Budget cuts will result in 14 museums under the control of the Secretary of State to reduce the number of days they are open. Scott Carwile has the story…

cut 3 (30) “reporting”

The state department of Revenue announces that tax refunds will begin being issued the week of March 2nd. This is one week later than originally planned. Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield says this delay is due to the recent increase and still unfolding developments centered around fraudulent tax returns filed across the country.

The US Department of Health and Human Services announces over 184-thousand Louisianans signed up for insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. That’s up from 102,000 last year. Marketplace Director and CEO Kevin Counihan says says they know open enrollment next year will be bigger and better than it was this year…

cut 9 (09) “certainly does”

Counihan says when you see big enrollment numbers like these it means that people are starting to realize that the products and services being offered through HealthCare.gov are quality.

A doctoral candidate in LSU’s College of Engineering believes drones can be an effective way to control mosquito-borne diseases. Charles Malveaux says the ideal system would use two drones: one to survey the area and another to treat the area…

cut 5 (08) “for another task”

He says mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and West Nile, could be prevented with technology like this.

Over 184-thousand Louisianans signed up for insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Marketplace Director and CEO Kevin Counihan says they are very pleased with how things are going…

cut 7 (08) “easier and simpler”

Nationwide, about 11.4 million Americans selected Marketplace plans or automatically re-enrolled by Sunday’s deadline.

Due to mid-year budget cuts, Secretary of State Tom Schedler announces reduced days of operation for 14 state museums. In addition to the reduced hours of operation, 24 Secretary of State employees will be laid off. Schedler says if there’s group or individual that wants to provide financial resources, his door is open…

cut 15 (11) “those discussions”

He says the reduced hours could be in place for the foreseeable future.

A doctoral candidate in LSU’s College of Engineering believes he’s come up with a unique way to control mosquito-borne diseases. Charles Malveaux’s idea is to use drones for mosquito control. Malveaux says the concept is pretty straightforward…

cut 4 (06) “can be targeted”

Malveaux’s plan would use drones to treat breeding areas with larvicide, preventing mosquitoes from hatching.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the severe insect pest Emerald Ash Borer, or EAB, has been detected in Louisiana. The EAB attacks ash trees and has been confirmed in Webster Parish. Strain says the EAB was discovered last year in southern Arkansas and they think it got there from someone who brought firewood from another state…

cut 11 (07) “from where you buy it”

He says the EAB could be devastating to the trees.

A survey of Louisiana public school teachers finds that 78-percent of them believe the annual standardized tests are excessive…
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

The Secretary of State’s Office is bracing for a $930 thousand dollar mid-year budget reduction. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says this one is the largest to hit historical sites. He says there will be dozens of layoffs, and hours of operation reductions are planned, as many museums and the Old State Capitol cut back.
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The Department of Labor’s required $5 an hour pay increase for guest workers will probably cause a big rise in the price of crawfish. Legal foreign workers perform jobs crawfish processors cannot fill locally, and that pay raise could mean more consumer cost. Lafayette restaurant owner and crawfish processor, Frank Randol, says the feds caught them off-guard…
CUT 5 (10) Q: “changed the game”

A brother and sister are dead after being shot at the Sugar Shack in New Roads early this morning. Point Coupee Sheriff’s Office Captain Steven Juge says the incident happened around 12:30 am…
CUT 9 (08) “parking lot”
The victims are 38-year-old Seneca Williams and 41-year-old Lichelle Williams. The suspect is 31-year-old Jamie Croom, who remains at large.

The Louisiana Association of Educators has released a new survey showing about 78 percent of teachers are against yearly standardized tests of students, because they say the prep time for kids to get ready is taking away from learning time. LAE President Debbie Meaux says it’s a problem now, and a possible problem for the future, as they seek to find new teachers…
CUT 8 (06) Q: “for children”

A late-night shooting at a New Roads nightclub has left two people dead, and authorites on the hunt for the suspect who pulled the trigger. Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Steven Juge says the suspect who remains at large is 31 year-old Jamie Croom…
CUT 11 (06) Q; “a club”
That club was the Sugar Shack, and the dead are 38 year-old Seneca Williams and her brother, 41 year-old Lichelle Williams.
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New federal guidelines for an increase in guest worker wages could be hitting crawfish lovers in the pocketbook. Louisiana’s crawfish industry depends heavily on guest workers to perform jobs they cannot fill locally, and processors say the five dollar an hour raise to 12.35 an hour will result in a $3 per pound increase in the price of tail meat…
CUT 4 (07) Q: ‘of the country’
That’s Lafayette restaurant owner and crawfish processor Frank Randol.

In Union Parish, a Bernise woman is under arrest after leaving her 8 month-old son on a relative’s doorstep. With temperatures in the mid-30s before being discovered after about 90 minutes outside, the child was taken to the hospital with pnemonia. Sheriff Dusty Gates says they arrested 23 year-old Keondra Ferguson on criminal child abandonment charges…
CUT 14 (05) Q: ” the child”
The baby is now in the custody of the father.

The price of Louisiana crawfish could be going up big time. Here’s Eric Gill with that story…:
CUT 1 (30) Q: “reporting”

The US Department of Health and Human Services says over 184,000 people in Louisiana are signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. That is a growth of 82 thousand state-wide over last year. Nationwide that number is about 11.4 million Americans. These numbers are as of February 15th which was the deadline to sign up this year.
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New numbers from the Louisiana Association of Educators reveals 78 percent of teachers believe annual state-required standardized tests takes too much time away from classroom instruction…
CUT 7 (10) Q: “to learn”
That’s LAE President Debbie Meaux, who thinks the better option is to test once in elementary school; once in middle school; and one more time at the high school level.

A brother and sister are dead after being shot at a New Roads nightclub early this morning. Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Steven Juge (rhymes with huge) says there was some type of altercation at the The Sugar Shack …:
cut 10 (09) “from people”
The dead are thirty-eight-year-old Seneca Williams and 41-year-old Lichelle Williams. The suspect is 31-year-old Jamie Croom, who remains at large.

Crawfish processors say new federal guidelines regarding guest worker wages could cause a big hike in the price of the mudbugs. Louisiana’s crawfish industry depends heavily on legal foreign workers to perform jobs they can’t fill locally. Lafayette restaurant owner and crawfish processor Frank Randol says the federal government mandates those workers now be paid $12.35 an hour…:
CUT 3 (08) “wholesale level”
There is concern that the price of crawfish could climb higher than what consumers are willing to pay.

Over 184,000 Louisianians are signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act as of February 15th which was the Obamacare enrollment period deadline. The US Department of Health and Human Services says Louisiana had the second-fastest growth rate during the last week of enrollment.

A woman from Bernice is in big trouble accused of leaving her baby on a doorstep of the father’s relative. Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates says 23-year-old Keondra Ferguson allegedly dropped her 8 month old son outside the residence for more than 90 minutes, with temperatures in the mid-30s, before being discovered. Gates says the baby was wrapped in warm clothing and in a car seat when found…:
CUT 13 (08) “have pneumonia”
He says Ferguson is charged with criminal child abandonment. The father is keeping the child.

Federal authorities are helping the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s office in locating the 31-year-old suspect who is accused in the murders of a brother and sister last night outside of a club in New Roads. They say Jamie Croom has a long criminal history and should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office says they are looking for the suspect they believe is responsible for shooting and killing a brother and sister last night at a club in New Roads. Captain Steven Juge says the victims are identified as 38-year-old Seneca Williams and 41-year-old Lichelle Williams. The suspect who remains at large is 31-year-old Jamie Croom. He says it appears there was some type of altercation between the suspect and victims…:
CUT 9 (08) “parking lot”
He says Croom should be considered armed and dangerous.

The US Department of Health and Human Services says 184,532 people in Louisiana are signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Nationwide that number is about 11.4 million Americans. These numbers are as of February 15th which was the deadline to sign up this year.

A survey of Louisiana Public school teachers finds that 78 percent believe annual standardized testing is excessive…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

If you’d made plans to watch some LSU baseball at the Box this weekend the start times have change amidst worries of nasty weather. Boston College and the Tigers now play a double header Friday at 2pm and 7pm then game three is Saturday at 3pm. LSU and Nicholls play tonight at 6:30 in Baton Rouge.

A survey of Louisiana teachers finds 78-percent of them believe state-required standardized tests takes too much time away from classroom instruction. Louisiana Association of Educators president Debbie Meaux says teachers believe there’s an overemphasis on standardized testing in state’s school accountability system…:
CUT 6 (10) “burden”
She believes students should only be required to take standardized tests once in elementary school, then again in middle school and one more time on the high school level.

The victims and suspects in the Pointe Coupee Parish shootings have been identified. Deputies say Jamie Croom is accused in the murders and currently remains at large but should be considered armed and dangerous. The victims are Seneca and Lischelle Williams who were murdered at the Sugar Shack over night in New Roads.

The Lafayette Police Department believes the person responsible for a fiery three car wreck yesterday was driving drunk. They say 23-year-old Bryce Champman slammed into a vehicle which was stopped to turn and upon impact engulfed in flames killing the driver. Champman is charged with 2nd offense OWI and Vehicular homicide.

The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office says a Bernice woman is under arrest after leaving her eight-month old son on a relative’s doorstep. Sheriff Dusty Gates says they received a call from the child’s father reporting that the baby was left outside a relative’s residence in Bernice…:
CUT 12 (12) “30 degrees”
The infant’s mother, 23-year-old Keondra Ferguson, is charged with criminal child abandonment.