Summer is approaching and routines are changing. Safety advocates are urging parents and caregivers to take action to prevent the horrible tragedy of a child dying in a hot car. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

While trying to escape during a transport from the Catahoula Correctional Center, an inmate was fatally shot. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

______________________________________

Louisiana leads the nation on a per capita basis for the number of children who died from being in a hot car too long. Since 1998, 36 kids in Louisiana lost their life from Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission spokesperson Greg Fisher says if you have small children, keep your vehicles locked…

Cut 3 (08) “…huge problem.” 

Fisher says Pediatric Vehicular Homicide can happen quickly in a parked car. He says temperatures can rise 10 to 15 degrees in as little as 15 minutes

Cut 4 (11) “.194 degrees.” 

Fisher says another hot summer is approaching and routines are changing with kids getting out of school. He says there have been several cases of parents forgetting they had a small child in the backseat

Cut 5 (12)  “…forget.” 

Fisher says the best way to preventing these tragedies is for every parent and caregiver to understand that this can happen to anybody.

____________________________________________________________________

A Catahoula Correctional Center Inmate was fatally shot after allegedly faking an illness during transport and attacking two correctional officers. Lt. Jared Sandifer with the Louisiana State Police says it happened just outside of St. Francisville Wednesday morning.

Cut 6  (12) “…this situation.” 

The inmate has been identified as 46-year-old Raymond Huddleston of Baton Rouge. He was being transported to a court hearing.

Sandifer says Huddleston was able to disarm one of the correctional officers, and that officer was able to retrieve the firearm. He says Huddleston also tried to drive off in the van.

Cut 7 (10) “…towards him.”  

Despite officers rendering aid after Huddleston was shot, he died from his injuries.  Sandifer says state police are investigating and it appears before Huddleston faked a seizure, he was able to remove his restraints.

Cut 8 (13) “…combative.” 

The officers were treated and released for minor injuries. A second inmate who was in the van was not involved and uninjured.

This is an active investigation.

_____________________________________________

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports the number of seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs increased by 500 from February to March and by 11-hundred since March 2023. Chief Economist for the L-W-C Emily Dipalma says the state has recorded 36 consecutive months of over-the-year-gains in nonfarm employment…

Cut 9 (08) “..March 2024” 

The Baton Rouge metro area led the state with 19-hundred jobs added since February. New Orleans added 15-hundred jobs. Dipalma says the rest of Louisiana’s metro areas added or lost a few hundred jobs….

Cut 10 (11) “..couple hundred jobs each.” 

Dipalma says construction had the largest gains for seasonally adjusted jobs over the month…

Cut 11 (12) ” …our data.”

Legendary rock Band, the Rolling Stones, make their long-awaited appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Fest today. Michelle Southern has the story…

Cut 1 (40) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

_______________________________________________

Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields says he’s still running for the 6^th congressional district even though the lines of that district are still to be determined.

Cut 2 (32)  “I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

____________________________________________

State lawmakers have convinced the Landy Administration to participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program which helps feed children from needy families. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

____________________________________________

The Rolling Stones, kick off the second weekend of Jazz Fest with a special performance at the New Orleans Fairgrounds at 5 PM today. Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis says the legendary rock band was booked to play at Jazz Fest in 2019, but Mick Jagger had heart issues. It was rescheduled for 2020, but canceled because of Covid.  He says it worked out this year as the Stones just started a new tour across the U-S and Canada…

Cut 4 (11) “…on Thursday”

The Stones play Jazz Fest as their second stop in the “Hackney Diamonds” tour, and sometimes with older acts and busy festivals, you can’t always get what you want, but Davis says that they haven’t missed a beat as their Houston performance was given electric reviews.

Cut 5 (12) “…over two hours.” 

The Rolling Stones are just one of many great artists scheduled to play this weekend. Foo Fighters, Neil Young, and Queen Latifa are also on the schedule. Davis says the weather is also cooperating so this could be one of the best Jazz Fests’ ever…

Cut 6 (13) “…all time festivals.”

___________________________________________________________

Louisiana is the only state without a finalized congressional map and Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields announced that he would run for the 6^th district from the map state lawmakers approved in January with two majority-black congressional districts After three years of back and forth, Fields says it’s time for the Supreme Court to settle the matter…

Cut 7 (11) “…at all now.”

A meeting is set for Monday for all interested parties in Shreveport. But in the meantime, Fields says it’s in the cards that he’s running…

Cut 8 (09) “…look like.” 

The Secretary of State’s Office has stood firm on a May 15^th deadline for a map to be finalized for the fall election. As far as Fields is concerned after multiple court cases and legislative sessions to draw the map, it’s time to go to the highest court.

Cut 9 (07)  “…them decide.”

Congressman Garret Graves says he’s running for re-election to the 6^th congressional district.

____________________________________________________

Senate President Cameron Henry says at the urging of state lawmakers the Landry administration has decided to participate in a federal summer feeding program that provides 40-dollars a month per child to needy families. Henry says the decision comes after a meeting with leaders of DCFS and the Department of Education…

Cut 10 (08) “…working together.”

In February, Governor Landry announced the state would not opt into the Summer EBT program. A spokesperson for the governor said it was a pandemic era related program that costs seven million dollars and the pandemic is over. DCFS Secretary David Matlock says the state should be more focused on a pathway to self-suffiency.

But House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says this is a program that could serve as many as 450-thousand children. He says an investment of three-point-six million dollars will lead to 71-million dollars in federal money

Cut 11 (07) “…,money”

McFarland says he’s heard from constituents who relied on the summer EBT program the last two summers and the Landry administration should make it available this summer…

Cut 12 (08) “…to do.” 

Summer EBT officially begins June 4th. Congress passed a law which was signed by President Biden that made the program permanent.

__________________________________________________________

Louisiana’s homestead exemption will not be changed as part of the proposed rewrite of the state’s constitution. New Iberia Representative Beau Beaullieu has amended his constitutional convention bill to protect the homestead exemption in the state constitution

Cut 13 (11)  “…to protect.”

Beaullieu also amended the legislation so the K-through-12th grade public school financing formula can not be touched. And Beaullieu has also removed the language that allows for private funding to pay for the convention…

Cut 14 (04)  “…(x2) for sale.”

A vote on Beaullieu’s bill that calls for a constitutional convention to begin later this month was scheduled for a vote on Wednesday. But after the amendments were added, the bill was put back on the calendar…

Cut 15 (10)  “…2024.”

_________________________________________________

The Ragin Cajuns baseball team is heading into what could be their toughest series yet when they face Troy this weekend. UL-Lafayette is currently on top of the Sun Belt Conference standings at 17 and 4 while Troy is at 14 and 7. Cajuns Coach Matt Deggs has a healthy respect for the Trojans.

Cut 16 (17)  “…their ballpark.”

The Ragin Cajuns have only lost one series this season in Sun Belt play. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers took advantage of the Cajuns mistakes and took two out of three games at their home park. Deggs says that keeping “freebies” under control will significantly help the Cajuns win their tough road series against Troy.

Cut 17 (20) “…of them.”

The Cajuns and Trojans will face off Friday with first pitch at 6 pm and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

________________________________________________________________________

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will travel to take on the New Mexico State Aggies this weekend. The Bulldogs lead Conference USA with an 11-4 record. Tech Head Coach Lane Burroughs says going to New Mexico is a new experience for many of his coaches and players, but they are excited to play in Las Cruces

Cut 18 (16)  “…Coach Fouts.”

The Bulldogs pitching staff will have their hands full this weekend as New Mexico State leads Conference USA in batting percentage with an average of .304 this season. Their ball park in Las Cruces, New Mexico slightly favors hitters and Burroughs has taken note of this important information.

Cut 19 (20) “…at home.” 

The Bulldogs are on a 6 game winning streak dating back to their series clinching win over Dallas Baptist University on April 21st. Bulldogs Coach Burroughs says that he is proud of how his team has performed this season and that LA Tech has put themselves in a really good position to make a run in the postseason.

Cut 20 (20) “…. can ask.”

The Bulldogs and Aggies face off Friday with first pitch at 7 pm and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.