two officers with his vehicle. Corporal L’Jean Mckneely says 30-year-old St. Julian Baranco is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder of a police officer. Mckneely says Baranco refused to pull over during a traffic stop and reversed into two police cruisers while trying to flee.

Cut 11 (06)  “torso area”

Mckneely says after being shot, Baranco and the passenger bailed from the car and attempted to escape on foot. He says the officers were able to catch Baranco and he was taken to a local hospital then booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. The passenger is still at large.

cut 12 (07)  “from police”

============================

This week’s fatal shooting of State Trooper Steven Vincent raises the number of on-duty officer killings to five in Louisiana in 2015. There were no on-duty officers fatally shot last year, only one in 2013 and two in 2012. So why the high number this year? Professor at the LSU School of Public Health Peter Scharf says there’s a variety of factors.

cut 13 (11)  “person cars”

Scharf says training needs to be pushed up and officers need a more heightened sense of awareness. He says cop killers are sociopaths and show no remorse for what they’re doing.

cut 14 (11)  “dangerous folks”

Scharf says with the high number of police shootings, hyper vigilance from officers goes up, so it’s up to sheriffs and police executives to calm both officers and citizens down. He says the recent demonizing of police officers is also not helping….

cut 15 (10) “bad ones will” 

============================