Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain faces a mandatory life sentence after it took five hours for a jury to convict him on eight charges of sex crimes involving several juveniles dating back to the 1970s. St. Tammany District Attorney Warren Montogmery credited his staff for their hard work…
Cut 3 (06) “….prosecution.”
A jury of six men and six women found him guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest and one count of sexual battery, and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Marcus Jones has been named Northwestern State’s first black president. U-L System President Doctor Jim Henderson…
cut 8 (12) “.,…we should celebrate”
Jones says he wants Northwestern to work more collaboratively with business and industry to ensure graduates have the skills to meet the needs of the global market.

Lawmakers questioned health officials about adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine that have been reported in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The state gaming control board is expected to approve sports betting licenses for the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles and L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles today. The two casinos will begin taking legal sports bets tomorrow.

At the state Capitol, lawmakers questioned health officials about adverse reactions from the COVID vaccines. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says so far 122 events have been reported in Louisiana…
Cut 3 (12) “…established.”
But several registered nurses testifed before the panel saying they believe vaccine injuries are severely underreported.

The search continues for a woman wanted for shooting her mother several times late Friday afternoon at a Lofton Street address in the Opelousas area. St. Landry Parish Deputy Chief Eddie Thibodeaux says Ashley Sims got into an argument with her mother.
Cut 9 (09) “…her lower body.”
Sims fled the scene in a Mercedes SUV. The victim, Vera Sims, remains hospitalized.

Marcus Jones has been named Northwestern State’s new president and he’s the first African-American to lead the four-year university in Natchitoches. University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson says Jones beat out several quality candidates for the job…
cut 7 (12) “….the UL System Board”
Jones is a graduate of Northwestern and has been at the university for 23 years and the Winnfield native is the 18th of 20 children.

A Franklin man has been indicted for the buring deaths of his girlfriend and nephew. The tragic incident happened in July and State Fire Marshal’s office spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says 49-year-old Derwin Hamilton now faces first-degree murder charges…
cut 14 (09) “…critical condition’
The woman who was left in critical condition died a few days later.

Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain has been found guilty of sex crimes against boys. It took the jury about five hours to reach a guilty verdict on all eight counts against Strain, who served five terms as St. Tammany’s Sheriff. He now faces life in prison.

Lawmakers questioned health officials about adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine that have been reported in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A Franklin man has been indicted on murder charges in the burning deaths of his girlfriend and five-year-old nephew. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says 49-year-old Derwin Hamilton admitted to the crimes to deputies. And Rodrigue says the female victim provided key evidence by telling authorities before she died, it was Hamilton who took lethal action as the two were arguing…
cut 13 (09) “…on scene”
The female victim died in a hospital a few days later.

Marcus Jones has been named the new president of Northwestern State University. U-L System President Jim Henderson says Jones has risen through the ranks and will be Northwestern’s first African-American leader…
cut 6 (07) “….the presidents”
Jones has been at the university for 23 years and has served as interim president since July.

A St. Tammany Parish jury deliberated for about five hours before coming back with a guilty verdict against former St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain who now faces a mandatory life sentence for raping and molesting multiple children. Strain has been found guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest and one count each of sexual battery and indecent behavior with a juvenile.

A Grand Jury indicts a St. Mary Parish man with 1st-Degree Murder, for burning his girlfriend and young nephew to death last summer. 49-year-old Derwin Hamilton faces life in prison if convicted. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says it happened in July when firefighters were called to a mobile home fire in the town of Centerville. When they arrived, they got a horrible shock…:
Cut 12 (12) “…live-in boyfriend.”
Rodrigue says Hamilton admitted to the crimes in interviews with deputies.

History is being made on two fronts as the UL System Board of Supervisors names a new  Northwestern State University president.
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”

State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol today a House committee yesterday and said there have been no confirmed state deaths related to COVID-19 vaccines. She says the department has identified 11 severe adverse events and a possible 122 injuries. Sokol says the adverse effects are typically an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine that requires hospitalization and they also looked at myocarditis…
cut 4 (08) “…case definition”
But a nurse at the Our Lady of the Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette there’s been a mass underreporting of severe adverse effects.

New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter and Senator Bill Cassidy are the only members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation that supported the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Brooke Thorington has more.
cut 1 (35) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

State Treasurer John Schroder says 5-point-six million dollars in uncashed state income tax refunds have been put into the state’s unclaimed property program. Check L-A-treasury-dot-com to see if the money belongs to you.

Closing arguments are today in the sex abuse trial of former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain. Five people testified that Strain either raped or sexually abused them. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says it will be difficult for the jury to diminish the damning testimony against Strain since it has come from five accusers and not just one or two.
cut 15 (09) “…and over again.”
Strain has said he’s innocent.

The Louisiana Department of Health has put together a business plan that contains 17 initiatives and over 40 goals that the state agency plans to make progress on over the next year. LDH Secretary Courtney Phillip says part of the plan calls for improving care for persons with serious mental illness..
cut 5 (11) “…pregnancy to childhood”
Phillips says the plan places emphasis on better access to dental care, an opioid treatment program, a crisis care response team and more.

The U-S House passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Friday night and Louisiana Democratic Congressman Troy Carter says the bill is life-changing and will finally put funding towards severely overlooked projects like expanded broadband and the upkeep of roads and bridges.
Cut 7 (06) “…US Senate.”
The rest of Louisiana’s House delegation voted against the measure. Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins says the bill is nine-percent roads and bridges and 91-percent socialist garbage.

Closing arguments are today in the child rape trial of former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain. Five male accusers took the stand, leveling graphic charges of sexual assault against him while they were children. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino:
Cut 13 (07) “…about and reject.”
Strain did not take the stand in his defense and if convicted could face life in prison.

Louisiana Department of Health officials reveal a new business plan for “Building a Stronger LDH and a Healthier Louisiana.” More on that from Kevin Gallagher…:
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

The fifth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has temporarily halted the Biden Administration’s vaccine requirement that calls for businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate that their employees be vaccinated. Louisiana AG Jeff Landry calls the federal mandate an unlawful overreach, while the U-S Labor Department says it’s confident in its legal authority on this issue.

The much-talked-about one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill is heading to the President’s desk for signature after it received final House approval on Friday night. Several Republicans say very little of the money actually goes to improving roads and bridges, but Louisiana GOP Senator Bill Cassidy disagrees…
cut 10 (10) “…we need”
Democrats on Capitol Hill continue to push for passage of the 1.85 trillion dollar social spending package.

It will be much darker on your drive home from work tonight thanks to the time change. Triple-A spokesperson Don Redman says the switch to standard time can also impact sleeping patterns.
Cut 11 (11) “…drowsy.”

Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain could be looking at life in prison following his trial on accusations that he raped multiple children. More from Dave Brannen.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”