Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to release a detailed plan today on how he would like lawmakers to address a 304-million dollar midyear budget deficit. Edwards says the plan will include cuts and money that’s available in the state’s savings account..:
Cut 10 (05) “rainy day fund”
That would mean legislators will need to make 185-million dollars in cuts to eliminate the rest of the deficit.

Arraignment for the man accused of killing former-NFL player Joe McKnight is today. Legal analyst Chick Foret says 55-year-old Ronald Gasser will enter a plea of not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. He says this is the first step in the criminal prosecution, and from here a hearing date and a trial date will be set…:
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Gasser’s attorneys sent a letter to the AP saying Gasser acted in self-defense.

Are you sick of seeing political posts on Facebook? There’s an app for that. Matt Kruse (Krew-zee) developed the app Social Fixer. He says right now it’s only available for desktop browsers, but he’s working to develop a mobile version. He says the plug in is easy to use once you download it at SocialFixer.com…:
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He says more and more Facebook users are downloading Social Fixer, as political discussions are becoming more heated on social media.

State Police confirm two people died in a crash on I-10 Sunday evening in Ascension Parish, and it’s believed alcohol is a factor in the crash. They say the wreck claimed the lives of 39-year-old Jeremy Jenkins of Baton Rouge, and 23-year-old Jared Cunningham of St. James. LSP says Cunningham, who is suspected of being impaired, lost control of his vehicle and ran off the road, flipping several times.

Governor John Bel Edwards has sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking his support for an additional $2-billion in federal flood aid. Congress has already approved $1.6 billion in federal assistance, but Edwards says another $2-billion is needed for a full, robust recovery. State officials expect the first round of funds will get into the hands of low income flood victims by April or May.

A&E’s “Live PD” will feature the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office in two to three weeks. Spokesperson Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau says given the tensions rising between law enforcement and the public, they hope this show will give people a better idea of what deputies deal with every day.

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Seuzeneau says “Live PD” is similar to the reality show Cops, but this is live with an 8 minute delay.

NRG Stadium in Houston is hosting its second ever Super Bowl this weekend, so when will it be New Orleans’ turn to get the big game again? Jay Cicero with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation says the Super Bowl is already awarded through 2021. He says, if New Orleans is selected to bid to host an 11th time, they would next be eligible in 2023.

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Cicero says they will find out if New Orleans is invited to bid on 2023 this upcoming May.

A court settlement has been reached between Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson and his estranged heirs over removing the shares of the pro teams from trusts that were set up for Benson’s daughter and her two children. Details of the settlement have not been made public. Benson released a statement that says he’s pleased that this ordeal his behind them.

The man accused of killing former-NFL player Joe McKnight will have his arraignment on Monday. 55-year-old Ronald Gasser of Terrytown is expected to enter a plea of not guilty to second degree murder, as his attorneys assert Gasser fatally shot McKnight in self-defense because he feared for his life. A speedy trial is expected because Gasser has been behind bars since his December 5^th arrest.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will be featured on “Live PD” in the next few weeks. Spokesperson Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau says the show is similar to Cops, but it’s live with a few minutes delay. He says people are used to seeing lots of bad guys on the reality show, but he expects viewers will see plenty of the good guys too.

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He says the first show will air two to three weeks from now.

Governor John Bel Edwards has issued the call for the third special session of his term, as lawmakers are once again facing a midyear budget deficit. The session begins on Monday, February 13 and must end by midnight on February 22. The governor plans to use both rainy day dollars and budget cuts to resolve a $304-million deficit for this fiscal year.

Today is World Cancer Day, and Director of the Louisiana Cancer and Prevention Programs with LSU Health New Orleans, Donna Williams, says we’re already winning the fight against cancer. She says before the 1930s, cervical cancer was the number on killer of women in the US. But she says strides in the medical field have greatly reduced the risk for cervical cancer.

Cut 7 (10) “have plummeted”

She says lung cancer rates have also decreased as fewer people are smoking cigarettes.

Governor John Bel Edwards has sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking his support for an additional two-billion dollars in federal flood aid. Congress has already approved one-point-six billion dollars in grant money, but Edwards says another two-billion is needed to rebuild homes, assist those who lived in apartments that are now flooded and provide protection from future flooding.

NRG Stadium in Houston is hosting its second ever Super Bowl this weekend, so when next will it be New Orleans turn to get the big game? Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will be featured on A&E’s “Live PD” in the coming weeks. Spokesperson Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau says it’s kind of like Cops, except live with an 8 minutes delay. He says the camera crews are professionals, and so are the officers.

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Seuzeneau says the first show will air two to three weeks from now.

Saturday is World Cancer Day. Director of the Louisiana Cancer and Prevention Programs with LSU Health New Orleans, Donna Williams, says the goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness about cancer prevention methods. She says they want to share a very important message.

Cut 6 (08) “from cancer”

Williams says more than half of cancers can be detected early and cured.

Governor John Bel Edwards has issued the call for the third special session of his term, as lawmakers are once again facing a midyear budget deficit. Legislators will not be able to raise taxes, but they can propose to increase fees. The session begins on Monday, February 13 and must end by midnight on February 22.

Saturday is World Cancer Day, and people are raising awareness about how to reduce the risk for cancer. Jeff Palermo has more…

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A national shortage of paramedics is also affecting the Bayou State. Justin Cox with Acadian Ambulance says starting paramedics make about $42-thousand a year, and they’re offering signing bonuses for new hires to lure people to the industry.

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Cox says they’re also recruiting in high schools and offering to pay back tuition for people who come to work.

New Orleans has hosted 10 Super Bowls, but when will they get a chance to host another one. Jay Cicero, president of the greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, says the last two times they’ve bid to host the huge sporting event, they lost to cities who have a new or renovated stadiums.

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Cicero says they hope to learn in May that New Orleans will have a chance to bid for the Super Bowl in 2023.

Saturday is World Cancer Day, and people are raising awareness about how to reduce the risk for cancer. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The lawyer for the man indicted on second degree murder charges for allegedly shooting and killing former NFL player Joe McKnight, says his client acted in self defense. The charges against Ronald Gasser were upgraded Thursday, and his attorneys told the AP that their client took action when McKnight was threatening to crawl into the car window.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will be featured on A&E’s “Live PD” in the coming weeks. Spokesperson Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau says it’s kind of like cops, except live with only minutes long delay. He says the camera crews are professionals, and so are the officers…:
cut 4 (08) “crew there”
Seuzeneau says the first show will air two to three weeks from now.

There’s a shortage of paramedics around the country, and it’s being felt in the Bayou State too. Justin Cox with Acadian Ambulance says they are short 30 paramedics, which puts a serious strain on others. Cox says turnover for paramedics is high, because it’s a demanding job..:
cut 12 (08) “and mentally”
He says they are offering a 15-thousand dollar signing bonus for new hires in an effort to lure people to their industry.

Saturday is World Cancer Day. Director of the Louisiana Cancer and Prevention Programs with LSU Health New Orleans, Donna Williams, says the goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness about cancer prevention methods….:
Cut 6 (08) “from cancer”
She says World Cancer Day is a way for people to help speed up progress in the fight against cancer.

NRG Stadium in Houston is hosting its second ever Super Bowl this weekend, so when next will it be New Orleans turn to get the big game? Jay Cicero with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation says the Super Bowl is already awarded through 2021. He says, if New Orleans is selected to bid to host for an 11th time, they would next be eligible in 2023:
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He says they’ll find out if they’ll be invited to big on 2023 in May.

It’s expected Governor Edwards will issue today the call for a budget re-balancing special session to begin on February 13th. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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Authorities say three teenagers have been arrested in connection with the burglary of a Louisiana state trooper’s unmarked car. A rifle was stolen from the Louisiana State Police car in Madisonville and authorities suspect the gun was later used in an aggravated burglary.

It’s expected Governor Edwards will issue today the call for a budget re-balancing special session to begin on February 13th. Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says Republican lawmakers will likely propose large cuts to the state health department after a recent audit found the state agency has mismanaged millions of dollars…:
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The legislature must close a $304 million dollar mid-year gap.

Meanwhile the governor announced Thursday that his chief of staff, Ben Nevers, is retiring after a year with the administration. The 70-year-old former state lawmaker from Bogalusa will be replaced by one-time homeland security secretary, Mark Cooper. Nevers leaves at the end of the month, following the special session.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will be featured on A&E’s “Live PD” in the coming weeks. Spokesperson Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau says given the tensions rising between law enforcement and the public, they hope this show will give people a better idea of what cops deal with…:
Cut 3 (11) “to embrace it” (2x)
Seuzeneau says “Live PD” is similar to the long-running TV show Cops, except this is live with an 8 minute delay.

A man and a woman have been arrested in St. Charles Parish for possession of drugs after cops say narcotics were found in their second grader’s book sack at school. The home of 25-year-old Christina Cherry and Kevin Richardson was searched and the two were booked on numerous charges. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office believes the child took the drugs wrapped up in a Kleenex without realizing what was inside when he put it in his school bag.

A grand jury has indicted the man accused of fatally shooting former-NFL star Joe McKnight on a charge of second-degree murder. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

It’s expected that Governor John Bel Edwards will issue the call for a special session to close a $304 million dollar budget gap today. Jeremy Alford at LaPolitics.com says a big part of it will be about tapping in to the Rainy Day Fund, but also allowing cuts…:
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It’s reported that LSU will owe about $1 million dollars to the football coaches that were released from the team by Coach Ed Orgeron, one day after signing day. Coach O fired receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Dameyune Craig, and reassigned running backs coach Jabbar Juluke. LSU says it will begin an immediate search for their replacements.

According to Value Penguin’s 2016 Safest Places in Louisiana list, Patterson in St. Mary Parish got the top spot. Associate Editor Andrew Pentis says, to compile the safest city data, they looked at FBI crime reports, and graded cities based on that…:
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Harahan, St. Gabriel, Mandeville, and Minden round out the top 5 on the safest cities list.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced Thursday the retirement of his Chief of Staff, former State Senator Ben Nevers. The governor wishes Nevers a happy, relaxing and well-deserved retirement.