A Jefferson Parish deputy was wounded and two men are dead after a shooting Wednesday night in Gretna.
According to Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, the shooting happened around 10:22 p.m. outside an IHOP in the 100 block of the Westbank Expressway near Terry Parkway.
Lopinto said detectives were conducting an undercover drug purchase in the parking lot when a driver put his vehicle in reverse, striking a deputy and ramming a JPSO car. Detectives shot at the suspect’s car, striking the driver and a man sitting in a passenger seat.
The JPSO reports that the driver died at the scene. The passenger who was also shot at the scene was taken to the hospital where he later died.
One detective was struck by police gunfire. He was also taken to University Medical Center and underwent surgery overnight. He was shot in the abdomen is listed in stable condition and is expected to fully recover.
A witness at the scene said she heard about 15 shots and was very scared.
The investigation into the shooting continues.
Senator John Kennedy says the decision by Cook County prosecutors not to pursue charges against actor Jussie Smollet, who police staged a fake hate crime, is another example of how the rich and famous get to play by a different set of rules…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction for the man who fatally shot former Saints player Will Smith in a 2016 traffic dispute. Legal analyst Tim Meche says the opinion of the panel to reject all grounds of the appeal of Cardell Hayes was very thorough.
Cut 13 (09) “…a crime novel.”

Obamacare individual market enrollment hits it’s lowest level in Louisiana since the option came online in 2014. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Senator John Kennedy is calling on the US Attorney’s Office to pursue action against former Empire star Jussie Smollett for allegedly faking a racially motivated assault against himself. This comes after Cook County prosecutors dropped their charges against the actor.
Kennedy says he’s encouraged by reports that the feds are stepping in where local authorities failed.
Cut 7 (08) “…the law”

LSU hoops fans heading to the nation’s capital to see the Tiger take on Michigan State Friday in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament will have a warm welcome from the DC’s LSU Alumni Chapter. Chapter secretary Ginger Gibson says they are excited to welcome Tiger fans from Louisiana and around the nation.
Cut 10 (10) “…that we’re organizing.”
LSU will need its bats to wake up in Starkville as the Tigers begin a three-game series against Mississippi State tonight. Following the Tigers two-to-nothing loss to McNeese on Tuesday, the team held a players only meeting.

Saints Owner Gayle Benson vowed to make changes to the NFL rulebook after the team felt they were denied a chance at playing for a Super Bowl, because of a non-pass interference call. Coach Sean Payton arrived at the NFL owners meeting earlier this week, lobbying others to allow instant replay look at pass interference calls…

Cut 7 (08) “…good about that”
NFL owners voted to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference calls and allow for the review of a non-pass interference call.

State Fire Marshal investigators are on the case of a mobile home fire that left two children dead in the Franklinton area. Shortly after midnight, firefighters were dispatched to the home. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says deputies are conducting their investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.

Cut 4 (13) “…at this point″

Seven people have been arrested in an alleged U-Haul insurance fraud scheme that authorities say was led by 42-year-old Hayward Howard and 28-year-old Jasmine Howard. The team allegedly staged two wrecks in Orleans Parish and then filed claims against Howard’s U-Haul purchased short term insurance. So why pick U-Hauls for insurance fraud?  State Police Trooper Monroe Dillon says it’s possible the hustle may not have resulted in Howard’s premiums increasing.

Cut 13 (10) “…with this.”

20-year-old Elias Smallsreed is locked up following a multi-parish police pursuit on I-10 yesterday that ended in Baton Rouge when the suspect crashed into several cars. State Police spokesperson Taylor Scrantz says the wild episode started when a trooper attempted to make a traffic stop on Smallsreed’s vehicle but ended with him catching a litany of charges.

Cut 11 (13)   “…other traffic charges.”

Even though it will not change the outcome of the NFC Championship game, the Saints secured a victory on Tuesday night when the NFL owners voted to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference calls and allow for the review of a non pass interference call. Coach Sean Payton led the charge for the new rule…
Cut 6 (08) “…good change”
Saints Owner Gayle Benson vowed to make changes to the NFL rulebook after the team was defeated by the NOLA No Call.
20-year-old Elias Smallsreed is locked up following a multi-parish police pursuit on I-10 yesterday that ended in Baton Rouge when the suspect crashed into several cars. State Police spokesperson Taylor Scrantz.
Cut 9 (08) “…into Ascension Parish.”
__________________________________
An overnight mobile home fire leaves two children dead in the Franklinton area.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
The Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction for the man who fatally shot former Saints player Will Smith in a 2016 traffic dispute. The three-judge panel unanimously rejected all grounds of Cardell Hayes’ appeal. Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in December 2016.

NFL owners vote to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference, both calls and non-calls like the one in the NFC Title game. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

The Louisiana 4^th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction for the man who fatally shot former Saints player Will Smith in a 2016 traffic dispute.  The three-judge panel unanimously rejected all grounds of Cardell Hayes’ appeal.  Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in December 2016.

State Fire Marshal investigators are on the scene of a mobile home fire that left two children dead (10 year old girl, 6 year old boy) in the Franklinton area. Shortly after midnight, firefighters were dispatched to the home. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says a total of seven people were in the home at the time of the blaze.

Cut 3 (11) “…hospitals for treatment.”

Browning says the fire has shaken the community.  Deputies are currently conducting their investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.

20-year-old Elias Smallsreed of Zachary is locked up following a multi-parish police pursuit on I-10 yesterday that ended in Baton Rouge when the suspect crashed into several cars. State Police spokesperson Taylor Scrantz says the wild episode started when a trooper attempted to make a traffic stop on Smallsreed’s vehicle for driving east on the interstate at a high speed, then hooked a U-turn and headed back into the direction of Baton Rouge, where he then encountered traffic.

Cut 10 (08)“…he continued to refuse.”

An overnight mobile home fire leaves two children dead in the Franklinton area.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

____________________________

NFL owners vote to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference, both calls and non-calls like the one in the NFC Title game. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

_____________________________________________

State Fire Marshal investigators are on the scene of a mobile home fire that left two children dead (10 year old girl, 6 year old boy) in the Franklinton area. Shortly after midnight, firefighters were dispatched to the home. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says a total of seven people were in the home at the time of the blaze.

Cut 3 (11) “…hospitals for treatment.”

Browning says the fire has shaken the community.  Deputies are currently conducting their investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.

Cut 4 (13) “…at this point″

Browning says the tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of having an escape plan in the event of a fire.

Cut 5 (10)  “…maybe the mailbox.”

____________________

Even though it will not change the outcome of the NFC Championship game, the Saints secured a victory on Tuesday night when the NFL owners voted to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference calls and allow for the review of a non pass interference call. Coach Sean Payton led the charge for the new rule…

Cut 6 (08) “…good change”

Saints Owner Gayle Benson vowed to make changes to the NFL rulebook after the team felt they were denied a chance at playing for a Super Bowl, because of a non-pass interference call. Payton arrived at the NFL owners meeting earlier this week, lobbying others to allow instant replay look at pass interference calls…

Cut 7 (08) “…good about that”

Coaches can now challenge questionable pass interference plays until the last two minutes and then it’s subject to a booth review. Heading into the owners meetings, there was resistance in expanding replay use for penalties, but Payton says after some convincing, there’s majority support for pass interference calls

Cut 8 (06) “…got it right”

_____________________

20-year-old Elias Smallsreed is locked up following a multi-parish police pursuit on I-10 yesterday that ended in Baton Rouge when the suspect crashed into several cars. State Police spokesperson Taylor Scrantz says the wild episode started when a trooper attempted to make a traffic stop on Smallsreed’s vehicle

Cut 9 (08) “…into Ascension Parish.”

Scrantz says Smallsreed then hooked a U-turn and headed back into the direction of Baton Rouge, where he then encountered traffic.

Cut 10 (08)“…he continued to refuse.”

Authorities with the help of a K-9 then removed the man from the vehicle.  Scrantz says Smallsreed was impaired at the time and he had drug paraphernalia on him. Had Smallsreed complied from the start, Scrantz says the situation likely would not have escalated to the point it did, but now he’s facing a litany of charges.

Cut 11 (13)   “…other traffic charges.”

_____________________________________

Seven people have been arrested in an alleged U-Haul insurance fraud scheme that authorities say was led by 42-year-old Hayward Howard and 28-year-old Jasmine Howard. The team allegedly staged two wrecks in Orleans Parish, and then filed claims against Howard’s U-Haul purchased short term insurance. State Police Trooper Monroe Dillon.

Cut 12 (12) “…companies.”

The allegations by RepWest about the August 2018 crash were forwarded to the Louisiana State insurance fraud section.

So why pick U-Hauls for insurance fraud? It might be because the recommended insurance for truck drivers is actually separate from your regular car insurance, and Dillon says it’s possible the hustle may not have resulted in Howard’s premiums increasing.

Cut 13 (10) “…with this.”

Those inside of the vehicles during the staged wrecks filed personal injury claims as well.

Dillon says the other five people catching charges were in on the scam, and likely going to get a cut of whatever the settlement was.

Cut 14 (08) “…as well.”

Everyone involved was from New Orleans.

Even though it will not change the outcome of the NFC Championship game, the Saints secured a victory on Tuesday night when the NFL owners voted to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference calls and allow for the review of a non pass interference call. Coach Sean Payton led the charge for the new rule…
Cut 6 (08) “…good change”
Coaches can now challenge questionable pass interference plays until the last two minutes and then it’s subject to a booth review.
The LSU men’s basketball team leaves for Washington D-C today where they’ll take on the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night in the Sweet 16. LSU Interim Head Coach Tony Benford on the opposition.
Cut 16 (14) “in transition”
_______________________________
An overnight mobile home fire leaves two children dead in the Franklinton area. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
LSU fell last night to McNeese 2-0.

NFL owners vote to expand the use of instant replay to include pass interference, both calls and non-calls like the one in the NFC Title game. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
Three men are behind bars following accusations they managed to heist over 100 iPhones from a Best Buy in Baton Rouge. East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s detective Major Willie Stewart.
Cut 10 (09) “…didn’t recover them”
______________________________
State Fire Marshal investigators are on the scene of a mobile home fire that left two children dead in the Franklinton area. Shortly after midnight, firefighters were dispatched to the home. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says a total of seven people were in the home at the time of the blaze.
Cut 3 (11) “…hospitals for treatment.”
Louisiana received 18 dollars per person in federal funding to fight the opioid epidemic last year, for a total of 82 million dollars from over 50 different revenue streams according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Chief medical adviser Anand Parekh says the majority of those funds went to high population parishes like Orleans and East Baton Rouge, but…
Cut 13 (08) “…ratesz.”
Washington, Livingston, and West Carroll Parishes had some of the highest overdose rates in the state, but some of the lowest per capita funding.

NFL Coaches can now challenge questionable pass interference plays until the last two minutes and then it’s subject to a booth review. Heading into the NFL owners meetings, there was resistance in expanding replay use for penalties, but Saints Coach Sean Payton says after some convincing, there’s majority support for pass interference calls

Cut 8 (06) “…got it right”

Saints Owner Gayle Benson vowed to make changes to the NFL rulebook after the team felt they were denied a chance at playing for a Super Bowl, because of a non-pass interference call.
The Louisiana Dairy Industry is having a cow over the rise of almond “milk”, saying the label is not accurate, so Delhi Senator Francis Thompson has filed a bill to prohibit non-dairy products from describing themselves as milk. Thompson says the bill would help protect local farmers.

Cut 5 (08) “…our milk.”

Louisiana received 82 million dollars in federal funds to fight the opioid epidemic in 2018, a 71 percent increase from 2017. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

State Fire Marshal investigators are on the scene of a fire that left two children dead and three others injured in the Franklinton area. First responders got to the blaze around 12:45 am. The two children who passed away were ages 10 and 6. The remaining three were airlifted to Baton Rouge hospitals for treatment. Deputies are currently conducting their investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.

The Office of Juvenile Justice cut the ribbon on a new, modern rehabilitation facility in Bunkie today after months of delays. Deputy Secretary Dr. James Bueche says the “Missouri Model” is more effective, and will save money that can be used to build more state-of-the-art facilities.
Cut 14 (09) “…do that.”
Those new facilities may be needed sooner rather than later, as an LSU study predicts the juvenile prison population will increase by 67 people in 2020 when 17-year-old violent offenders are no longer prosecuted as adults.
After days of specualtion, the Saints announced the signing of 2018 Pro Bowl tight end Jared Cook today. The 32-year-old has reportedly received a two-year contract worth 15.5 million dollars. Cook caught 68 passes for the Raiders last year.
_______________________
Today is Diabetes Alert Day which is meant to bring awareness to testing for prediabetes. Kevin Barnhart has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
After repeated delays, the Louisiana Association of Therapeutic Alternatives has demanded that medical marijuana be available by May 15th. executive director Jesse McCormick.
Cut 4 (07) “…up and running″