###Affiliates cuts 2 and 7 through 10 have been reworked as a result of some late action by the legislature####

The State Department of Agriculture and Forestry says the national egg shortage has caused the price to nearly double over the past couple of months. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

A House committee votes against a key piece of legislation, called the SAVE tax credit. Scott Carwile explains why its so important to the budget negotiations….

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

______________________________________

Legislation that would ease pot possession penalties in Louisiana is just a step away from Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk for his signature. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

The State Department of Agriculture and Forestry says the national egg shortage has caused the price to nearly double over the past couple of months. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says an avian flu virus came into America from Asian migratory birds and we’ve lost about 44 million birds so far…:

cut 4  (08)  “hens that lay eggs”

Strain says many suppliers have had to go up on their egg prices, but officials are taking steps to get the situation under control. He says they are trying to develop a vaccine for this type of influenza…:

Cut 5  (11)  “commercial flocks”

Strain says the price of shell eggs at the grocery store has gone from about $1.19 in late April to about $2.03 today as a national average. He believes these higher prices will stick around for about the next 6 months, but we’re not going to run out of eggs…:

Cut 6 (09)  “they’re serving breakfast”

______________________________________

State Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield says there’s a greater possibility Governor Jindal will veto the budget, if  a tax credit for higher education is NOT approved by the legislature. Barfield says the legislation is needed to offset the revenue generating tax bills already approved by the House. He says without the legislation, cuts to higher ed may be needed to balance the budget…

CUT 7 (09)  “from here”

The SAVE tax credit failed on a 10-9 vote in the House Ways and Means Committee. But the legislation was revived, when it was added to three different bills approved by Senate Finance committee.  Chairman Joel Robideaux explained why some lawmakers are uncomfortable with the tax credit…

Cut 8  (09)  “that he signed” 

Governor Jindal signed a pledge with Americans for Tax Reform to not raise taxes and has said he will veto a budget that is not revenue neutral. Barfield says this is an important piece of the puzzle to be able to get to a budget the governor would sign…

Cut 9 (08)  “out there”

Robideaux says lawmakers are not looking forward to a possible veto override…

Cut 10 (09) “I don’t know”

______________________________________

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office says they’ve made nine arrests of people they believe are involved in a very complex residential burglary case targeting firearms and electronics. Lt. Tommy Carnline says they’ve been investigating several daytime residential burglaries since mid April. He says it all came together this week and they were able to make the nine arrests on various ranging charges…:

cut 11 (10) “of this case”

Carnline says the suspects were all connected in a stolen item for drugs scheme…:

cut 12 (09)   “narcotics”

Carnline says every time they would arrest one person or conduct a search warrant during this investigation, it would lead them to another possible suspect. He says they were able to recover almost all of the stolen firearms in this case. Carnline says it’s a shame that these suspects took advantage of people who were working during the day..:

Cut 13 (12)  “in this case”

______________________________________

State Police say a deputy with the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is under arrest after being found with a large amount of marijuana in his vehicle. Sgt. James Anderson says, on I-10 in Sulphur, troopers stopped a truck driven by 28-year-old Derek Nothnagel of Lake Charles for a traffic violation…:

Cut 14 (10) “inside the vehicle”

Anderson says investigators searched the truck and ended up finding about 18 pounds of marijuana in a duffle bag. He says Nothnagel faces numerous charges…:(Nothnagel was fired from his job as a deputy.)

Cut 15  (08)  “inspection decal”

Anderson says Nothnagel was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center and bond was set at $27,300. He says this case is extremely disappointing…:

Cut 16  (07)  “or not”

______________________________________

LSU’s Alex Lange, who was named Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, will be the Tigers starting pitcher in Game One of the Super Regional Series against the Ragin Cajuns. Lange was oustanding in the regionals last weekend, throwing a complete game shutout and striking out 12. Lange knows the excitement level on Saturday will be through the roof….

Cut 17 (13) ” this weekend” 

The LSU and U-L Lafayette rivalry is heated among the fan base, especially in the Acadiana area, where Tiger and Cajun fans live and work together. Coach Paul Mainieri says he has all the respect for UL Lafayette and its coaching staff

Cut 18 (18) “really well”‘

LSU is a national two seed in the NCAA Tournament, while the Ragin Cajuns were a three-seed in the Houston Regional. Mainieri says seeds don’t mean anything at this point, and they learned that lesson when Stony Brook, a fourth-seed, beat the Tigers in the Super Regionals in 2012…

Cut 19 (19)  “meet that”

The Vermilion Parish city of Kaplan is buzzing as an HBO film crew is shooting for a new series there. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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

Leaders for public universities and colleges are urging legislators to approve legislation called the “Save Fund.” Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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

The Vermilion Parish city of Kaplan is buzzing as an HBO film crew is shooting for a new series there. Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission Director, Allison Miller, says the series is called “Quarry”…

CUT 3 (10)  “much more”

Miller says the shoot is expected to last about a week and the series will air on Cinemax sometime next year. She believes the shoot will cover one episode of the series, but says the crew is giving out very few details. Miller says the series is set in the ’70s and, apparently, a local motel made the cut…

CUT 4 (06)  “looking for”

She says “Quarry” is the biggest film news to hit the area since a remake of “The Blob” was shot in Abbeville in 1988. Miller is hopeful that once the series is aired, it will spark a boost in tourism of people who want to see where the show was shot. She says the film shoot brings a nice boost to the local economy…

CUT 5 (08)  “they’re here”

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

Public university leaders are pushing the state legislature to approve a higher education tax credit that’s having trouble getting support in the Louisiana House. University of Louisiana system President Sandra Woodley says the legislation is needed to prevent deep cuts to four and two year colleges…

CUT 6 (10)  “higher education”

The legislation, which has been called the SAVE fund, is facing push back from House members. They say its a complicated and only offered, so Governor Jindal doesn’t break his Americans for Tax Reform no-new-taxes pledge. Board of Regents Chairman Roy O’ Martin understands lawmakers’ concerns

CUT 7 (08) “piece of legislation”

The House has approved eleven measures that raises revenue to prevent cuts to higher ed, but for Jindal to sign those measures, there needs to be a tax cut, which is where the Save tax credit comes in. O’Martin says if legislators want to protect higher ed, they need to approve it

CUT 8 (09)  “save higher education”

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

The first NCAA Super Regional game between LSU and UL-Lafayette will be Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium at 7pm. Many Purple and Gold and Ragin Cajun fans are planning to head out to campus early that morning to tailgate ahead of the big matchup. Assistant Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says you couldn’t ask for a better first pitch time Saturday…:

CUT 9 (11)  “Saturday night”

The game Sunday will either be at 5 or 6pm. Saturday night’s game will be broadcast on ESPN 2 and Moran says that speaks volumes of the overall national excitement of this in-state matchup…:

cut 10 (08) “itse’f apart” 

The game Monday, if necessary, is TBA. Moran feels that the games this weekend will have the same feeling as a big LSU/Alabama football type atmosphere…:

cut 11 (08)  “bigger prize”

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

State Treasurer John Kennedy is concerned some of the 11 revenue generating bills approved by the state House were not passed constitutionally. The 11 House bills would raise approximately $615 million dollars to help deal with the current budget crisis. Five of those bills passed with a simple majority from the House, which Kennedy says makes them unconstitutional…

cut 12 (10)  “two-thirds vote”

Kennedy says the state Constitution requires that any new tax, raise in an existing tax, or change of an existing tax exemption receive a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate to become law. He says the legislature is relying on a 1993 attorney general’s opinion that states that a simple majority is required to suspend an existing tax exemption…

cut 13 (06)  “even on point”

However, Kennedy says that opinion misses the mark because it deals with suspending tax exemptions, not scaling them back. The five bills in question are all related to scaling back tax exemptions and credits. Kennedy says the state constitution doesn’t make an exception for partial exemptions…

cut 14 (07) “do it over”

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

Here on this first day of the 2015 Hurricane Season, the Colorado State University forecast team continues to predict tropical activity will be well-below average. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

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

The National Weather Service says draining floodwaters from Texas and Oklahoma continue to cause waters to rise in the Red River in Louisiana. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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

The National Weather Service says floodwaters draining from Texas and Oklahoma continue to cause rising waters in the Red River in Louisiana. Mario Valverde with NWS in Shreveport says the river is above 30 feet for the first time since 1990 in Shreveport. The Red is expected to crest there Saturday at 34 feet. Valverde says there is already flooding in the area…

CUT 3 (10)  “water’s too high”

He says farmland and parks along the river are already seeing some flooding. Montra Lockwood with NWS in Lake Charles says the Red River is expected to crest at close to 38 feet next Monday in Alexandria. She says this will put the river in a moderate flood category…

CUT 4 (08)  “considerable flooding”

She says flooding will mainly impact areas northeast of the river and some homes in the Pineville area could be affected. Valverde says this flooding event will take a while to dissipate…

CUT 5 (05)  “of August”

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

Here on this first day of the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Colorado State University forecast team continues to predict activity will be well-below average. Report lead author Dr. Phil Klotzbach says they call for eight named storms, three hurricanes and one major hurricane…:

CUT 6 (09)  “this year”

Klotzbach says their summary is based on the likely development of a strong El Nino event as well as continued unfavorable hurricane formation conditions in the tropical Atlantic. However he says this doesn’t mean there will be no impacts…:

CUT 7 (07) “that year”

The report also includes the probability of major hurricanes making landfall on US soil. He says for the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle to south Texas, there’s about a 15 percent chance for a strike which is about half of the long term average of 30%…:

CUT 8 (09)  “for you”

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

A recent Gallup Poll shows Louisiana has the third highest obesity rate in the country. The Bayou State’s obesity rate stands at 33-percent, compared to the national average of nearly 28-percent. Pennington Biomedical Research Center Assistant Professor, Dr. Amanda Staiano (STY-ano), says the combination of tasty food and sedentary pastimes contribute to the state’s obesity rate…

CUT 9 (06)  “the pounds off”

The survey lists Baton Rouge as the most obese city in the nation with an obesity rate of nearly 36-percent. Staiano says obesity is a complex issue because it involves the foods we eat and the activity we get, not to mention genetics. She says when healthy options are encouraged, it really makes a difference…

cut 10 (07) “really help people” 

Staiano says Louisiana spends almost $3 billion each year on direct medical costs related to obesity. She says that there is a link between obesity and financial hardship. Staiano adds that if healthier options can be made available to these families, it could help lighten state’s obesity problem…

cut 11 (08)  “poorer neighborhoods”

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

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says, starting today, anyone who buys a saltwater fishing license could win various prizes including a 22 foot bay boat and trailer. LDWF Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Randy Pausina says License to Win is a way they are working to gather a very accurate database with angler contact information.

cut 12 (11)  “entered to win”

Pausina says they will hold monthly drawings and all fisherman have to do is buy the saltwater fishing license, provide an accurate email address or phone number…:

cut 13 (07)  “drawing”

Pausina says the prizes include YETI ice chests, Shimano gear and gift cards from Whole Foods, Academy Sports and Outdoors and Texaco. One lucky angler will take home the grand prize of the boat, trailer and motor. He says this is a way the anglers can participate in science…:

cut 14 (11) “the best data”

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