The state Senate voted to increase the cigarette tax by 72 cents which would bring it up to $1.08 and match the Southern regional average. Lawmakers are trying to raise revenue to plug the budget hole and prevent massive cuts to higher ed and health care. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell authored the amendment to raise the tax higher than the House approved 32 cent cigarette tax increase…:

cut 13 (09) “appropriate”

It’s not likely the lower chamber will go along with what the Senate approved.

With a few days left in the legislative session, it looks like Louisiana businesses are the big losers. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says business lobbyist groups are not happy the legislature is pushing to reduce hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and rebates many companies enjoy…

cut 10 (11) “from them”

Legislators are trying to close a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall.

The Louisiana House could vote on a resolution to hold a veto override session. Governor Jindal said he’ll veto revenue generating bills, if the legislature doesn’t pass a tax offset, so he can keep his “no tax” pledge. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, chairs the House Republican Legislative Delegation, and he says there’s a desire in the House for an override session, if it gets to that point…

cut 7 (12) “comes up”

Lawmakers have until 6 PM on Thursday to finish their legislative work and that includes approving a balanced budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st.

Governor Bobby Jindal says the state is in full blown flood fighting mode as the Red River continues to rise…:
CUT 1 (11) “critical infrastructure”
The projected crest in the Shreveport area of 36.5 feet on Sunday would be the highest of the Red River in 70 years.

Two day care workers are booked with homicide charges accused in the death of a 22 month old little girl they allegedly forgot and left inside a vehicle. Apparently the owner of the unlicensed daycare, 47-year-old Sheila Newman, told 26-year-old April Wright to lie to cops about where the child was found. They are both booked with negligent homicide and Newman also faces a obstruction of justice charge. Authorities believe the child was left inside the hot car for about 2 hours on a day when the heat index in Baton Rouge was 96 degrees.

A famous Baton Rouge food blogger and self-taught chef will be competing on Season 11 of Food network Star, which will premier tomorrow. Jay Ducote says-even though he did not attend any culinary schools, he says he is making his pitch based on strong training…
CUT 13 (13) Q: ‘for LSU football’
The premier is at 8pm tomorrow.

And speaking of tailgating there is plenty going on today at LSU ahead of the Super Regional tonight against UL-Lafayette. Tickets for the games this weekend are going for hundreds on the secondary market and sold out in 5 minutes of going on sale Friday. First pitch between the Ragin Cajuns and Tigers tonight is 7pm and tomorrow it will be 5 or 6.

Governor Bobby Jindal met with officials in Caddo and Bossier Parish on Friday to discuss what the state is working towards in response to the Red River Flood. The projected crest of 36.5 feet in the Shreveport area would be the highest crest of the Red River in 70 years. Jindal says it’s obvious the water is going to be around for a while…:
CUT 1 (10) “some time”
Jindal says the problem areas will be Rapides and Natchitoches next week and they are working to ensure they are also prepared.

The Baton Rouge Police Department says a 22 month old child was found dead in a day’s vehicle on Friday after she was allegedly forgotten by two workers. They say 47-year-old Sheila Newman and 26-year-old April Wright are under arrest in connection with the death. Authorities believe the child was left inside the hot car for about 2 hours on a day when the heat index in Baton Rouge was 96 degrees.

The state Senate voted to increase the cigarette tax by 72 cents which would bring it up to $1.08 and match the Southern regional average. The House approved a 32 cent cigarette tax increase bringing the state rate to 68 cents and it’s not likely the lower chamber will go along with what the Senate approved. The session ends Thursday.

Willie “Dynamite” Larkin is the new president at Grambling State University. The University of Louisiana system Board selected Larkin over Gilbert Rochon and three other candidates who were interviewed on Grambling’s campus this week. Larkin says the difficult selection process should benefit him when he takes over as Grambling’s president on July 1st…:
CUT 9 (10) “few months”
UL System president Sandra Woodley calls Larkin a strong leader who will move Grambling to the next level.

Governor Bobby Jindal surveyed flooded areas in Northwest Louisiana from the Red River and provided an update on emergency response activities in flooded areas. He says during a fly over they saw livestock stranded and homes taking on water from the slowly rising river…:
CUT 1 (07) “a lot of damage”
Officials expect the Red River to crest in Shreveport at 36.5 tomorrow and Jindal says high-water vehicles are on standby and they are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

The Common Core compromise bill is headed to Jindal’s desk. The measure received final legislative approval in the Senate on Friday with a 38-0 vote and no questions and no debate. Under the proposal, BESE will begin a comprehensive review of English and Math standards this summer and the process will also involve public meetings across the state. The next Governor could also reject any proposed changes.

Baton Rouge Food Blogger and lover of Louisiana cuisine, Jay Ducote, is competing on Season 11 of Food Network Star which premieres this Sunday. The hit reality competition show awards the winner with their own series on the Food Network. Ducote, who has also appeared on MasterChef and Cutthroat Kitchen, says being one of the 12 finalists on Food Network Star is a dream come true…:
CUT 12 (10) “Food Network Star”
The premiere airs tomorrow at 8pm.

It looks like an LSU football gameday on campus today as college baseball lovers from UL-Lafayette and the Purple and Gold nation get ready for tonight’s super regional game at The Box. This weekend’s super regional has become one of the most sought after tickets in program history. First pitch is at 7pm. Tomorrow the game will either be at 5 or 6.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Tony Robichaux announces freshman right-hander Wyatt Marks will start tonight in game one of the Super Regional series against LSU. Freshman left-hander Gunner Leger will start game two on Sunday.

Both teams met with the media Friday at Alex Box Stadium, after going through batting practice. Senior third baseman Tyler Girouard says there’s no bad blood between these two schools, even though the two fan bases have been going back and forth throughout the week…
cut 20 (25) “…having fun”
First pitch is tonight at 7pm.

There’s some bad news involving Saints pass rusher Junior Galette. He reportedly injured his pectoral muscle and may need surgery. If he undergoes surgery, Galette will not be be able to return until late in the season. Galette had ten sacks last season.

Many people in Louisiana watched Game One of the NBA Finals Thursday, which saw Golden State defeat Cleveland in overtime. There were an estimated 17.8 million viewers nationwide, which is the largest game one audience ever on ABC. But it’s likely that will be highest viewed game of the series, because the Cavs have announced Kyrie Irving is done for the finals after suffering a fractured kneecap.

Tickets are hard to come by for this weekend’s Super Regional series between LSU and UL Lafayette. The games are sold out, so you’re only option, if you want to get into Alex Box Stadium is the secondary ticket market. Stub-Hub’s Allison Salcedo says some of the best deals are right before gametime.

The latest forecast of the Red River has it now cresting in Shreveport at its highest level in 70 years…
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

The State Senate has approved a bill that would raise the cigarette tax to a $1.08 a pack. That’s a 72 cents increase from where the price is now. The measure goes back to the House, which approved a much lower tax on cigarettes at 32 cents. The House and Senate have until june 11th to come up with a number they agree on.
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Willie “Dynamite” Larkin has been named the new president at Grambling State University. The UL System Board selected Larkin over 4 other candidates who were interviewed on Grambling’s campus this week. Larkin says the difficult selection process should benefit him….
CUT 9 (10) “few months”
Larkin takes over on July 1st.

Baton Rouge Food Blogger and chef, Jay Ducote, is competing on Season 11 of Food Network Star which premieres this Sunday. The hit reality competition show awards the winner with their own series on the Food Network. Ducote, says being one of the 12 finalists on Food Network Star is a dream come true…:
cut 12 (10) “Food Network Star”
You can catch the premier Sunday night at 8.

The forecast of the Red River cresting at 36.5 feet in the Shreveport area Sunday evening, is the highest in 70 years. Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says, at this point, only a handful of properties have taken in water and they hope the situation doesn’t get worse…
CUT 6 (11) “bigger problems develop”
175 thousand sandbags have been distributed in the area.

Just to give you an idea of how hard it is to find tickets for the LSU Super Regional matchup against UL Lafayette Saturday night, standing room only tickets sold out in 5 minutes. You can find tickets; they’re just going to cost more…
CUT 4 (03) Q: “$340”
That’s Stubhub spokesperson Allison Salcedo (sal-SAY-doe).
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A Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Deputy has been arrested for indecent behavior with a 16 year-old girl. It was alleged that 28 year-old Scott P. Hebert messaged her through Facebook, had inappropriate contact with the juvenile, and provided her with alcohol. Hebert confirmed the allegations and was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center.

A local food blogger and chef of Louisiana cuisine is competing on Season 11 of Food Network Star, which premiers this Sunday. Jay Ducote says that this first episode will be the true first time all the contestants walk into the kitchen and meet each other. He says they introduce themselves first:
CUT 14 (12) Q: “Food Network fans”
The premier is Sunday night at 8pm.

The Red River is now expected to crest in Shreveport at 36.5 feet on Sunday evening, and that’s the highest in 70 years. Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says that’s major flood stage, so residents need to be aware…
CUT 8 (09) Q: ‘and your family’
Downriver, even the Alexandria area will get some flooding.

The new president of Grambling State University has been announced by the UL System. He’s the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at Morgan State University -and motivational speaker -Willie “Dynamite” Larkin. Larkin takes over July 1st, and will hit the ground running…
CUT 11 (10) Q: “as well”
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A famous Baton Rouge food blogger and self-taught chef will be competing on Season 11 of Food network Star, which will premier this Sunday. Jay Ducote says-even though he did not attend any culinary schools, he says he is making his pitch based on strong training…
CUT 13 (13) Q: ‘for LSU football’

There’s tailgating for LSU baseball also in anticipation for the huge NCAA Super Regional match-up against UL Lafayette. Standing room only tickets at Alex Box went on sale this morning, and sold out in five minutes. Even though current prices are running at several hundreds dollars each, Allison Salcedo (sal SAY doe) from StubHub says the longer you wait, the better your chances of finding a better price…
CUT 5 (04) Q: “better deal”
First pitch at 7 pm tomorrow night, and it will be on ESPN 2.

The situation with the Red River flooding is getting more serious by the hour. The projected crest in the Shreveport area would be the highest crest of the Red River in 70 years. Mike Steele, with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says, equipment and approximately 175,000 sandbags have been delivered to the Shreveport area and officials are constantly monitoring conditions…:
CUT 7 (10) “ready to roll”

Willie “Dynamite” Larkin is the new president at Grambling State University. During the selection process, Larkin was interviewed by faculty and staff and “Dynamite,” who is also a motivational speaker, scored well with those two groups…:
CUT 10 (1) “hard at all”
He takes over July 1st.

Tickets to the LSU/UL-Lafayette Super Regional games this weekend are going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

And while we’re talking about tickets, Garth Brooks broke his Louisiana record today selling 55,423 tickets for the July Smoothie King Center shows in just 43 minutes. The previous record was from April 1998 when he sold 42,110 tickets to the shows at the PMAC.

The latest forecast of the Red River has it now cresting in the Shreveport area at its highest level in 70 years. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a blaze which claimed the life of a man from Opelousas last night. They say the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s firefighters responded to the fire around 8:15 pm and when they entered the home, they located 54-year-old Curtis Iles deceased in a hallway.

Baton Rouge Food Blogger and lover of Louisiana cuisine, Jay Ducote, is competing on Season 11 of Food Network Star which premieres this Sunday. The hit reality competition show awards the winner with their own series on the Food Network. Ducote, who has also appeared on MasterChef and Cutthroat Kitchen, says being one of the 12 finalists on Food Network Star is a dream come true…:
CUT 12 (10) “Food Network Star”
The premiere Sunday will air at 8pm and a huge viewing party with Ducote is being held in Downtown Baton Rouge.

Garth Brooks broke a Louisiana ticket sales record today selling 55,424 tickets for the July New Orleans shows in just 43 minutes.