Senator Bill Cassidy testified this morning during a US House Natural Resources Committee field hearing in New Orleans. The purpose of the hearing was to discuss how current federal policies impact oil and natural gas development in the Gulf of Mexico. Cassidy says policies need to be changed for offshore oil production to flourish…:
CUT 3 (09) “Gulf of Mexico”
Cassidy says it’s vital for the federal government to ease regulations so that oil and gas production in the Gulf can continue to grow.

LSU-Alexandria is reporting they’ve enrolled a record number of students this fall. 3,104 students are attending LSUA which is the largest enrollment in the history of the university. LSU President F King Alexander says this growth shows the university is working hard to meet the needs of central Louisiana.

A documentary will air on the SEC Network tonight about the life of Bo Rein who was named LSU’s head coach after the 1979 season, but died in a plane crash before he ever coached a game for the Tigers. LSU Senior Associate Sports Information Director Kent Lowe says many people don’t know Rein’s story and the excitement he brought to lead LSU into the 80s:
CUT 9 (11) “athletic department”
“The Bo You Don’t Know,” premiers at 8pm.

An annual study released today by The Violence Policy Center says Louisiana ranks number 4 in the nation in the rate of women who are murdered by men. The report indicates our state has ranked in the top 10 states for females murdered by males for the fifth year in a row.

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is about $2.05 a gallon..so just how low will it go?
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

Republican David Vitter continues to be pressured about his past. During a gubernatorial debate last night hosted by the Alliance for Good Government, Vitter and the only other candidate present, Republican Jay Dardenne, were asked if they had ever violated Louisiana statue Title 14 — which refers to the entire criminal code. Dardenne said no. Vitter called it a “gotcha” question specifically targeted at him.

A recent study indicates people who drink diet sodas often compensate for the low calorie contend by eating unhealthier foods. The report out of the University of Illinois suggests switching to diet drinks in an effort to lose weight may not be the best approach. Dr. Anne Gilmore of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center says, the study aside, we should be looking at all the calories we consume…:
CUT 12 (11) “inferences”
She says more research needs to be done to determine exactly why people who choose diet drinks consume more unhealthy food.

The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office says the mother of a young child who she reported drowned in July has been charged with second degree murder. They say a grand jury returned the indictment on the charge against 30-year-old Clarissa Hector Of West Monroe. 59-year-old Russell Flowers was booked on the murder charges in July when Hector claimed Flowers told her to tell cops her child drowned or he would kill her and her other children according to the arrest affidavit.

Voter apathy could explain why 46% of candidates who signed up for offices in the October 24th primary will run unopposed, according to Secretary of State Tom Schedler. He says we must get people re-engaged on the Constitution and what this country is all about…

cut 15 (11) “daily lives”

Schedler says in the state legislature, 20 out of 39 senators and 39 out of 105 House members drew no opponents.

With the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline hovering just above $2.00 a gallon, many are wondering just how low it will go? American Automobile Association spokesperson Don Redman says if all goes smoothly, you can expect gas prices to steadily fall for the rest of the year…

cut 9 (08) “Christmas holidays”

He says prices haven’t been that low since early 2009.

A study out of the University of Illinois finds diet soda drinkers often eat more unhealthy foods, which counter acts their attempts to lose weight. Emelie Gunn has more…

cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

According to State Farm Insurance claims data, Louisiana drivers have among the lowest odds of a deer collision in the country. The study shows that the chances of a driver hitting a deer in Louisiana is 1 in 335, which ranks the state 41st nationally. It was also found that drivers are most likely to collide with a deer in the last three months of the year. West Virginia has the worst odds of a driver hitting a deer, 1 in 44.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says 46% of candidates who signed up for offices in the October 24th primary will run unopposed. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 3 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office say four teenagers are arrested accused of kidnapping and raping an underage girl. Authorities say the girl was lured to a parked car, forced inside, and driven to an abandoned home where the rape occurred. 17-year-old Marlon Grady, 19-year-olds D’Kevin Cleveland and Montrell Davis, and a juvenile, whose name is being withheld, are charged with kidnapping and aggravated rape.

The US House Natural Resources Committee will hold a field hearing in New Orleans today to discuss how current federal policies impact oil and natural gas development in the Gulf. Utah Congressman Rob Bishop, says if the US wants to remain a world leader in energy production, we need to increase production on more than just state and private land…

cut 6 (11) “Coast shores”

The hearing will also touch on the crude oil export debate.

Just how low will will gas prices go? The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is hovering just above $2.00 a gallon and American Automobile Association spokesperson Don Redman says we could see prices near $1.80 by the end of the year. Redman says you’d have to go back to early 2009 to find gas prices that low…

cut 8 (08) “a gallon”

He says these low prices have caused demand to rise about three-percent from last year when prices were roughly $1.10 more per gallon.

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is hovering just above $2.00 a gallon and that leaves many wondering just how low will it go? American Automobile Association spokesperson Don Redman says the US Department of Energy forecasts the national average to hit $2 a gallon by December…

cut 7 (10) “in Louisiana”

Redman says you’d have to go back to early 2009 to find gas prices below $1.80.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler feels voter apathy may partially explain why 46% of candidates who qualified for the October 24th primary will run unopposed. He thinks if more people were involved in the process and went out to vote, especially young people, there wouldn’t be such a waning interest in qualifying…

cut 14 (10) “for the future”

Schedler says the cost of running a successful campaign could be another reason potential challengers are turned off.

A field hearing of the The US House Natural Resources Committee will be held in New Orleans today discussing how current federal policies impact oil and natural gas development in the Gulf, including the ban on U.S. oil exports. Utah Congressman Rob Bishop says by not allowing exports, the development of the oil and gas industry is significantly harmed…

cut 5 (07) “will decrease” 2X

Senators Bill Cassidy and David Vitter are scheduled to attend the meeting, along with Congressman Garret Graves.

People who drink diet sodas tend to eat unhealthier, higher calorie food, according to a University of Illinois study. Dr. Anne Gilmore of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center says diet soda drinkers often think they are cutting calories in one place, so it’s okay to splurge on another even though that’s not the case…

cut 11 (11) “they consume”

She says these results aren’t surprising.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler feels voter apathy may partly explain why 46% of candidates who signed up for offices in the October 24th primary will run without opposition. He says in 2007, 35% of qualified candidates didn’t have an opponent and in 2011 it was 39%. He feels this uptick points to a public that just doesn’t care:

cut 13 (09) “away from that”

Schedler says 20 out of 39 state senators drew no opponents.

The US House Natural Resources Committee will hold a field hearing in New Orleans today to discuss how current federal policies impact oil and natural gas development in the Gulf of Mexico. Committee chair, Utah Congressman Rob Bishop, says the hearing will focus on federal statutes which could cause a second moratorium in the Gulf…

cut 4 (09) “negative impact”

The hearing begins at 9AM.

A study out of Illinois finds people who drink diet sodas tend to eat unhealthier, higher calorie food, which negates their attempts to lose weight. The research found that many diet soda drinkers feel justified in eating more because they feel guilty about indulging in unhealthy food. Dr. Anne Gilmore of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center says these results aren’t surprising…

cut 10 (09) “we’re doing”

Gilmore says diet soda drinkers often think they are cutting calories in one place, so it’s okay to splurge on another. She says overall, we need to look at all the calories that we consume.

Governor Bobby Jindal hosted a prayer rally for law enforcement on the steps of the state capitol today. Jindal declared September 14th a statewide day of prayer for officers. State Police Col. Mike Edmonson says our prayers shouldn’t end here and we should all continue to respect cops who have died in the line of duty by the way we live our lives:
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So far in 2015, Louisiana has lost nine police officers, making us the number two state in the country for law enforcement deaths.

State Treasurer John Kennedy feels the horrible crime problem in New Orleans could be helped by implementing a stop and frisk program for cops. He says this would let officers frisk anyone without probable cause which he admits is controversial, but we should be empowering our police officers and not undermining them…:
CUT 8 (10) “constitutional rights”

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office is trying to make sense of a murder-suicide in Central that left four people dead, including three brothers. Eric Gill reports…:
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The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office says they’ve charged a man with second degree murder for a homicide that happened 35 years ago. They say 62-year-old Jimmy Lee Tigues of Shreveport was booked in the death of 29-year-old Robert Earl French who was found dead on the side of the road on August 1st 1980. Detectives got new information on the unsolved murder recently and obtained a warrant for Tigues’ arrest.

Governor Bobby Jindal declared today a statewide Day of Prayer and hosted a rally on the capitol steps in Baton Rouge to honor law enforcement across Louisiana. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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The coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish says autopsies on the four people who died in Central in an apparent murder suicide show one man suffered multiple gunshot wounds and his two brothers had one shot each to the chest. He confirmed the three brothers deaths were homicides. The alleged shooter, 60-year-old Rodney Chemin (KEY-men), died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Apparently the men were in a dispute over what music to listen to while watching a football game.

Many Police say two men who got into a fight while playing games on an XBOX ended with one in the hospital and another in jail. Spokesperson Dean Lambert says 32-year-old Patrick Carhee became angry with 21-year-old Edward Glynn and slapped him. He says Glynn then punched Carhee and that’s when Carhee tried to hit Glynn with a hammer and stabbed him in the arm with a kitchen knife, but wasn’t done there..
CUT 10 (11) “not hit again”
Carhee is charged with multiple offenses, including attempted second degree murder.

Playboy Magazine has released its 2015 Top Party Schools List and Tulane made number 4. Playboy says if anybody knows how to party its New Orleans and Tulane is a thriving campus. They say you can often find spirited students strolling the French Quarter where the notorious open-container policy allows shenanigans to happen year round.

Governor Bobby Jindal declared today a statewide day of prayer to honor law enforcement and held a prayer rally on the steps of the State Capitol. So far in 2015, Jindal says Louisiana has lost nine police officers which makes us the number two state in the country for law enforcement deaths. He says today is a day to pay our respects for the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us…:
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Jindal also gave thanks to the families of the officers who go each day wondering if their loved ones will be coming home.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says 43 percent of candidates who qualified in offices on the October 24th primary ballot have no challengers. He feels this high percentage is a reflection of voter apathy and could explain low voter turnout. LaPolitics.com reports statewide, 68 seats drew only one candidate while 37 attracted three or more candidates.

A murder-suicide in the East Baton Rouge Parish town of Central has left four people dead including three brothers. EBRSO spokesperson Casey Hicks says they believe 60-year-old Rodney Chemin (KEY-men) was angry with the brothers over music they were listening to and he shot the three before turning the gun on himself. She says they aren’t releasing many details…:
CUT 5 (07) “still ongoing”
The brothers are 57-year-old Joseph Allen, 55-year-old Perry Allen, and 51-year-old Mark Allen.

Cops say two people in a rental car died Sunday night when the vehicle crashed and burst into flames upon impact off Louisiana Highway 10 just east of the Tangipahoa River. They say authorities responded to the crash site in the town of Wilmer which was in a winding curve on the road. One resident nearby came out to help suppress the fire, but the two occupants in the vehicle did not survive.