Two people are dead after being hit while riding a motorcycle at two o’clock this morning. The accident occurred when a 14-year-old juvenile was driving a vehicle in the wrong lane on La 74 in Ascension Parish. Louisiana State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says the wreck was just awful.

Cut 5  (06) “head on”.

The juvenile is facing charges in the matter. He was moderately injured and taken to a local hospital. Alcohol is not suspected in the wreck.

Louisiana’s February unemployment rate of 4.5 percent is down over a full percentage point from a year ago. Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie says Health care is where most of the new jobs came from last month due in part to Medicaid expansion.

Cut 11 (08) “added 200.”

Louisiana motorists have seen a seven-cent increase in gasoline prices over the last week. Triple A’s fuel analyst Don Redman says the average price for regular gasoline is $2.39 a gallon. Redman says we usually see prices go up at this time of the year. He says budget accordingly…

Cut 8 (05) “last year.”

For the second time in five months, a winning Powerball jackpot ticket was purchased in Louisiana. The 55-million-dollar winning ticket from Saturday’s drawing was sold at Tigers Touch Down 2 in Lafayette.  Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says Louisiana Powerball players are on a historic hot streak.

Cut 12 (08)   “jackpot winners.”

The bayou hasnt seen this many winners in 23 years.

A 14-year-old motorist is allegedly responsible for two deaths. Jim Shannon has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jim Shannon”

Louisiana drivers are going to see higher gasoline prices for a while. Triple A’s fuel analyst Don Redman says the average price for regular gasoline is $2.40 a gallon, and that prices will continue to increase as we get closer to the summer driving season…

Cut 7 (07)  “a gallon.”

Louisiana’s unemployment rate continues to shrink as the February numbers are lower than they were a year ago. Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie says a good economy is driving much of the job increases Louisiana is enjoying.

Cut 9 (12) “going up.”

She credits an increase in workforce training as one reason unemployment is going south, and that the health care industry is responsible for much of that growth. Analysts are crediting the Medicaid expansion for the rapid growth in health care related jobs in the state.

And now here’s commodity prices:

Two people are dead after being hit while riding a motorcycle at two o’clock this morning. The accident occurred when a 14-year-old juvenile was driving a vehicle in the wrong lane on La 74 in Ascension Parish. Louisiana State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says the investigation is on-going and law enforcement is meeting with legal experts to determine which path to take on this horrific crash.

Cut 4 (:08) “a cause”

The juvenile driving the vehicle is facing charges.

Louisiana drivers are going to see higher gasoline prices for a while. Triple A’s fuel analyst Don Redman says the average price for regular gasoline is $2.40 a gallon. It’s the time of year and some changes in supplies that’s driving the prices at the pump…

Cut 6 (11)  “by OPEC.”

A memorial service was held Saturday for the slaves whose burial plots were discovered on Shell property in Ascension Parish. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office believes a series of five fires around Leesville are connected. Calls about the fires came in over a 30 minute time span starting at 2AM this morning, and is centered on particular neighborhood. No injuries were reported but the fires could have turned tragic as they were set very near to where families were sleeping, which means potential charges of aggravated arson.

Two people are dead after being hit while riding a motorcycle at two o’clock this morning. The accident occurred when a 14-year-old juvenile was driving a vehicle in the wrong lane on La 74 in Ascension Parish. Louisiana State Police Trooper Bryan Lee….

Cut 3 (11) “dusty duet”

The Governor’s Office is touting the second largest monthly unemployment rate decline in the country, but LSU economist Loren Scott says Baton Rouge lost 1,500 jobs last year, Lafayette saw 2,100 jobs go away and 1,400 jobs in New Orleans are not around that were last year. Scott says it’s a false reality of the unemployment rate…

Cut 15 (10) “in Louisiana.”

Oschner Baptist in New Orleans is now home to Mother’s Milk Bank, the state’s first ever such facility. Just because the milk bank is located in New Orleans, doesn’t mean it won’t benefit the rest of the state. Neonatal Intensive Care Director Harley Ginsberg says the milk is collected, pasteurized, and stored until it’s needed.

Cut 25  (12)  “frozen milk”

The process for opening the facility took three and a half years to complete.

Kenner Police say a stranger with a machete tried to take two children from their mothers in a WalMart. 33-year-old Billy Yoe Budier-Herrera tried to take the first child from a grocery cart. The mother was able to hang on to her child, but Budier-Herrera ran through the store swinging the machete at others who tried to help the mother. He then saw another child in a shopping cart and tried to remove the child and employees tackled him and detained him until police arrived.

Oschner Baptist in New Orleans is now home to Mother’s Milk Bank, the state’s first ever such facility. The bank allows mothers to donate milk that will be used to help premature babies grow through a turbulent first period of their life. Neonatal Intensive Care Director Harley Ginsberg says premature babies especially need the vital nutrients that you just can’t find in formula.

Ginsberg says donors will be questioned, much like blood donors, to make sure only clean, healthy milk makes it into the storage. Once you’re clear, he says the process should take about 12 minutes to complete.

Cut 6 (11) “human milk.”

The Mother’s Milk Bank is a non-for-profit initiative.

Eight Louisiana communities are officially Louisiana Retirement Certified Areas. Lafayette, Lake Charles, Natchitoches, Ruston, Toledo Bend, Shreveport-Bossier City, Homua and Thibodaux are included. Lt Gov.Nungesser says there are about 76 million baby boomers that are nearing retirement and competition is tough.

Nungesser says he is intending to file a bill in which a specific scratch off lottery ticket would be used to raise money to be used toward retirees and the improvement of communities…

Cut 9 (11)  “those people.”

More information about these retirement communities can be found at LouisianaTravel-dot-com.

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A memorial service was held over the weekend near Donaldsonville for the 1,000 slaves whose unmarked graves were discovered on Shell property in 2013. Cofounder of the River Road African American Museum Darryl Hambrick says the ceremony paid respects to those whose freedom to choose their final rights was stolen.The graves date back into the 1800s, but had gone undiscovered for hundreds of years until Shell surveyed the land as part of a planned expansion, and found two mass burial sites. Hambrick says the location was forgotten over time, and eventually built over.Hambrick says he wants people to think about what these graves represent, and about the lives of those who were forced to work one of the nearly 100 plantations that were in operation around Ascension Parish.

Cut 12 (08) “are today”

Eight Louisiana communities are officially Louisiana Retirement Certified Areas. Kelley Ray has more on what that means.

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Oschner Baptist in New Orleans is now home to Mother’s Milk Bank, the state’s first ever such facility. The bank allows mothers to donate milk that will be used to help premature babies grow through a turbulent first period of their life. Neonatal Intensive Care Director Harley Ginsberg says Just because the milk bank is located in New Orleans, doesn’t mean it won’t benefit the rest of the state. Ginsberg says the milk is collected, pasteurized, and stored until it’s needed.

Cut 5  (12)  “frozen milk”

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A memorial service was held over the weekend near Donaldsonville for the 1,000 slaves whose unmarked graves were discovered on Shell property in 2013. Cofounder of the River Road African American Museum Darryl Hambrick says

The graves date back into the 1800s, but had gone undiscovered for hundreds of years until Shell surveyed the land as part of a planned expansion, and found two mass burial sites. Hambrick says the location was forgotten over time, and eventually built over.

Cut 11 (09) “for years”

Hambrick says he wants people to think about what these graves represent, and about the lives of those who were forced to work one of the nearly 100 plantations that were in operation around Ascension Parish.

The Governor’s Office is touting that the state has the second largest monthly unemployment decline in the country for FebruaryBut LSU economist Loren Scott says the state’s economy is based largely on gas and oil. He says the New Orleans job market is being severely affected right now, citing one oil contractor…

Cut 14 (09) “right now.”

A memorial service was held Saturday for the slaves whose burial plots were discovered on Shell property in Ascension Parish. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Oschner Baptist in New Orleans is now home to Mother’s Milk Bank, the state’s first ever such facility. The bank allows mothers to donate milk that will be used to help premature babies grow through a turbulent first period of their life. Neonatal Intensive Care Director Harley Ginsberg says premature babies especially need the vital nutrients that you just can’t find in formula.

Cut 4  (10) “baby.” 

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Eight Louisiana communities are officially Louisiana Retirement Certified Areas. Lafayette, Lake Charles, Natchitoches, Ruston, Toledo Bend, Shreveport-Bossier City, Homua and Thibodaux are included. Lincoln, Sabine and Terrebonne Parishes are also listed. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the communities were selected for their quality of life for retiring seniors…

Nungesser says there are about 76 million baby boomers that are nearing retirement and competition is tough. Nungesser says our state’s mild weather, makes it the perfect place to link more communities with bike trails…

Cut 8 (12)  “retirement communities.”

The Governor’s Office is touting that the state has the second largest monthly unemployment decline in the country for February, but is it really good news? The unemployment rate was 4.5-percent, over a full percent lower than February 2017. But LSU economist Loren Scott says the numbers aren’t as rosy in towns where construction has slowed…

Cut 13 (06)  “like 6600.”

New Orleans is now home to the state’s first ever milk bank, and only the 24^th milk bank nationwide. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Eight Louisiana communities are officially Louisiana Retirement Certified Areas. Lafayette, Lake Charles, Natchitoches, Ruston, Toledo Bend, Shreveport-Bossier City, Homua and Thibodaux are included. Lincoln, Sabine and Terrebonne Parishes are also listed. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the communities were selected for their quality of life for retiring seniors…

Cut 7 (11)  “and festivals.”

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A memorial service was held over the weekend near Donaldsonville for the 1,000 slaves whose unmarked graves were discovered on Shell property in 2013. Cofounder of the River Road African American Museum Darryl Hambrick says the ceremony paid respects to those whose freedom to choose their final rights was stolen.

Cut 10 (10) “was done”

The Governor’s Office is touting that the state has the second largest monthly unemployment decline in the country for February, but is it really good news? The unemployment rate was 4.5-percent, over a full percent lower than February 2017.

You could be fined up to 900-dollars if you illegally transport feral swine. Don Molino has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Don Malino”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he does not like the idea of arming teachers in the classroom. Edwards says he’s speaking with the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association and State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves on a comprehensive school safety program…

Cut 6 (09)  “properly trained”

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An unrestrained Jonesville teenager was killed and two other teens moderately injured in a single vehicle wreck in Catahoula Parish. Master State Police Trooper Scott Moreau says investigators believe the car 18-year-old Delicia (Da-leash-she-a) Ceasor was riding in was traveling at a high rate of speed…

Cut 9 (10) “it’s roof.”

The second report from the Louisiana Survey finds that most state residents believe state spending can be cut without reducing services. The questions were focused on how to address the billion dollar budget gap the state will face come July. But LSU Public Policy Lab Director Michael Henderson says like many legislators, the public isn’t exactly sure where those cuts should come from.

Cut 11 (11) “think so.”

Funeral services for Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, who died last week at the age of 90, occurred today with hundreds of people in attendance at a St. Louis Cathedral  in the French Quarter. Archbishop Gregory Aymond officiated the Mass and spoke about how Benson grew up poor but worked hard to become a very successful businessman

Cut 14 (13) “generoristy”

The legislature is looking at a way to spank the wild swine in the state. Feral hogs are a menace for landowners in all 64 parishes and a House committee has moved legislation to fine people up to 900-dollars who illegally transport the hogs. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot explained why this legislation is needed..

Talbot says the wild pig population has reached over 700-thousand and they are very destructive.

Cut 4 (11) “become epidemic”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he does not like the idea of arming teachers in the classroom. Edwards says he’s speaking with the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association and State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves on a comprehensive school safety program…

There are several bills filed by Republican lawmakers seeking to allow teachers and other school officials carry concealed handguns.There are also many proposals in this regular session that call for a constitutional convention. Edwards prefers a study group be formed first, so a consensus can be built on what areas of the constitution should be changed.

There are also bills filed in this regular session that seek to change the criminal justice reform package approved last year. The governor says he’s fine with small changes, but not a large overhaul on the legislation designed to lower the state’s incarceration rate and put more money towards offender rehabilitation programs

Cut 8 (12) “able to make”