The state’s budget picture is worse than originally thought as the Revenue Estimating Conference this morning projects there will be an $892 million dollar mid-yer shortfall. Lawmakers must fill the hole by July 1st. A special session to address the budget begins Sunday.

Now that the Mardi Gras season is over, today, Ash Wednesday, begins the Lenten season as Christians across Louisiana prepare for Easter. Masses will be held across the state today to allow people to receive their ashes.

And begins the 40 days of lent. Many choose to give up meat and take advantage of Louisiana’s seafood, and there’s good news for crawfish lovers. Farmers say this could be one of the best years for mudbugs ever — thanks to El Nino. Wild crawfish farmer Sherbin Collette of Henderson says more people are harvesting to make a living since the oil industry is losing jobs
CUT 9 (06) “can’t make it”
He says warm weather and high waters contribute to the size and juiciness of the crawfish.

The data compiling website Roadsnacks released a list of the most boring cities in Louisiana, and Central came in at number one. Rounding out the top five were Mandeville, Franklin, Springhill and Minden. Roadsnacks spokesman Nick James says they classified boring places as those where the population was older, married or had kids. He says they did this research scientifically without polling and seem to get positive results…:
cut 11 (10) “the head”
You can see the full list at roadsnacks.net.

Governor John Bel Edwards will have a televised statewide address to residents of Louisiana about the state’s budget situation tomorrow night at 6:30. It will also be carried on all of our radio stations. The state found out today that the budget deficit for this fiscal year has grown from $750 to $892 million. The Revenue Estimating Conference met this morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards is seeking suggestions from the public on ways to resolve the 750-million dollar shortfall mid-year shortfall. Halen Doughty:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

ActionNews17.com is reporting a 19-year-old from Ponchatoula is dead after being hit by a bullet while riding in a car this morning. The say the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office was told by the driver that he heard a popping sound then later turned to find his passenger, Gerrell Lee, shot. Anyone with information on this crime is urged to contact authorities.

The real estate website Trulia compiled data to come up with the most sinful city in the nation, and New Orleans got the top spot. Shreveport came in as the 7th most sinful cindy. Trulia spokesman Filipe Chacon says they came up with the list based on the seven deadly sins…:
CUT 12 (08) “on that”
He says Shreveport and New Orleans beat out the original “sin city” because of Las Vegas’ low numbers in envy and gluttony.

LSU has been given the greenlight by the board to construct a statue honoring the late Pete Maravich. The legendary athlete is still college basketball’s all-time leading scorer at 3,667 points. Former star basketball Tiger Collis Temple Jr. says Pistol Pete had a historic impact on LSU…:
CUT 5 (10) “State University”
The design for Maravich’s statue will be announced in the coming months.

The Edwards administration is seeking the public’s advice on how to handle the state’s budget crisis. Lawmakers must find a way to fill a more than $750 million dollar shortfall by July 1st. The governor’s director of communications Richard Carbo emphasizes the importance of public involvement and encourages people to contact their legislator…:
cut 10 (07) “your feedback”
The site can be found at gov.louisiana.gov.

The real estate website Trulia ranked the most Saintly Sanctuaries and Sin cities in the country and to no surprise, New Orleans comes in a number one for a sinful city. Spokesperson Filipe Chacon says they compiled the seven deadly sins to decide which places were full of envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, vanity, and wrath…:
cut 12 (08) “on that”
He says Shreveport came in as the number seven sin city in the country.

Many folks are off today enjoying the Mardi Gras Holiday. But it’s a chilly one across the state and a wind advisory remains in effect through this evening.

LSU has been given the greenlight by the board to construct a statue honoring the late Pete Maravich. The legendary athlete is still college basketball’s all-time leading scorer at 3,667 points. Former star basketball Tiger Collis Temple Jr. says Pistol Pete had a historic impact on LSU…:
CUT 5 (10) “State University”
The design for Maravich’s statue will be announced in the coming months.

Governor John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry continue to fued about a lawsuit involving Common Core. Landry wants to follow through with an appeal involving the suit, which was originally filed by former Governor Bobby Jindal. But Edwards says that’s not necessary, especially since Louisiana is in the process of rewriting its public school standards.

Governor John Bel Edwards is seeking suggestions from the public on ways to resolve the 750-million dollar shortfall this fiscal year. Halen Doughty reports…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A statue honoring the late Pete Maravich has been approved by the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. Former LSU Basketball star Collis Temple Jr. says Pistol Pete is the all-time leading scorer and is unrivaled…:
CUT 4 (05) “deserved it”

Three people are reportedly arrested in connection with a fight following Sunday’s Alexandria Mardi Gras parade that was caught on video and has hundreds of thousands of views. Cops say 23-year-old Joshua Andries, 23-year-old Chelsea Thompson and 22-year-old Lauren Paul are booked with disturbing the peace by fighting. Apparently the incident was started over a parking dispute.

They call it the mini-New Orleans Fat Tuesday celebration. Mamou’s Courier De Mardi Gras has been rolling in the Acadiana town since dawn. Mayor Ricky Fontenot…:
CUT 7 (09) “a gumbo”
Fontenot says the last three years the weather has been horrible so everyone is looking forward to today’s sunshine.

Revelers are bundling up all over for Fat Tuesday — for a second straight day, wind advisories are posted across the state, as we could see wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour. There’s also a chance for a light freeze overnight in the northern half of the state.

Louisiana is facing the worst budget crisis in state history. Governor John Bel Edwards has put together a special web page to solicit public input on how to handle the state’s massive deficit. The governor’s director of communications Richard Carbo explains that the purpose of the site is to inform the public and get suggestions from citizens…:
CUT 9 (09) “their feedback”
The site can be found at gov-dot-louisiana-dot-gov.

A woman tried to rob the Sorrento Post Office this morning with a water gun filled with pepper spray and the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office is trying to locate the suspect. They say it happened around 10:30am when a black female walked in to purchase stamps, then produced a handgun, which turned out to be a water gun with pepper spray inside, sprayed the clerk then fled. The suspect was last seen wearing a security type uniform, long coat with fur around the hood, and gloves.

Mamou’s famous Courier de Mardi Gras begins today with the town’s unique traditions. Emelie Gunn has more on the celebrations…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Revelers would rather have cold than rain and today they are also hanging on tight to their beads. For the second day in a row a wind advisory is in effect for most of the state, and meteorologists say gusts could reach 35 miles per hour in some areas.

It’s Fat Tuesday and celebrations are going on all over the state on this beautiful day. The Courier De Mardi Gras is in full swing in the Acadiana town of Mamou. Mayor Ricky Fontenot says the event has a great economic impact on the town, and it’s also been a tradition for years. He says they partake in the festivities in two ways…:
CUT 6 (10) “in Mamou”
Folks are bundling up as another wind advisory is in effect for today making the air extremely chilly for revelers.

The Public Affairs Research Council has provided the governor and the legislature with several recommendations on how to cut government spending. PAR President Robert Travis Scott says one suggestion is to come up with a plan to make sure retirement costs and health care plans for employees do not escalate…
cut 10 (07) “….year to year”

A statue honoring the late Pete Maravich has been approved by the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. The legendary athlete is still college basketball’s all-time leading scorer at 3,667 points. Former LSU Basketball player Collis Temple Jr. says Pistol Pete’s scoring record speaks for itself:
CUT 3 (10) “what he did”
The design for Maravich’s statue will be announced in the coming months, and it will be erected on campus next to the PMAC – the building named after him.

The New Orleans Saints have begin purging their roster as they released six-time pro bowl offensive lineman Jahri Evans, who has been a starter on the Black and Gold’s offensive line for the last decade. New Orleans has also released linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber and said good-bye to receiver Seantavius Jones. Cornerback Brandon Browner is also expected to be cut in the coming days.

The Public Affairs Research Council provides ideas on how the state can better control its spending. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Nearly the entire state is under another wind advisory on this Mardi Gras. The National Weather Service says sustained winds could range from 15-25 miles per hour, with possible gusts of 30 miles per hour.

The LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee unanimously approves a proposal for a statue honoring the late Pete Maravich to be installed on campus. Details on a design and construction will be released in the coming months.

Campaigning is in full swing for this year’s US Senate race. The seat is being left open by outgoing Senator David Vitter. Republican candidate Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany told reporters in Baton Rouge that working on ways to grow our economy is one of his top priorities…:
CUT 8 (11) “lowering taxes”
Boustany is one of several announced candidates.

New Republican Louisiana Speaker of the House Taylor Barras says he was anticipating more proposed spending reforms in Governor John Bel Edwards call for the special session which begins Sunday. Barras says, as expected, the governor’s call included a list of revenue raising options to fill the state’s more than $750 million dollar gap, primarily with tax changes…:
Cut 13 (07) “structural fixes”
Meanwhile Governor Edwards is asking the public for their input online at gov.louisiana.gov.

Louisiana is one of just 7 states whose economy did not end 2015 on a good note. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 1 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Louisiana is under a strong wind advisory with winds over 20 miles per hour throughout the state. He says it will feel really cold when the winds pick up.

CUT 13 (09) “…even.”

Strong winds have caused power outages in the Baton Rouge area.

A Crowley man is facing two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder after allegedly stabbing two Acadia Parish Narcotics Agents. 42-year-old Jason Broussard is facing multiple charges after police were called when Broussard caused a disturbance at a grocery store. Maxine Trahan with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office says both officers were transported to the hospital after the incident.

CUT 4 (10) “…home recovering.”

Shots rang out at the Baccaus parade in New Orleans last night. This is the second shooting in two weeks along a parade route. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says prosecutors should keep career criminals behind bars.

CUT 10 (08) “…first offense.”