State traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013 according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. But Executive Director Lt. Col. John LeBlanc says we still have a long way to go as impaired driving and not buckling up are still the leading factors in highway crashes…

cut 9 (09) “impaired driver”

LeBlanc says it’s encouraging to see an overall decline in lives lost on our roadways.

The state Department of Children and Family Services has released a new child support most wanted poster. D-C-F-S Secretary Suzy Sonnier says the Most Wanted poster represents the worst offenders, but there are over 58-thousand non-custodial parents who owe more than one-point-five billion in unpaid child support…

cut 12 (07) “the children”

The poster lists 14 individuals, who owe anywhere between 11-thousand to nearly 80-thousand dollars in past-due child support.

A Lake Charles woman has been arrested after the child she was caring for was found wandering along a highway yesterday. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says 23-year-old Jamie Jackson was babysitting the 4-year-old when she allegedly left the child alone while she brought her nephew to school and had coffee with her aunt. The child was found about a mile and a half from Jackson’s home on Highway 385. Jackson is charged with cruelty to a juvenile.

The Louisiana Lottery says tonight’s $317 million dollar Powerball jackpot is the 11th biggest in the game’s history. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 1 (27) “reporting”

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says new numbers show traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 2 (32) “reporting”

A Tuesday afternoon shootout in Denham Springs, involving an off-duty Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputy, has left one man dead. State Police say while the deputy was at home with his girfriend, the woman’s ex-husband attempted to enter the house. The two men apparently got into a gunfight where the ex-husband was killed. No other injuries were reported in the incident. Authorities are investigating this case as a domestic violence situation.

Governor Bobby Jindal is urging all parents to have their children vaccinated, despite a national debate over whether the vaccines are harmful to children. There are several celebrities who are part of an anti-vaccine movement and potential presidential candidate, Senator Rand Paul, said vaccinations have caused “mental disorders.” D-H-H immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch says celebrities and Senator Paul are not a reliable source on this topic…

cut 15 (10) “protect children”

Welch says if you’re uneasy about having your child vaccinated, talk with your pediatrician.

Tonight’s Powerball jackpot has grown to a whopping $317 million. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says their total sales from Powerball in its current run have been about $15.6 million. She says the big game accounts for about a quarter of their total sales…

cut 5 (08) “public education”

Chopin says 35 cents of every dollar of sales from all of their games goes to the state to help fund public education.

According to new numbers from The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, state traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013. Executive Director Lt. Col. John LeBlanc says in the past 7 years, the number of deaths on Louisiana’s roads has dropped to about 700 in 2013. He says there is a lot of great work being done by many highway safety advocates across the state…

cut 8 (06) “advocates”

LeBlanc says the motoring public also deserves credit for these improvements as seat-belt use is higher than it’s ever been at over 84%.

There’s a new child support most wanted poster produced by the state Department of Children and Family Services. It lists 14 individuals, who owe anywhere between 11-thousand to nearly 80-thousand dollars in past-due child support. D-C-F-S Secretary Suzy Sonnier says this is just one of many tools they use to get deadbeat parents to pay up…

cut 11 (08) “fishing licenses”

She says they publish the poster, so the public can help them find these deadbeat parents.

Amid a national debate over whether vaccines are harmful to children, Governor Bobby Jindal is urging all parents to have their children vaccinated. D-H-H immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch, says if parents are uneasy about having their child vaccinated, they should talk with their pediatrician…

cut 14 (09) “from a celebrity”

There are several celebrities who are part of an anti-vaccine movement.

The Louisiana Lottery says tonight’s $317 million dollar Powerball jackpot is the 11th biggest in the game’s history. Kimberly Chopin says Louisiana joined the Powerball in 1995 and since then we’ve had 15 jackpot winners. She says eight of those top 10 jackpots have occurred just since 2012…

cut 4 (08) “end of November”

Tonight’s jackpot has a cash value of $220 million dollars.

Governor Bobby Jindal is urging all parents to have their children vaccinated. A debate is underway nationally over whether the vaccines are harmful to children. Jindal says science shows vaccinations keep children safe. D-H-H immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch, supports Jindal’s position…

cut 13 (10) “are unvaccinated”

Welch says if parents are uneasy about having their child vaccinated, they should talk with their pediatrician.

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says new numbers show traffic fatalities have decreased almost 30 percent from 2007 to 2013. Executive Director Lt. Col. John LeBlanc says it’s encouraging to see an overall decline in lives lost on our roadways. He says rear set belt use in 2013 is now all the way up to about 55% which is a huge increase over 2009…

cut 7 (09) “right there”

The state Department of Children and Family Services has produced a new child support most wanted poster. It lists 14 individuals, who owe anywhere between 11-thousand to nearly 80-thousand dollars in past-due child support. D-C-F-S Secretary Suzy Sonnier says they publish the poster, so the public can help them find these deadbeat parents…

cut 10 (10) “find them”

Forty-year-old Edward Steven Fields, whose last known address was in Slidell, is the most wanted dead beat parent as he owes nearly 80-thousand dollars. Sonnier says there are over 58-thousand non-custodial parents who owe more than one-point-five billion in unpaid child support.

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation plans to fight a proposal by President Barack Obama to scrap an offshore revenue sharing plan that would provide the state with millions of dollars for coastal restoration…..
cut 2 (29) “…reporting

Governor Jindal released a statement today urging all parents to have their children vaccinated. A debate is underway nationally over whether its safe to have your child vaccinated against diseases. In Jindal’s statement, he says sciences supports them and he wouldn’t send his kids to a school that didn’t require vaccinations.

The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student . Witnesses told authorities that 31-year-old Chanel Lemelle of Bains Lower Elementary in St. Francisville, berated, kicked, and slapped a student. Sheriff’s spokesperson Erin Foster says they met with school board officials about these accusations…:
CUT 6 (12) “warrant for her”
Lemelle is charged with cruelty to juveniles.

We are seeing some chilly temperatures in Louisiana and that could have an effect on the crawfish crop leading up to Mardi Gras? LSU Aquaculture Specialist Dr. Greg Lutz…
CUT 12 (10) “just sit there”
He says that could result in a low supply of crawfish this weekend or at least an increased price.

The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student late last month…
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

The death of a nine-month old baby from Alexandria in March of last year has resulted in the arrest of a Eunice mother and stepfather. Twenty-one year-old Michelle Cotten and 21 year-old Billy Dean Cotten were both charged with first degree murder yesterday, with a bond set for 1 million dollars each. The investigation is ongoing.
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In the new federal budget, President Obama is proposing that offshore revenue sharing, which would provide Louisiana millions for coastal restoration, be replaced with a plan that would spread that money across the nation for various issues. Senator Bill Cassidy says it seems the president doesn’t care about the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…
CUT 3 (12) “disaster in the future”

If you’re in the low to moderate income levels, the IRS reminds everyone the Earned Income Tax Credit will be a big benefit for all workers, filing their 2014 taxes. It’s a benefit for families, but it’s also a tax savings for those without children who make less than 53 thousand dollars a year…
CUT 11 (06) Q: ‘to get that credit”
That’s IRS spokeswoman Jodi Patterson.

With President Obama proposing a sort of “spread the wealth”plan for all states to receive distribution from the offshore revenue plan, which would cost Louisiana millions, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has a another idea…
CUT 5 (10) Q: ‘opposed to us”
He says some states get 50-percent of the royalties from oil and gas resources produced on in-state lands, while Louisiana has gotten less than one percent in he last 3 years.

If you’re looking to get some crawfish this weekend, you may have some difficulty in finding them without a higher price. Blame the colder weather this week, but there’s good news, as the crawfish ponds are fairly shallow, and will warm up quickly…
CUT 14 (06) Q: “actively again”
That’s LSU Aquaculture Specialist Dr. Greg Lutz.
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A St. Francisville first-grade teacher has been arrested for allegedly striking a student late last month. Thirty-one year-old Chanel Menelle turned herself into authorites following witnesses reports of the assault, along with some surveillance video…
CUT 8 (06) Q: “he sat down”
That’s West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Erin Foster, who says Lamelle is charged with cruelty to juveniles.

The IRS is reminding low and moderate income tax payers they could be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit — the largest federal government benefit for workers. Spokesperson Jodi Patterson says for tax year 2014, the credit is as much as $6100 for a family with three or more children, and last year in Louisiana, 519,000 taxpayers took advantage…
CUT 10 (09) Q: “Louisiana economy”