Rock and Roll and Louisiana Music Hall of fame musician Percy Sledge died this morning at his home in Baton Rouge. He was 73. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Heavy showers and thunderstorms have been moving through south Louisiana since early this morning and it appears that more rain is on the way. Eric Gill has more…

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Covington Representative Paul Hollis had a pretty rough first day of the legislative session. Hollis was driving his car through a parking lot at the Capitol when the new security system went off and two bollards shot up from the ground through the front of his car. State Police spokesman Lt. JB Slaton says it appears Hollis was following a delivery truck that was exiting the lot…

CUT 3 (07)  “the same time”

Slaton says the investigation is ongoing. He says the new security system is set up to allow one car go through at a time. The bollards are used to prevent the entry of unauthorized vehicles in the State Capitol. Slaton says these bollards are lowered either manually by a guard or by swiping a sensor card…

CUT 4 (10)  “bollards re-engage”

Hollis, who broke his right hand and suffered a concussion in the accident, says he looks forward to working with LSP to educate fellow lawmakers and staff on the new security system. Slaton says this security system appears to be operating properly…

CUT 5 (05)  “exact reason”

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Louisiana Hall of Fame musician Percy Sledge died shortly after midnight Tuesday in Baton Rouge at the age of 73. The coroner confirms Sledge had been battling cancer. Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Director Mike Shepherd says this is a very sad day…:

CUT 6 (08)  “wanna meet”

When a Man Loves a Woman was recorded in 1966 and was an international top 40 hit that 2was certified as gold by the RIAA. Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Shepherd  says they inducted the R&B singer into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and his reaction to the award was memorable…:

CUT 7 (10)  “that’s how he felt”

Sledge was born in Leighton, Alabama and had lived in Baton Rouge since 1966. In a 2013 appearance on the Jim Engster Show, Sledge said he wrote When a Man Loves a Woman and it had been a tune in his head since he was a little boy…:

CUT 8 (16)  “in the world”

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Heavy showers and thunderstorms have been moving through south Louisiana since early this morning. Flash flood watches are in effect for a large portion of south Louisiana through this evening. Donald Jones, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says even more rain is expected to roll in from the Gulf…

CUT 9 (09)  “this morning”

Jones says morning rains have produced minor flash flooding in some areas. He says rain has been falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour. Jones says what’s making matters worse is that these are slow moving storms…

cut 10 (09) “some flash flooding”

Jones says there should be a break from the rain this evening, but it’s only temporary… (Flash Flood Warnings are in effect for portions of south Louisiana until 2:45PM)

cut 11 (09)  “end of the week”

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There’s uncertainty surrounding state Representative Mike Johnson’s religious freedom bill. 775 bills were introduced to the House on Monday and Johnson’s legislation was the only one not assigned to a committee for a hearing. Jeremy Alford, with Lapolitics-dot-com, says lawmakers are not eager to debate the rights of businesses when it comes to same sex marriage

cut 12 (10)  “with it”

Governor Bobby Jindal supports Johnson’s bill. He says the legislation doesn’t promote discrimination, but it protects a business or person from receiving adverse treatment from the state based on their religious beliefs concerning marriage…

cut 13 (12)  “about marriage”

The House Democratic Caucus has yet to take a stand on Johnson’s bill. State representative John Bel Edwards says as of right now the legislation is vaguely written….

cut 14 (08) “interracial marriage”

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A State Trooper and a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. Eric Gill reports…

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As the legislative session begins, education is always a big topic, and one lawmaker wants to make sure there are enough quality substitute teachers. Michelle Southern reports…:

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A State Trooper and a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy have been arrested on racketeering charges in a case where they allegedly planted drugs on an individual. State Troper Corey Jackson and Lafayette Deputy Jason Kinch were arrested in the alleged scheme. Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Art LeBreton (le-breh-ton) says more people were involved…

CUT 3 (10)  “Metro Narcotics”

He says four people were involved in the placement of illegal drugs under the vehicle of Bryan Knight. Few details of the scheme are available, but LeBreton says it involved over $100,000 in cash payments to a number of people including Jackson and Kinch. They both have been placed on administrative leave. LeBreton says an anonymous tip lead to a traffic stop of Knight…

CUT 4 (08)  “to happen”

He says the traffic stop lead to the unlawful arrest of Knight. The drug charges against Bryan Knight were dismissed in court. Arrest warrants have been issued for the two other co-conspirators, Russell Manual and Mark Knight, Bryan’s brother. LeBreton says the motive appears to be financial. He says it’s very disappointing to have law enforcement officers involved in a scheme like this…

CUT 5 (08)  “serious fashion”

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Louisiana is facing the prospect of a lot of rain this week. State Climatologist Barry Keim says rain chances across the state are 80-percent or higher for every day of the work week…

CUT 6 (12)  “of rain”

Keim says you can expect waves of gulf moisture to produce downpours over a one or two hour period

CUT 7 (11)  “get some breaks”

Keim says the national weather service has issued a flash flood watch is in effect until Tuesday night for portions of southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Houma and Hammond

CUT 8 (08)  “about it”

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As the legislative session begins, education is always a big topic, and one lawmaker wants to make sure there are enough quality substitute teachers. Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas says his bill would enable retired teachers to spend more time in the classrooms without their pension being affected. He says under present law, retired teachers are only allowed to work up to 25% of their retirement checks…:

CUT 9 (09)  “their retirement”

LeBas says HB 43 would raise the salary cap to 50 percent of benefits. He says the whole idea is to offer our students the best possible education…:

cut 10 (08) “in the classrooms”

LeBas says school systems are having major problems finding qualified teachers to work as substitutes, especially when a regular teacher is taking extended medical or maternity leave…:

cut 11 (10)  “and the schools need em”

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Governor Bobby Jindal laid out three priorities for this year’s legislative session in a speech he delivered to both houses of the Louisiana legislature. Jindal says the first priority is to balance the state’s budget without increasing taxes…

cut 12 (10)  “doesn’t raise taxes”

Jindal says when government takes more money out of people’s hands the economy lags, job growth lags, and it puts families in a tight spot. Jindal says priority number two is education reform and that means removing Common Core from Louisiana…

cut 13 (10)  “and every state”

The governor says he would take teachers and parents dictating the state’s education standards over the federal government. Thirdly, Jindal says he would fight for the passage of a religious freedom bill filed by Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson. Jindal believes that Louisiana endorses religious freedom…

cut 14 (09) “items simultaneously”

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How involved will Governor Bobby Jindal be in this legislative session as lawmakers grapple with a $1.6 billion budget deficit? Eric Gill reports…

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One of the bills set to be discussed during the 2015 legislative session would raise the base pay for severs from $2.13 per hour to at least minimum wage. Michelle Southern reports…:

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State lawmakers convene in Baton Rouge today with a one-point-six billion dollar budget shortfall hanging over their heads. Scott Carwile has the story…

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Governor Bobby Jindal will provide the opening address as the legislative session gets underway today. The question is how involved will the governor be as lawmakers grapple with a $1.6 billion budget deficit? Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says it’s important for Jindal to be active this session…

cut 4  (07)  “pay a price” 3x

Pinsonat says Jindal doesn’t have to be at the capital every day during the session, but he does need to pay attention to what’s happening. He says it’s not about the amount of time the governor spends there…

Cut 5  (09)  “his national image”

Pinsonat says very few governors are around the capitol a lot during the session. He doesn’t think the legislative session will stop Jindal from traveling outside the state pursuing his presidential hopes. However, Pinsonat says you can’t run for president when the state you’re supposed to be running is a disaster…

Cut 6 (09)  “national ambitions”

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Even though the massive budget deficit will by far be the biggest issue lawmakers will be dealing with this session, there are still many other issues on the agenda as well. LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford says Common Core will be one of the major items that will distract from the budget…:

CUT 7 (06)  “volatile issue”

Alford says even with the budget issues and the complicated tax situations on the table, lawmakers will still find time to touch that third rail of Louisiana politics…:

Cut 8  (07)  “in the classroom” 

Alford says with re-election just around the corner, it will be interesting to see if lawmakers even want to get involved in some of the hot button bills…:

Cut 9 (07)  “get a hearing at all”

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One of the bills set to be discussed during the 2015 legislative session would raise the base pay for severs from $2.13 per hour to at least minimum wage. Monroe Representative Marcus Hunter says whether you get good tips or not, $2.13 an hour is deplorable pay for any worker…:

Cut 10 (08) “$7.25 an hour”

Hunter says even though people argue that servers make at least minimum wage when you count their tips, it shouldn’t be assumed that they will achieve that. He says they want to get the conversation started between employers and employees…:

cut 11 (06) “$16 a day”

Hunter says he doesn’t want to continue to see hard working people who are committed to serving their businesses go home with less than minimum wage. He says that’s what HB 677 aims to correct..:

cut 12 (06)   “are paid fairly”

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What is expected to be a very difficult legislative session begins today in Baton Rouge. Lawmakers will have until June 11th to approve a spending plan that takes into account a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall. Senate President John Alario says legislators are looking at ways to generate more state revenue

Cut 13 (11)  “those things”

Alario says reforming the state’s film tax credit program is one of the priorities, as a recent study paid for by the department of economic development found that the state is only getting 23-cents back for every dollar spent on tax credits

Cut 14 (09) “on the expenditure”

There are several bills that seek to increase the tax on tobacco products, but for the governor to approve them, there has to be a tax cut somewhere else to offset new revenue. Alario says it will take several weeks before lawmakers can agree on a plan

Cut 15  (10)  “those solutions”

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The fourth ranked LSU baseball took two of three from Auburn this past weekend. The Tigers lost for just the sixth time all season on Saturday, but rebounded with a six-to-two win on Sunday to avoid their first two-game losing streak of the season. Coach Paul Mainieri on bouncing back from a loss on Saturday…

Cut 16  (16)  “certainly did”

LSU scored all of its runs on Sunday in the first three innings, as Chris Sciambra and Mark Laird each had two hits. That was enough offense for starting pitcher Zac Person (Peer-son) and two relievers. Person made his first start of the season and Coach Paul Mainieri made that decision on Sunday morning…

Cut 17 (16)  “good start”

Parker Bugg and Jesse Stallings each gave up a run in relief, but Person picked up the win by throwing three shutout innings. He says he got some good advice from pitching coach Alan Dunn

Cut 18 (10) ” went about it’

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State Police graduated 58 brand new troopers Friday from Cadet Class #93. Michelle Southern reports…:

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At a gathering of about 600 Christian conservatives in Iowa Thursday, the largest applause of the night went to Governor Bobby Jindal. Jeff Palermo has more…

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State Police graduated 58 brand new troopers Friday from Cadet Class #93. Sergent Nick Manale says these aspiring troopers began the rigorous Louisiana State Police Training Academy on November 30th last year…:

CUT 3 (11)  “training course”

Manale says the cadets have trained in crash investigations, emergency vehicle operations, impaired driving detection, traffic incident management and leadership. He says graduation day is about celebrating the hard work of the cadets and of course the pinning of the golden Louisiana badge…:

CUT 4 (08)  “state police”

Manale says now these 58 cadets become troopers and begin their careers of dedication, protection and service to the citizens of Louisiana. He says this addition puts the number of troopers at about 1000 statewide. The 19 week long academy also includes leadership instruction…:

CUT 5 (11)  “tradition of”

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Saturday marks the 29th annual Franklin Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro. The festival has grown into the largest one-day festival in the state. Festival board member Leslie Young says the festival offers something for everyone…

CUT 6 (10)  “huge party”

This year’s festival features three music stages headlined by 2015 Grammy Award winner Jo-El Sonnier. There will be four fish frying booths that will serve over two tons of fresh pond-raised catfish. Young says if you like arts and crafts, the Catfish Festival is where you need to be…

CUT 7 (09)  “something to buy”

Admission to the festival is just $5 and gates open at 8AM. Other festival highlights include a free day-long video game arcade, live princess performances, and a number of “walk around” acts. Young says there will also be a huge antique car show…

CUT 8 (04)  “these automobiles”

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At a gathering of about 600 Christian conservatives in Iowa Thursday, the largest applause of the night went to Governor Bobby Jindal. Three other Republican presidential hopefuls, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum, also spoke at the event. Jennifer Jacobs with the Des Moines Register says it was obvious Jindal hit a home run…

CUT 9 (10)  “after his speech”

Jacobs says Jindal’s speech really struck a chord with the audience. She says one effective segment of the governor’s talk was when he spoke of the qualities he’d like to see in a president…

cut 10 (10) “started applauding”

Jindal is expected to announce his candidacy for president after the legislative session concludes in June. Jacobs thinks this certainly helps the governor’s presidential aspirations, but doesn’t see it as a turning point…

cut 11 (10)  “a big jolt”

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It’s a big weekend of outdoor activities, but revelers in south Louisiana will likely have to deal with multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms. Danielle Manning with the National Weather Service in Slidell says the grounds along the coastal parishes will be wet in the coming days…:

cut 12 (11)  “3-4 inch range”

Manning says the good news is that the front passed through north Louisiana so they’ll dry out for the weekend festivities. She says the rain in the south should come in multiple rounds with breaks between the storms…:

cut 13 (10)  “kind of thing”

Manning says if you’re headed to one of the many festivals going on this weekend in south Louisiana, it might be a good idea to bring umbrellas, ponchos and rain boots. She says the likely chance for rain and storms remain in the forecast both Saturday and Sunday…:

cut 14 (06) “the good news”

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