Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he wants to change the nation’s food stamps as a way of encouraging more people on the program to find a job. He says the number of SNAP recipients has more than doubled in the last 15 years…:
Cut 11 (08) “self-sufficiency”
He says there needs to be a safety net for people who fall on hard times, but for many, government assistance has become a way of life.

A two-year-old is among the three dead after a car chase ended with a crash in New Orleans East. Louisiana State Police spokesperson, Trooper Melissa Matey, says cops attempted to stop the vehicle downtown for a stolen license plate. She says the driver fled the scene and collided with a truck before running off the road…:
Cut 13 (04) “both are deceased”
She says a third person took their own life after the crash.

Entergy will build a new plant in Westlake after the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approves construction of the Lake Charles Power Station…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Cox is bringing its terabyte internet data caps to Louisiana. This means customers will have to pay $10 for every 50GB of data they consume over the limited plan, starting July 6th — with a two-bill grace period that will last up until September. The company expects the number of customers affected will be slim at about 2%.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is hoping to reform the SNAP program and put more people back to work. Halen Doughty has more..:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Southeast Louisiana through this evening. They say rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches are possible across the area, and some of the storms could become stronger and lead to isolated heavier amounts.

Residents of St. John the Baptist Parish could have an increased risk of cancer, as the EPA finds a plant in Laplace is releasing carcinogens into the air. Wilma Subra with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network says the Denka Performance Elastomer facility is emitting huge quantities of chloroprene, which can pose a serious health risk to the community:
Cut 4 (10) “respiratory problems”
Denka has agreed to retrofit the plant and reduce emissions by 85 percent before the end of 2017.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approved construction for a new Entergy plant in Westlake. Entergy spokesperson Michael Burns says the new Lake Charles Power Station plant will save customers a lot of money…:
Cut 7 (09) “30 years”
Customer savings are expected to exceed the $872 million cost of the plant in less than a decade.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he’s filed a common-sense approach to reforming the food stamp program that would impact able-bodied adults without dependents. Graves says his bill would connect SNAP recipients with job search and job training programs to help them find work opportunities…:
Cut 10 (11) “to be eligible”
He says we need to incentivize  people to work, not to stay home.

Three LSU basketball players were issued summons after allegedly shooting paintballs at pedestrians on campus. 19-year-old Mayan Keer Kirr, 18-year-old Galen Ishan Alexander and 19-year-old Wayde Kenneth Sims were reportedly busted after a pedestrian was hit by paintballs. The report indicates LSU basketball coach Will Wade is aware of the situation and dealing with it internally.

Cox Communications announces their south Louisiana customers will be put on a data plan starting July 6th and it allows them to upload or download one terabyte of data…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Fifty years after opening his first store in Monroe, Johnny’s Pizza House founder Johnny Huntsman has passed away. His brother Chester Huntsman says Johnny learned to make pizzas while at college in Iowa to become a football coach. He says those skills translated well in the kitchen.

Cut 11 (10) “50 years”

Johnny died at the age of 77 after a struggle with Alzheimer’s.

A toddler and two others were killed after crash following a police chase in New Orleans. State Trooper Melissa Matey says as the driver rounded a corner, he came upon a box truck that was attempting to make a right turn.

Cut 15 (09) “a fence”

None of the passengers were properly restrained in the vehicle.

Entergy will build a new plant in Westlake after the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approves construction of the Lake Charles Power Station. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A Minden woman will spend 40 years in prison for fatally shooting her 22-year-old son while she was intoxicated. Forty-eight-year-old Dora Blake was sentenced Tuesday for shooting her son in the back of the head as he drove her home after she was kicked out of a casino.

Pizza enthusiasts across Louisiana are mourning the loss of Johnny Huntsman, founder of Johnny’s Pizza House and creator of the famed Sweep the Kitchen pizza. His brother Chester Huntsman says coaching was Johnny’s first love, and he spent one season at the helm of the West Monroe High School Rebel football team.

Cut 10 (10) “at everything”

Johnny passed away this morning at the age of 77.

All four suspects in the brutal beating and robbery in New Orleans are behind bars. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison says it was only a matter of time before these men were tracked down.

Cut 7 (06) “that promise”

Footage of the incident went viral, which helped law enforcement identify and locate the suspects.

The National Safety Council ranks Louisiana the tenth safest state in the country overall, but the state receives an F rating for workplace safety. President and CEO Deborah Hersman says the state has lots of improvement to make in this category.

Cut 4 (11) “needs help”

Louisiana earned an A grade for roadway safety and a C for home and community safety.

A new report finds Louisiana voucher students are now even with their district peers, even after an initial dip. The findings were co-released by Jonathan Mills, who has been tracking the progress of the students who enrolled three years ago. He says after the first year they were performing worse, and in year 2 they were slightly less behind.

Cut 12 (06) “the same”

It’s a sad day in north Louisiana, as the beloved founder of the West Monroe-based Johnny’s Pizza House franchise has died. Johnny Huntsman passed away this morning at the age of 77. His brother Chester Huntsman says after college, Johnny came back to coach the West Monroe High School Football team, but not for long…:
Cut 10 (10) “at everything”
Johnny’s Pizza has been a staple of northeast Louisiana for 50 years.

Louisiana is the tenth safest state in the nation, according to a first of its kind report from the National Safety Council. President and CEO Deborah Hersman says the state received an overall grade of C. She says the state has lots of room for improvement in workplace safety…:
Cut 4 (11) “needs help”
She says Louisiana did receive an A in the road safety category.

The LSU baseball team came up short in its bid to win its 7th national championship. Florida pulled away in the 8th inning and defeated the Tigers 6-1 last night to capture their first title in baseball. There was a controversial play in the 7th inning, when LSU had a run taken off the scoreboard because of a runner interference call at second base. Here’s how Coach Paul Mainieri saw it….
cut 17 (15) “….correct call”
Replay showed it was the correct call.

The four suspects involved in the brutal attack on two tourists in the New Orleans French Quarter are all in police custody. The four young men face charges of second-degree robbery. Police records indicate one of the victims suffered a serious brain injury. The other victim is going to be okay. New Orleans Police say more charges could be forthcoming.

It’s a sad day in north Louisiana, as the beloved founder of the West Monroe-based Johnny’s Pizza House franchise has died. Johnny Huntsman had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, according to family. His brother, Chester Huntsman, says Johnny’s positive and encouraging attitude is what sparked the business into what it is today…:
Cut 9 (11) “a lot too”
He was 77.

The four suspects involved in the brutal attack on two tourists in the New Orleans French Quarter, which was caught on a viral video, are all in police custody. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison says it was only a matter of time before before detectives and the community would work together to track these men down…:
Cut 7 (06) “on that promise”
The two victims in this incident were Boston-area tourists and one remains in critical condition.

The National Safety Council ranks Louisiana the tenth safest state in the nation. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The LSU baseball team came up short in its bid to win its 7th national championship. Florida pulled away in the 8th inning and defeated the Tigers 6-1 last night to capture their first title in baseball.

The New Orleans Police Department now has in custody all four suspects accused in the brutal attack and robbery in the French Quarter that was captured on a now-viral video. 21-year-old Dejuan Paul, and 18-year-old Joshua Simmons had surrendered previously. Commander Nicholas Gernon says 20-year-old Rashaad Piper was located by cops at a business last night.:
Cut 6 (10) “Pogozelski”
One victim remains in critical condition. The four suspects are accused of second-degree robbery, but officials say more charges could be brought.

The beloved Founder of Monroe-founded Johnny’s Pizza, Johnny Huntsman, has passed away. The company said Huntsman had been suffering Alzheimer’s for a couple of years. Johnny’s Pizza first opened in Monroe in 1967 on Desiard Street right across from ULM. He was 77.

Louisiana is the tenth safest state in the nation, according to a first of its kind report from the National Safety Council. President and CEO Deborah Hersman says the state received an overall grade of C, but no state was awarded an overall A grade. Louisiana did receive an A in the road safety category…:
Cut 3 (11) “in a crash”
She says community safety earned a C grade here in which the most common occurrence was overdoses.

Jimmy D. Long Sr. School of Math, Science, and the Arts is the new official name of the Natchitoches high school, as the governor signed the bill to add the name of the late state lawmaker to the title. Delhi Senator Francis Thompson says this simple act honors Long’s legacy..:
Cut 15 (09) “for Louisiana”