A tornado watch is in effect in 7 north Louisiana parishes until 10pm, as a strong line of thunderstorms is currently moving across the state north of Interstate 20. Parishes under watch include Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Lincoln, Ouachita, Union and Webster. There’s also a severe thunderstorm warning for Morehouse and West Carroll parish until 4:30. More severe weather is expected to hit the area tomorrow as well.

Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is working to help Louisiana get better detection of tornadoes in south Louisiana. He’s introduced a bill that requires radar detection sites within 55 miles of every state capitol, because there is not one near Baton Rouge, which has led to several tornadoes hitting the area with no advance warning. Boustany says he is looking into how much the radar site will cost.

cut 10 (08) “property damage”

State police say a Lafayette man has been arrested after driving 150 miles per hour and crashing his car, which killed his passenger. Trooper Brooks David says the driver Martin Nguyen was in the hospital being treated for injuries after the accident, but he has now been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, speeding, reckless operation, and improper lane usage.

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30-year-old Hoang Nguyen of Lake Charles was killed in the crash.

Several recent animal deaths at the Baton Rouge zoo have prompted an investigation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two giraffes also recently died at the zoo. Curator Sam Winslow says they were 24 and 30-years-old. He says the normal life expectancy for a giraffe is about 13 years.

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Investigators from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are looking into the number of animal deaths that have recently occurred at the Baton Rouge Zoo. Curator Sam Winslow says they asked for the USDA and the American Zoo Association to send in officials to assess the situation after 18 animals have died in the last year…:
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He says these animals have died for various natural reasons and there are no cases of neglect going on at the zoo.

The small LaSalle Parish town of Tullos is in shock this week over the double homicide case with more questions than answers. Sheriff’s deputies say the bodies of 19-year-old Chesley Coping and 26-year-old Demond Garner disappeared last weekend, and their bodies were located days later. 18-year-old Austin Dyess (die-ess) and 26-year-old Joshua Sant were both charged with 2 counts of second degree murder. Details are scarce at this time.

Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany introduces a bill that would require a Doppler weather radar site to be built near Baton Rouge. He says a new radar detection site will ensure that Louisiana is better covered to give citizens as much warning as possible to seek shelter or evacuate…:
Cut 11 (09) “unacceptable”
There are detection sites near Slidell, Lake Charles, Fort Polk and Shreveport, but none near Baton Rouge.

A Grand Isle man has been arrested for attempting to purchase a child for sexual purposes. That’s according to State Police trooper Jesse Lagrange who says 30-year-old Wade Perkins asked someone to locate a 6 to 8-year-old child so Perkins could pay for a sexual encounter. Lagrange says that person then contacted police…:
cut 12 (09) “a meeting”
He is booked with attempt and conspiracy to commit first degree rape.

Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany introduces legislation that he believes will help lead to better detection of tornadoes in south Louisiana. Boustany’s bill would require a Doppler weather radar site to be built near Baton Rouge. The US Representative says last February’s tornado outbreak inspired him to author of this federal legislation…:
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There are detection sites near Slidell, Lake Charles, Fort Polk and Shreveport, but none near Baton Rouge.

The LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office arrests two people in connection with the dead bodies that were discovered this week in a wooded area in Tullos, dead of apparent homicide. They say 18-year-old Austin Dyess (die-ess) and 26-year-old Joshua Sant were both charged with 2 counts of second degree murder in the deaths of 19-year-old Chesley Coping and 26-year-old Demond Garner.

A Lafayette man who cops say was drunk and driving his 2016 Corvette 150 miles per hour when it crashed in Vermilion Parish is under arrest in the death of his passenger. Trooper Brooks David says 31-year-old Martin Nguyen’s BAC was over the legal limit when the crash took place April 18th…:
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The crash killed 30-year-old Hoang Nguyen of Lake Charles.

The parents of the victim of in the Destrehan teacher sex scandal are reportedly suing the teacher, Shelley Dufresne. According to nola.com, the lawsuit claims Dufresne had sex with a 16-year-old student more than 40 times in 36 days. Last year, Dufresne pleaded guilty in St. Charles Parish to a felony obscenity charge.

State Police announces the arrest of a Lafayette man who was allegedly traveling 150 miles per hour while drunk before crashing his 2016 Chevrolet Corvette and killing one person. Trooper Brooks David says 31-year-old Martin Nguyen was at the wheel when his vehicle ran off the road on April 18th on LA Highway 339 and it killed 30-year-old Hoang Nguyen of Lake Charles…:
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Nguyen charged with vehicular homicide, speeding, reckless operation, and improper lane usage.

The state House approves a measure that would ban a common procedure used in second trimester abortions. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson calls these “dismemberment” abortions and says every year more than a thousand unborn children are aborted through this process…:
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Opponents of the measure feel restricting abortions only forces women to become desperate and turn to unsafe methods. Johnson’s bill was approved unanimously, and the measure now heads to the Senate.

A Vermilion parish teacher is facing rape charges. Lt. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. A Lafayette TV station reports that Harber was a 7th grade teacher a J.H. Williams Middle School. Hardy says it is not clear if the victims were students, but he did know them…:
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He says a search of Harber’s home indicates that more charges could be coming.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods store in Gonzales shot himself in the hand by mistake while showing a .22 caliber gun to a customer Thursday afternoon, according to cops. The Gonzales Police Department says all indications point to this being incident an accident. No word on why the gun was loaded.

Governor John Bel Edwards says solving the state’s budget crisis and the impending second special session are top of mind for him right now. He says there are many policy related issues that are going to be on the back burner until we can deal with the present crisis…:
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He says he’s waiting to make the call for the second session when he receives proposals from a panel reviewing the budget.

A 7th grade teacher in Vermillion Parish is under arrest on rape charges for allegedly forcing minors to have sex with him. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber had child pornography on his computer, and cops were able to locate the girls…:
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Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. His bond is $300,000.

The St. Tammany Parish coroner reportedly says a man lost his life when he was struck by lightning while working at a Slidell area construction site. It says 36-year-old Elvin Arturo Castro Santiago was struck Wednesday.

The majority of voters in Louisiana have no problem with letting people with certain diseases be covered under the state’s medical marijuana law. That’s according to a poll commissioned by the Louisiana Cannabis Association. They found 72 percent of people surveyed support letting medical marijuana treat additional ailments. Spokesman Jesse McCormick hopes that this poll encourages more lawmakers to vote in favor of the legalization currently moving through the capitol….:
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Governor John Bel Edwards will participate in “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” by hosting a rally for the children on the Capitol steps with First Lady Donna Edwards.

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
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The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says the man and woman who died in the officer involved shooting in Carlyss were estranged husband and wife, and that the husband shot the wife before turning the gun on himself. The male, 38-year-old Cory McAdams, was allegedly trying to abduct his wife and daughter — then when cops arrived he killed 33-year-old Brandi McAdams, then himself.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods store in Gonzales shot himself in the hand by mistake while showing a .22 caliber gun to a customer Thursday afternoon, according to cops. The Gonzales Police Department says all indications point to this being incident an accident. No word on why the gun was loaded.

The House has approved two more pro-life measures. One of the bills, authored by Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds, prohibits women from getting abortions just because a child will have a genetic disorder. Edmonds says his son was born with a disorder, and if he’d taken medical advice, he wouldn’t have his grandchildren today….:
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The other proposal that advanced would ban a certain procedure used in 2nd trimester abortions.

Last night in the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler of Louisiana Tech was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 30th pick.

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget, because we must focus on moving Louisiana forward. He says the vision that he put forth when he was running for governor has not changed, but they have to work on filling the $600 million dollar gap for next fiscal year…:
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Edwards says he remains very optimistic about his administration and the state as a whole.

A Vermilion parish teacher is facing rape charges. Lt. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. He says a search of Harber’s home indicates that more charges could be coming…:
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Harber is accused of raping two minors. His bond is $300,000.

The Louisiana Cannabis Association commissioned a poll showing 72-percent of voters here support the expanding of diseases covered under the medical marijuana law. Halen Doughty has more…:
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A report out of New Orleans indicates that 33-year-old Shelley Dufresne, a teacher at Destrehan High who was involved in a sex scandal with one of her students, engaged in relations with the 16-year-old more than 40 times in 2014. The report indicates the findings were revealed in a lawsuit filed by the victims parents.

The state House approves a measure that would ban a common procedure used in second trimester abortions. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson calls these “dismemberment” abortions and says every year more than a thousand unborn children are aborted through this process…:
CUT 15 (08) “ripped off”
Opponents of the measure feel restricting abortions only forces women to become desperate and turn to unsafe methods. Johnson’s bill was approved unanimously, and the measure now heads to the Senate.

A bill that would outlaw sex offenders from going door to door to sell product is unanimously approved by the House, and now heads to the Senate. The bill’s author, Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, believes this proposal would protect children who are left home alone. A similar measure has already been approved in the Senate.

A poll paid for by the Louisiana Cannabis Association finds that 72-percent of Louisiana voters support legalizing medical marijuana as a treatment for more diseases. Jesse McCormick is glad to see a majority of voters support the use of medical cannabis to help relieve pain for people who suffer from different diseases, like cancer and HIV…:
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Legislators have been conflicted on the matter.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods Store in Gonzales accidentally shot himself in the hand while showing a .22 caliber to a customer, according to police. Cops are investigating but the incident has been declared an accident.

Governor Edwards pushed back today against a special interest group that’s airing an attack ad claiming he broke promises about keeping the voucher program. Emelie Gunn has more…

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The FBI has created a dedicated tip line to gather information about a boy who went missing from his front porch 15 years ago. People can call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information they have about Wesley Morgan. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to Morgan’s location.

A Senate committee has approved the bill to prevent members of the LGBT community from being fired or turned down for jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter authored the legislation. He says we need to protect people from discrimination.

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The measure passed on a 4-2 vote and now heads to the Senate floor for more debate.

Two people are dead following a shootout in Calcasieu parish. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso says officers met Cody McAdams in a field, while he was attempting to kidnap his estranged wife Brandy and their 5-year-old child. Mancuso says McAdams fired several shots at the deputies before the officers returned fire, then he shot and killed Brandy before turning his gun on himself. The young girl is unharmed. Mancuso says Brandy had filed several domestic violence charges against McAdams.