It ended up being a beautiful day considering the fatal/destructive storms that moved through Louisiana beginning Sunday. Cleco says they were able to restore power to thousands of customers who lost lights during the storms, and only 2200 remain in the dark. Entergy says they are still working to get electricity back to about 6300. Rapides Parish was hit by a suspected tornado along the Highway 165 corridor. Capt. Tommy Carnline with the Sheriff’s Office says they worked at least 30 weather related calls between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning…:
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He says there were no injuries there, but in St. Martin Parish a 3-year-old and her mother died when a tornado toppled their trailer. A GoFundMe account with a $5,000 goal has been created to pay for the funeral expenses of 38-year-old Francine Gotch, and 3-year-old Nevaeh Alexander of Breaux Bridge.

Governor John Bel Edwards officially declared a state of emergency for the state in response to the damages sustained due to the severe weather. The governor is in Rapides and St. Martin Parishes today to survey storm damage in affected areas.

You can now donate household items to flood victims through the new online donation campaign CrowdRelief. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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The controversial speed enforcement cameras will be discussed once again in the upcoming legislative session, as a Covington lawmaker wants to see them gone. Representative Paul Hollis only a few cities in Louisiana use the cameras which he calls money grabs…:
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He says these cameras deny people the right to confront their accuser.

A software engineer has designed a website that creates personal narratives for flood victims and matches them with online donors for household items. Rob Gaudet says people can visit the site and either sign up for assistance or apply to be a contributor…:
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Gaudet says over 120 flood victims have already completed the initial surveys, online at CrowdRelief.net.

The rising popularity of essential oils for massaging, air fresheners and medicinal purposes is posing a greater risk to children. Emelie Gunn has more on why…:
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CLECO reports there are still about 8500 customers affected by outages following the strong severe storms that blew through Sunday and last night. Entergy says they are still working to get the lights back on for just over 11,000 customers. The National Weather Service is continue to survey the damage throughout the state, and they did confirm this morning that the fatal tornado that took the lives of a 3-year-old and her mother was an EF-1.

A state lawmaker wants the public to decide whether speed enforcement cameras should be legal. Halen Doughty has more…:
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The National Weather Service has confirmed it was an EF-1 tornado that struck Breaux Bridge Sunday which caused a trailer to flip and a 3-year-old and her mother to lose their lives. That type of twister packs winds of 110 miles per hour. Forecasters say they are surveying Rapides Parish today for the damage there.

Baton Rouge Representative Ted James has prefiled a bill for the upcoming session that would strengthen training requirements for police officers. He says, in response to the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, lawmakers need to discuss how de-escalation tactics should be improved.
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James is optimistic this modernized training can help ease tensions and build trust between law enforcement and the public.

Doctors are warning parents about the dangers of the popular oils used in homes as air fresheners due to the risk they pose to children. Louisiana Poison Center Managing Director Dr. Mark Ryan says if you suspect your child has gotten a hold of a plug-in freshener with essential oils, the symptoms will be obvious…:
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He says if that happens, call poison control right away.

Speed enforcement cameras would be taken down around the state, under a proposal to be discussed in the regular session. Covington Representative Paul Hollis says these cameras deny people their constitutional right to confront their accuser….:
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The constitutional amendment will need a two-thirds vote approval by the legislature and then go on a ballot for the public to decide.

Most of the state has seen the end of the wicked storms that blew through Sunday, but much of south and central Louisiana remain under a flash flood watch through 3pm this afternoon. Damage assessments are being made now this Monday morning, and many are in the dark with Cleco reporting over 10,000 customers don’t have power, and Entergy has over 12,000 outages. Crews are working to clean up downed trees and power lines. A suspected tornado claimed the life of a 3-year-old and her mother in Breaux Bridge as the two slept in a trailer.

The online donation campaign CrowdRelief is working to replace items families lost in the floods. Founder Rob Gaudet says flood victims can fill out a survey online, and then a CrowdRelief volunteer will meet with them to hear their story and take pictures of their rebuilding…:
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To donate or apply for assistance, visit CrowdRelief.net.

The popularity of essential oils are on the rise for massages and air fresheners, but they also pose a greater risk to children. Louisiana Poison Center Managing Director Dr. Mark Ryan says more and more children are easily getting into air fresheners…:
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He says accidentally ingesting these oils can lead to seizures or liver damage.

Strong storms ripped through the state last night, but the line continues to move off to our east. 9 parishes in far southeast Louisiana are those that remain under a tornado watch through nine this morning. Flash flood watches span most of the bottom half of the state.

A measure in the Governor’s proposed criminal justice package for the regular session seeks to improve police training. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James authors a bill that strengthens requirements for the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST. James says this bill requires all officers to complete 400 hours of this training, with an additional 20 hours annually…:
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He is optimistic this modernized training can help ease tensions and build trust between law enforcement and the public.

You can now donate household items to flood victims through the new online donation campaign CrowdRelief. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office says a three year old and her mother died after a suspected tornado flipped over the trailer they were in Breaux Bridge. They have been identified as 38-year-old Francine Gotch, and her daughter, 3-year-old Nevaeh Alexander.

The former Marksville officer who fatally shot a 6-year-old boy has been sentenced to 40 years behind bars. Derrick Stafford testified he didn’t know the little boy was in the vehicle when he fired his weapon after a car chase. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says it’s a lengthy sentence for a terrible mistake.

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Stafford faced a maximum sentence of 60 years.

The first 8 blocks of Bourbon Street will undergo their first renovation in nearly a century. After French Quarter fest, city officials say crews will begin the $6 million project of replacing the roadway and water lines two blocks at a time. Each segment is expected to take 60 days to complete, and the entire project is projected to finish up by the end of the year.

Louisiana is one step close to getting flood recover dollars into the hands of flood victims, as HUD has approved the state’s spending plan for the federal funds. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is disappointed the state does not have a contractor lined up yet. The Governor expects to have a program manager in place in the coming weeks, and funds are expected to start rolling out shortly after.

GOHSEP, the Louisiana National Guard and other key state agencies are taking part in an Emergency Response Exercise today…

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Derrick Stafford has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for fatally shooting a 6-year-old after a car chase in 2015. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says this wasn’t a premeditated shooting, but it is a crime of violence.

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Stafford faced a maximum sentence of 60 years for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter convictions.

A bill by Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor could put an end to the death penalty in Louisiana for first degree rape and murder convictions. Claitor says the death penalty cheapens life, as his catholic religion teaches all life is sacred.

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The bill would not affect inmates currently on death row.

The state’s plan for allocating $1.6 billion in federal flood recovery has been approved by HUD. The dollars will be used to help flood victims rebuild and elevate their homes, or reimburse them for rebuilding costs. But there’s no word yet on exactly when the dollars will be dispersed.

Today the Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and the Louisiana National Guard are participating in training exercises to prepare for future disasters. Mike Steele with GOHSEP says a lot goes into emergency response, including communications to partnerships between state and local officials.

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He says we could see an increase in severe spring and summer weather after this year’s unusually warm winter.

Derrick Stafford receives the maximum sentence for the manslaughter conviction that was handed down after the former Marksville deputy marshal shot and killed a 6-year-old autistic boy during a 2015 car chase. Stafford maintained the boy’s father posed a threat, and that he did not know the little boy was in the vehicle. Stafford will be eligible for parole after completing 20 years of his 40 year sentence.

A bill that will be debated in the upcoming legislative session calls for the elimination of the death penalty in Louisiana. Emelie Gunn has more…

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An 8 block stretch of Bourbon Street will be rebuilt for the first time in nearly a century. City Officials says crews will replace the roadway and water lines of the first 8 blocks of Bourbon after the French Quarter Fest. The construction will reportedly take place two blocks at a time, and each segment is expected to take 60 days to complete, with the entire $6 million project finishing up by the end of the year.

Today state agencies are participating in an Emergency Response Exercise to prepare for any potential natural disasters. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness says the goal of the exercise is to synchronize the response efforts when disaster strikes.

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Steele says emergency response efforts will continue to get better because of training exercises like this.

Former Marksville Officer Derrick Stafford has been sentenced to 40 years behind bars for a manslaughter conviction he received after fatally shooting a 6-year-old during a car chase. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino…

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The judge ruled Stafford must serve 20 years before he’s eligible for parole.

HUD has approved the state’s spending plan for the full $1.6 billion Congress allocated for flood recovery. This approval brings the state one step closer to getting federal funds in the hands of flood victims, but no dollars have yet been dispersed. Governor John Bel Edwards calls this a milestone in recovery, but Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is disappointed the state does not have a contractor lined up to oversee the rebuilding.

Expanding athletic facilities and funding cuts have led ULM to the decision to donate several biology research collections from the Museum of Natural History. Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Eric Pani says they don’t have the facility to properly store the specimens, and they’re being used less since research funding has been reduced.

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The space where a new facility would be built is instead being used to expand the track at Brown Stadium.

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with back to back break-ins at both Tioga High School and Tioga Junior High that caused extensive damage to the interior of the schools. Police say 17-year-olds Cody Blakeny and Shane Johnson both of Rapides Parish will face charges of burglary and criminal damage.