State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a Thursday night mobile home fire in Marksville that has left four dead. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. BESE member Lottie Beebe says, according to information provided by the Department of Education, this will cause negative implications for schools and school systems…

CUT 3 (09)  “and school systems”

She says students who do not take the assessment test will be given a zero grade and that grade will passed on to schools and school districts. Beebe says another concern with this issue is whether or not a student who refuses to take the tests will be promoted. She says, right now, that’s up to the individual school districts, but it should be state policy…

CUT 4 (09)  “across the state”

So far, only a handful of families have opted their kids out of Common Core testing, but more are expected as the testing dates approach. Education Superintendent John White has recommended a “wait and see” approach, but Beebe says they need to be pro-active. She says BESE should hold a special meeting to address the “opt-out” movement…

CUT 5 (04)  “their concerns”

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State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a fire in Avoyelles Parish that has left four dead. Fire Marshall Butch Browning says the fire occurred just before midnight Thursday night at a mobile home in Marksville…

CUT 6 (07)  “in this fire”

Browning says a father, grandmother, son, and daughter all perished in the blaze. The victims’ ages range from 10 to 73-years-old. Browning says firefighters tried to do a search of the mobile home, but the flames were too intense…

CUT 7 (10)  “the fire starting”

Browning says they believe the four victims were asleep at the time of the fire. He says the mother of the children was at work when the blaze broke out. Browning says the investigation is in its initial stages…

CUT 8 (06) “caused this fire”

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Mitt Romney announces he’s decided not to run for president next year, so what could that mean for Governor Bobby Jindal? 2016 would have been Romney’s third run at the White House. UL-Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says Romney is one less main-stream contender that Jindal has to compete with…:

CUT 9 (10)  “conservative wing”

Cross says Romney passed on Jindal as a vice presidential contender last time saying the two never really connected so him bowing out of the race also helps The Governor…:

cut 10 (09)  “Romney does”

Cross says anytime one of the main candidates drops out of a presidential race, it’s a victory for all of the remaining contenders…:

cut 11 (11) “to go”

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High school principals vote to keep the current split between public and private schools that exists with the football playoffs and allow the new executive director of the LHSAA, Eddie Bonine, develop solutions that could possibly bring the classes back together. Bonine says his first step will be to organize a committee to examine the issues that caused the split

cut 12 (10)  “many, many years”

Many principal Norman Booker authored proposals to divide the postseason between public and private schools in other sports, but it was voted down. Booker says private schools have advantages in the student enrollment process over public schools and he’ll seek try to help come up with a solution as well

cut 13 (09)  “drawing board”

Bonine says he wants to take a hard look at the issues that caused the split, and see if he can solve those, before he proposes a playoff format that high school principals can vote on next January….

cut 14 (07)  “address them”

The legal drama between the Benson family over ownership of the Saints and Pelicans could drag on for a year or more in courtrooms in New Orleans and San Antonio. Eric Gill has more…

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Former KKK leader David Duke’s challenge to run against Steve Scalise for the 1st Congressional District seat likely won’t happen according to pundits. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

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The legal drama between the Benson family over ownership of the Saints and Pelicans could drag on for a year or more. The scene will play out in courtrooms in New Orleans and San Antonio. Legal analyst Tim Meche says an Orleans Civil District Court Judge could rule whether or not Tom Benson is physically and mentally fit to handle his business affairs by spring…

CUT 3 (12)  “likely result”

Meche says the real litigation will take place in San Antonio involving whether or not Tom Benson can transfer the teams out of the family trust. He says, thus far, Benson has been unsuccessful in his attempts to do so…

CUT 4 (11)  “the Pelicans”

He says that case will involve a lot of legal maneuvering and possibly courts of appeal. There is always a chance that the two sides could negotiate a settlement which would bring this to a quicker solution. Meche feels, at this point in the game, both sides are engaging in a public relations war…

CUT 5 (11)  “to get worse”

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So how likely would it be that former KKK leader and Louisiana lawmaker David Duke would be elected again here? Not very likely according to political analyst Bernie Pinsonat. Duke challenged Congressman Steve Scalise to step down for apologizing about speaking to a white supremacist group in 2002. Pinsonat says Duke is only milking this for attention…:

CUT 6 (10)  “long as possible”

Duke took it a step further and said that he would consider challenging the House Majority Whip in the next election for the 1st District Seat. Pinsonat says Duke is just trying to get publicity and he will probably never get re-elected in Louisiana if he chooses to run…:

CUT 7 (08)  “apologizing”

Duke made the comments on Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster Show. Pinsonat says if anything, this would allow Scalise to set the record straight that he doesn’t agree with Duke…:

CUT 8 (08) “and what he stands for”

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There are a lot of Mardi Gras Krewes in Louisiana getting nervous as most of their custom throws have not arrived yet and Fat Tuesday is just around the corner. There was an ongoing labor dispute at a Los Angeles port which held up thousands of signature Mardi Gras product, but Beads By the Dozen President Dan Kelly says tensions have calmed…:

CUT 9 (12)  “two to three days”

Kelly says his containers were stuck in the middle of a bad contract argument between dock workers and the shipping companies in LA but all parties have cooperated. He says they’ve rescheduled all distribution days with the Krewes for next week…:

cut 10 (07)  “back up and runnin again”

Kelly says almost every Carnival Krewe was affected by the delay. He says now all of the Mardi Gras containers are being taken off ships and hopefully will be put on trains over the next two days…:

cut 11 (06) “safe Mardi Gras”

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that yesterday’s fire in Calhoun, where two bodies were recovered, was a murder suicide. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says they believe the situation began with a domestic dispute between 52-year-old Larry Lisotta and his wife, 57-year-old Diane Lisotta…

cut 12 (09)  “suicide himself”

Browning says hey have determined that Larry Lisotta shot his wife in the head and then turned the gun on himself. He says this appears to be an isolated incident and do not believe anyone else was involved…

cut 13 (05)  “tragic deaths”

Browning says they believe Larry started the fire after he shot Diane. He says the investigation is still ongoing in this unfortunate incident…

cut 14 (06)  “two individuals”

Republican Congressman Steve Scalise agrees to meet with two civil rights leaders in the aftermath of reports Scalise spoke to a group of white supremacists in 2002. Eric Gill has more…

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Sasol announces they are delaying a final investment decision on building a gas to liquids plant in the Lake Charles area. Michelle Southern reports.

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Republican Congressman Steve Scalise agrees to meet with two civil rights leaders in the aftermath of reports that the House Majority Whip spoke to a group of white supremacists in 2002. The pair want to ask Scalise to help advance civil and human rights issues, like the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Political analyst Clancy Dubos thinks this is a good move for the Congressman…

CUT 3 (12)  “meeting with EURO”

Dubos says this is a step Scalise can take to put some action behind the words he said in regards to the controversy. The Congressman has acknowledged it was a mistake to speak to the group and has apologized. Dubos feels Scalise has been sincere in his remarks since the news came out…

CUT 4 (11)  “in all forms”

The House Majority Whip will meet with former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, and Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, next month. Dubos says Scalise should use this meeting as a real chance to communicate…

CUT 5 (07)  “a good thing”

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Sasol says it’s delaying a final decision on whether or not it will invest in a proposed gas-to-liquids plant in southwest Louisiana. The South African energy company says they’re holding off on the 14 billion dollar phase of the project due to tumbling oil prices. LSU Center for Energy Studies Executive Director David Dismukes says not a surprise, considering the massive scope of the project with…:

CUT 6 (10)  “little bit more questionable”

Sasol has already approved an $8.1 billion ethane cracker in Westlake but right now the company says they are working to conserve as much money as possible in the wake of falling oil prices. There are several other announced industry sites out there in Louisiana and Dismukes says the farther one is away from completion, the more likely a similar delay will take place:

CUT 7 (08)  “locked in”

If Sasol green-lights this GTL plant, it would be the most expensive industrial project in Louisiana history, totaling $22 billion when combined with the cracker. Dismukes says this decision is reflective of what’s happening with the entire energy industry

CUT 8 (08) “oil prices”

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Slidell Police say a homeowner woke up this morning to find something quite unusual in his home. Detective Daniel Seuzeneau says the homeowner immediately called police and responding officers found 31-year-old Sharrod McCullum sound asleep on the victim’s sofa…

CUT 9 (08)  “he was at”

The officers woke McCullum up and were able to arrest him without incident. Seuzeneau says the suspect appeared to be intoxicated. He says authorities discovered that McCullum forced entry through the rear door of the residence…

cut 10 (08)  “the neighborhood”

McCullum faces one count of simple burglary and one count of criminal damage. Seuzeneau says other charges could be filed in the near future. He admits it’s funny, but scary at the same time to wake up and find a stranger sleeping in your house…

cut 11 (09)  “further incident”

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating an early morning fire in Ouachita Parish that has claimed the lives of two people. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the fire occurred around 5AM this morning at a mobile home in Calhoun…

cut 12 (11)  “this mobile home”

The identities of the man and woman who perished in the fire have not been released. The mobile home shared property with a house that is believed to belong to the father of one of the victims. Browning says the fire that destroyed the mobile home was very intense…

cut 13 (07)  “at this point”

Browning says officials are still working to determine the exact cause of the fire. He stresses it’s a very active investigation and information is very limited at this time…

cut 14 (07)  “in Louisiana”