A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says the suspect, 28-year-old Gerry Byrd, fled to Mississippi where he was shot by law enforcement in the Woodville area after they were alerted he was in a parking lot, waving two semi-auto pistols in the air.
Cut 7 (10) “…officer-involved shooting.”
Coppola says the suspect was brought back to Baton Rouge to be treated for his life threatening injuries. The victim’s wounds appear to be non-life threatening.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs.
Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daige says it drew it’s catchy title from the group at the center of this particular drug bust.

Cut 11 (11) “…murder gang.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria from $5 to $6 per tail for the season that starts November 1^st.  LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says the bounty program has been in place since 2002, adding at one point, there was a fur market for the nutria and the state didn’t have an issue with rodents causing damage to the wetlands because of the number of hunters keeping the population down and keep them from overgrazing.

Cut 14 (10) “…along our coast.” 

The State Fire Marshal’s Office announces the arrest of two volunteer firefighers for their connection to three fires in two parishes. Since being taken into custody, Matthew Crane of Springhill and Montana Ludlum of Cullen have made confessions of there involvement. Both men have been dismissed from the fire department.

The former Marksville deputy marshal sentenced to 7.5 years for his role in the 2015 fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy during a chase is out of prison after serving less than two years..

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola…

Cut 6 (10) “…of the interstate.”

The suspect fled to Mississippi where he was shot by authorities, and is in Baton Rouge recovering.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs. Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daigre says the taskforce has made some major seizures.

Cut 9 (10) “…as well.”

The task force secured over a million dollars in street value worth of drugs during the two-year operation.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria tails for the season that starts November 1^st. LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says  the money is provided by the feds and the raise comes with the hope that the higher bounty will entice more catches, getting numbers back to average.

Cut 13 (10) “…of nutria damage.”  

The new price per tail is six bucks a pop, up from five.

Former Marksville Deputy Marshal Norris Greenhouse Junior, sent to jail for his role in the shooting death of a six-year-old boy during a 2015 car chase, is a free man after serving less than two years of a 7.5 year sentence for negligent homicide and malfeasance in office. Legal analyst Franz Borghart says some might be disappointed by his early release, but state law allows for it…

Cut 5 (05) “…this case.”

The other Marskville deputy involved in the shooting, Derrick Stafford, is serving a 40-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish results in multiple arrests and the ziezure of 90 pounds of meth after two years. Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daigre says the name of the operation wasn’t just pulled out of thin air…

Cut 11 (11) “…murder gang.”

The street value is estimated at a million dollars.

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge after allegedly being shot by a man who was driving the car she was riding in before being left on the road.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says s the suspect, 28-year-old Gerry Byrd, fled to Mississippi where he was shot by law enforcement, and was brought back to Baton Rouge to be treated for his injuries.

Cut 8 (09) “…at this time.”

The incident originally occurred near the I-110 split

The Louisiana Department or Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria tails for the season that starts November 1^st. LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says the bounty program has been in place since 2002, and has resulted in reducing the toll the invasive species of rodent has taken on the wetlands.

Cut 12 (09)   “…the upcoming season.”

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of two suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs. Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daigre…

Cut 9, 10 seconds, as well

The operation was named after the group at the center of the narcotics trade, who called themselves “The Murder Gang”.

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says police responded to call about a woman walking on the interstate near the I-110 Split.

Cut 6 (10) “…of the interstate.”

A suspect in the shooting was later shot by authorities after fleeing to Mississippi.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Former Marksville Deputy Marshal Norris Greenhouse Junior, sent to jail for his role in the shooting death of a six-year-old boy during a 2015 car chase, is free after serving less than two years of a 7.5 year sentence. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he’s disappointed by Greenhouse’s early release but Legal analyst Franz Borghart says…

Cut 4

Department of Corrections says Greenhouse earned the release by completing anger management programs.

Senator John Kennedy spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club and during the address, he gave his thoughts on the current state of the Governor’s race.  believes the race will be a close one but adds that Governor Edwards has the advantage of money and media…

Cut 11 (10) “…know that’s true.”

Kennedy did not endorse one of the two Republicans in the race.

Former Marksville Deputy Marshal Norris Greenhouse Junior, sent to jail for his role in the shooting death of a six-year-old boy during a 2015 car chase, is a free man after serving less than two years of a 7.5 year sentence for negligent homicide and malfeasance in office. Legal analyst Franz Borghart says inmates convicted on non-violent charges typically do not serve their entire sentence

Cut 3 (10) “…25-percent”

With the start of July, a new fiscal year is underway and that means more money for K-12 education and public school teachers. And Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says this year’s budget surplus will allow the government to invest more in the state’s oldest, and youngest citizens…

Cut 5    (12) “…start” 

Early childhood education received 18.8 million in new funding this year.

Fourteen alligator snapping turtles that have been raised with the care of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are now swimming in the wild as part of a program to replenish the species.  LDWF biologist Charles Battaglia says since 2012, the program has raised and released several hundred turtles in an effort to protect the younger turtles from predators such as raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and some fish.

Cut 8 (08) “…problem with them.”

The federal government is scheduled to decide next year whether to declare the turtles as endangered or threatened.

Senator John Kennedy spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club and during the address, he gave his thoughts on the current state of the Governor’s race.  Kennedy says he’s spoken with President Trump about the election but did not disclose many more details.

Cut 10 (08) “…things his way.”

Teacher pay raises and K-12 funding increases headlined this year’s budget debate, but a few other areas are seeing funding increases, mostly thanks to the budget surplus. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

This evening Governor Edwards will officially dedicate a section of Northwest Evangeline Thruway in honor of former Governor Kathleen Blanco. Edwards will join other local and state officials and unveil the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway at 5:30 today. 76-year old Blanco has been battling cancer and entered hospice care in April.

More than 200 US mayors, including the leaders of Shreveport, Monroe, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge are returning home after they spent five days in Honolulu at the United States Conference of Mayors. One of the topics they discussed was the 2020 Census and Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo says they studied best practices for obtaining the most accurate count of residents in their cities…

Cut 14 (11) “…federal dollars.”

Fourteen alligator snapping turtles that have been raised with the care of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are now swimming in the wild as part of a program to replenish the species.  LDWF biologist Charles Battaglia says while the numbers in Louisiana are doing okay, elsewhere the population is showing red flags.

Cut 7 (07) “…declining as well

The Federal government is scheduled to decide next year whether to declare the turtles as endangered to threatened.

Teacher pay raises and K-12 funding increases headlined this year’s budget debate, but a few other areas are seeing funding increases, mostly thanks to the budget surplus. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

__________________________

Next year,  alligator snapping turtles could be declared as endangered or threatened, but biologists with the LDWF are working to reduce the need for that classification. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.” 

______________________________________________

Senator John Kennedy says he’s keeping a finger of the pulse of the upcoming Governor’s race.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

____________

Yesterday marked the beginning of the new fiscal year, and while the budget battle was focused on K-12 funding increases and teacher pay raises, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne pointed out a few other areas that got some love.

The decade has been defined by higher ed funding decreases, but Dardenne says the state has turned a corner…

Cut 4 (11) “…TOPS.”

Higher Ed Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed noted that’s now two years in a row for higher ed funding increases.

Dardenne says this year’s budget surplus will allow the government to invest more in the state’s oldest, and youngest citizens…

Cut 5    (12) “…start” 

Early childhood education received 18.8 million in new funding this year.

School shootings are at the front of many parent’s minds and Dardenne says they’ve allocated new funds to school safety.

Cut 6 (07) “…the state”

Dardenne says it does not appear likely that the state will face any mid-year budget cuts.

 ________________________________________

Fourteen alligator snapping turtles that have been raised with the care of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are now swimming in the wild as part of a program to replenish the species.  LDWF biologist Charles Battaglia says while the numbers in Louisiana are doing okay, elsewhere the population is showing red flags.

Cut 7 (07) “…declining as well.”

The federal government is scheduled to decide next year whether to declare the turtles as endangered or threatened.  Battaglia says since 2012, the program has raised and released several hundred turtles in an effort to protect the younger turtles from predators such as raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and some fish.

Cut 8 (08) “…problem with them.”

Battaglia says while it may not seem like the turtles serve a huge role in the ecosystem, fishermen may see the value in them.

Cut 9 (09) “…when you’re fishing.”

The turtles were released in the Boeuf Wildlife Management Area in Caldwell Parish.

__________________________________

Senator John Kennedy spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club and during the address, he gave his thoughts on the current state of the Governor’s race.  Kennedy says he’s spoken with President Trump about the election but did not disclose many more details.

Cut 10 (08) “…things his way.”

Kennedy believes the race will be a close one but adds that Governor Edwards has the advantage of having plenty of money and mainstream media connections.

Cut 11 (10) “…know that’s true.”

Kennedy stopped short of endorsing one candidate and says although he likes all three candidates, either of the two Republican candidates, Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone or Congressman Ralph Abraham would do a better job than Governor Edwards.

Kennedy was at one time considered a favorite to run as a Republican against Edwards before deciding against entering the race late last year.  The Senator says the current candidates have not made him reconsider that decision.

Cut 12 (07) “…get into the race.”

_________________

222 US mayors, including the leaders of Shreveport, Monroe, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge are returning home from five days of the United States Conference of Mayors in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo says they got an opportunity to learn how to generate federal dollars for much needed economic development and infrastructure needs back home…

Cut 13 (09) “…locally”

And with the 2020 Census right around the corner, Mayo says they studied best practices for obtaining the most accurate count of residents in their cities…

Cut 14 (11) “…federal dollars.”

The diverse cast of mayors from every corner of the US each shared their experiences with climate change, from wildfires in California, to tornadoes and floods in Louisiana…

Cut 15 (08) “…to help”

The Pelicans made a splash at the start of the NBA free agency last night by using their cap space on two widely respected veterans at positions of need. The team nabbed, free agent 3 point specialist, shooting guard JJ Reddick. Locked on Pelicans Publisher Jake Madison says Reddick is exactly what the young team needed.

Cut 6 (10) “…Washington.”

The Pels also traded for Utah for Center Derrick Favors.

Two men are dead following a break-in at a Shreveport home early Sunday morning. A female witness who lived there told investigators that her ex-boyfriend, broke into the home and shot her current boyfriend, a Barksdale airman. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says there were five children in the home…

Cut 5 (08) “…get to safety.”

The children were aged 6 to 17.

A new LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center study finds eating more will keep those who exercise regularly from losing more weight. Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 2 (32) I’m Jeff Palermo”  

A new fiscal year budget for Louisiana goes into effect today. The spending plan contains funding increases for K-through-12 education, public colleges and early childhood education, which will allow more low-income families to receive assistance so their children can attend pre-K education. TOPS also received a 15 million dollar bump in funding, and state leaders do not expect any midyear cuts will be needed.

Senator John Kennedy spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club and during the address, he gave his thoughts on the current state of the Governor’s race. Kennedy says he’s spoken with President Trump about the election, but did not disclose many more details.

Cut 10 (08) “…things his way.”

Kennedy believes the race will be a close one, but adds that Governor Edwards has the advantage of having plenty of money and mainstream media connections.

Cut 11 (10) “…know that’s true.”

Kennedy stopped short of endorsing one candidate, and says although he likes all three candidates, either of the two Republican candidates, Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone or Congressman Ralph Abraham would do a better job than Governor Edwards.

Kennedy was at one time considered a favorite to run as a Republican against Edwards before deciding against entering the race late last year. The Senator says the current candidates have not made him reconsider that decision.

Cut 12 (07) “…get into the race.”

Two men are dead following a break-in at a Shreveport home early Sunday morning. A female witness who lived there told investigators that her ex-boyfriend, broke into the home through a master bedroom window. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick…

Cut 3 (11) “…at that time.”

The victim, 36-year-old Perry Bailey, was a Barksdale airman.

The Pelicans made a splash at the start of the NBA free agency last night signing highly regarded veteran shooting guard JJ Reddick and trading for Utah center Derrick Favors. Those moves mark the likely end of the Pels’ roster remake, and Locked on Pelicans Publisher Jake Madison says New Orleans is ready to push for a playoff spot…

Cut 8 (09) “…the bench.”

The team also signed Italian forward Nico Melli.

LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has found that people who exercise regularly, but do not lose as much weight as expected are eating too much. Doctor Tim Church says they looked at people who were overweight or had obesity over a six-month period and came away with those results…

Cut 9 (11) “…what they eat.”

Church says an additional 100 calories a day can add up.

In Lafayette, police are investigating a shooting that resulted in the death of a two-year-old. The incident happened around eight o’clock Sunday night and three adults at the home have been arrested in what is being ruled an accidental shooting. Lafayette Police spokesperson Corporal Bridgette Dugas says death investigations are always traumatic for everyone involved, especially when a child’s life is cut short.

Cut 14 (04) “…infant involved.” 

The child’s mother 22-year old MaKayla Cormier is among the three arrested