Three Louisiana Companies are being sued for tax evasion amid allegations they didn’t withhold and remit appropriate payroll taxes from employee earnings. State Department of Revenue spokesman Byron Henderson says these three cases are just the start of what they are uncovering…:
Cut 5 (08) “tax liabilities”
The companies are Elliott Roofing Services in Metairie, Antunez Painting in Baton Rouge and Extreme Cars and Trucks in Monroe.

The port of New Orleans set a record in 2017 for cruise passengers as 1.1 million moved through the Big Easy last year alone. Spokesman Donnell Jackson says this reinforces the port’s importance as a driver of the hospitality industry’s economic impact on the region.:
Cut 12 (08) “their cruise”
This marks the fourth consecutive year of more than a million passengers at New Orleans cruise terminals.

Members of the Lafayette Cajun band The Lost Bayou Ramblers are back in Louisiana today after a couple of days of celebrating their Grammy in New York City. Andre and Louis (Lou-ee) Michot (Me-Show) have been performing for 20 years, and Andre says they were raised around Cajun and Zydeco music in Acadiana, as their father was also in a band…:
Cut 7 (08) “accordion and fiddle”
This was the second time The Lost Bayou Ramblers were nominated.

If you’ve got plants that appear to have died in the recent frigid weather, don’t give up on them just yet. Horticulture expert Dan Gill with the LSU Ag Center says many plants tend to come back in the spring as their roots are still alive. He says you can easily check a tree with the scratch test…:
Cut 15 (09) “still alive”
He says some plants won’t begin rebounding until March or April it could be summer for trees.

Members of the Lafayette Cajun band The Lost Ramblers are back in Louisiana today after a couple of days of celebrating their Grammy in New York City. “Kalenda” won the group a gramophone for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Co-founder Andre Michot (Me-Show) says winning was a complete shock…:
Cut 6 (05) “all the way, you know?”
A Louisiana artist has won the Regional Roots award six times in the 7-year-old category.

For the first time since 1866, three separate celestial events will occur simultaneously in the U.S. tomorrow morning. There will be a blue moon, a super moon and a total lunar eclipse. But Louisiana won’t see much of the eclipse, according to Tyler Ellis with the LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy:
Cut 9 (09) “that’s unfortunate”
NASA will be showing the event online at nasa.gov.

The man who founded the Cajun Navy will be in attendance for tonight’s State of the Union. Matt Doyle has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A group in New Orleans which fought the removal of Confederate monuments created a Mardi Gras bead to commemorate the Robert E. Lee statue which was taken down last May. But they are now gone as Forever Lee Circle said on Facebook that the beads bearing their name are sold out.

Three Louisiana Companies are being sued for tax evasion amid allegations they didn’t withhold and remit appropriate payroll taxes from employee earnings. State Department of Revenue spokesman Byron Henderson says these businesses allegedly misidentified workers as independent contractors…:
Cut 3 (07) “tax withheld”
The companies are Elliott Roofing Services in Metairie, Antunez Painting in Baton Rouge and Extreme Cars and Trucks in Monroe.

State Police has arrested an animal control officer in West Feliciana Parish for allegedly charging Entergy for performing his job duties while he was being paid by the sheriff’s office at the same time. 57-year-old Daniel Klein of St. Francisville is charged with four counts of abuse of office and one count of malfeasance in office — all felonies.

President Donald Trump has invited Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers of Livingston Parish to tonight’s State of the Union address. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says the volunteer group is credited with rescuing thousands of people during Hurricane Harvey and the 2016 floods…:
Cut 10 (10) “great story”

The President’s first official address will begin at 8pm. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan believes Mr. Trump will stick to his copy points…:
Cut 4 (10) “that way”
Senior Administration officials have been quoted saying it will be an “optimistic speech,” likely highlighting economic progress.

The State of the Union is expected to cover a wide range of issues from the economy to national security.  Baton Rouge Congressman Garrett Graves says immigration will be another hot ticket item tonight.

Cut 12 (09) “1.8 million.”

Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers is expected to be recognized during the speech.  His volunteer group is credited with rescuing thousands during Hurricane Harvey and the 2016 floods.

One of the state agencies facing massive cutbacks if Governor John Bel Edwards “Doomsday budget” becomes reality is the LSU Pennington Biomedical Center.  Executive Director John Kirwan says with the uncertainty about the budget, he hopes they can draw the best and brightest…

Cut 9 (10)  “moving forward”

The recent cold weather has put stress on tropical plants that normally flourish all year long in Louisiana.  Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU horticulturalist Dan Gill…

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Baton Rouge based Raising Cane’s has a new mascot.  Todd Graves and his wife Gwen announced they have added a Yellow Labrador Retriever puppy named Raising Cane the Third.  She follows her predecessor Raising Cane the Second who died in 2016 at the age of 16.  The latest nine-week-old addition will be trained to serve as a therapy dog and attend company and community events.

What can we expect tonight during President Donald Trump’s first official State of the Union? Senior Administration officials have been quoted saying it will be an “optimistic speech.” LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says lawmakers will pay close attention to Mr. Trump’s agenda…:
Cut 6 (11) “his proposals”
Hogan believes economic progress will be a focal point of the speech.

The President has invited Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers of Livingston Parish to attend. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says praising the efforts of the volunteer disaster rescue group is something in which everyone can agree…:
Cut 11 (07) “amazing work”
The Cajun Navy is credited with rescuing thousands of people during Hurricane Harvey and the 2016 floods.

If you’ve got plants that appear to have died in the recent frigid weather, don’t give up on them just yet. Horticulture expert Dan Gill with the LSU Ag Center says many plants tend to come back in the spring as their roots are still alive. He says you can easily check a tree with the scratch test…:
Cut 15 (09) “still alive”
He says some plants won’t begin rebounding until March or April it could be summer for trees.

The West Monroe Police Department is asking for help locating an attempted murder suspect who allegedly shot a man during a drug deal arranged on Snapchat. They say 19-year-old Hunter Millwood is believed to have gone to the home of two men to sell drugs when he was shot. The suspect at large on one count of attempted second degree murder is 28-year-old Sylvester Smith Jr. Cops believe Millwood was selling drugs over Snapchat.

President Donald Trump’s first official State of the Union address is tonight. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan believes Mr. Trump will stress the strengths of his Administration…:
Cut 5 (08) “economic vitality”

The man who founded the Cajun Navy will be there tonight…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Governor John Bel Edwards’ “Doomsday Budget” proposal has state agencies scrambling to shore up funding, and LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is looking at a potential 600,000 dollar cut. Executive Director John Kirwan says all of this uncertainty tends to drive away talented researchers…:
Cut 8 (10) “this or that”
Kirwan says the budget cuts threaten Pennington’s groundbreaking research on diabetes, which he says effects nearly 50 percent of the state’s population.

If you’ve got plants that appear to have died in the recent frigid weather, don’t give up on them just yet. Horticulture expert Dan Gill with the LSU Ag Center says some of Louisiana’s flourishing tropical plants tend to come back in the spring…:
Cut 14 (10) “what’s dead”

President Donald Trump has invited Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers of Livingston Parish to tonight’s State of the Union address. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says the volunteer group is credited with rescuing thousands of people during Hurricane Harvey and the 2016 floods…:
Cut 10 (10) “great story”

The President’s first official address will begin at 8pm. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan believes Mr. Trump will stick to his copy points…:
Cut 4 (10) “that way”
Senior Administration officials have been quoted saying it will be an “optimistic speech,” likely highlighting economic progress.

The recent cold weather has put stress on tropical plants that normally flourish all year. Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU horticulturalist Dan Gill…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Recreational fishing and hunting licenses will be unavailable today and tomorrow, as the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries begins their transition to a new sales system. The licenses will not be available for purchase via regular retail vendors until April 2nd.

President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union speech tonight:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

This winter’s extremely cold weather in Louisiana has stunted or even killed many of the tropical plants that normally flourish in Louisiana. But Horticulture expert Dan Gill with the LSU Ag Center says they could rebound…:
Cut 13 (08) “out again”

Governor John Bel Edwards’ “Doomsday Budget” proposal has state agencies scrambling to shore up state funding, with LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center looking at a potential 600,000 dollar cut. Executive Director John Kirwan says it’s a pressing issue for the world renowned research center…:
Cut 7 (11) “and recruit”
Kirwan says Pennington is the world’s largest nutritional research center, responsible for over 400 Louisiana jobs.

Coach Will Wade has dismissed freshmen Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander from LSU’s basketball team and suspended freshman Brandon Rachal and sophomore Wayde Sims. Wade said Kiir would take “a leave of absence” from the program until the end of the season, with a chance to be re-instated to the team. Alexander will not return to the program, while Sims and Rachal will serve one-game suspensions for violating team policies.

President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union speech tonight. Kelley Ray finds out from a local political analyst on what we might hear…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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The man who founded the Cajun Navy will be in attendance for tonight’s State of the Union. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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The recent cold weather has put stress on tropical plants that normally flourish all year long in Louisiana.  Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU horticulturalist Dan Gill…

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

President Trump’s first official State of the Union address is tonight.  It is believed the President will stress bi-partisanship with Mr. Trump himself calling it an “important speech.”  Senior Administration officials have been quoted saying it will be an “optimistic speech.”  LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan believes we will not see Mr. Trump fly off the handle as he does in some situations…

Cut 4  (10) “that way.” 

It’s been the custom of Presidents to talk about the strengths of their Administration and Hogan expects no less of Mr. Trump tonight…

Cut 5  (08)  “economic vitality.”

The speech is also important for the Republican led Congress.  Hogan says how they respond to the President’s agenda tonight could factor in their hopes to remain in office with this year’s mid-term election…

Cut 6 (11)  “his proposals.”

Many believe Mr. Trump will stress immigration issues since revealing his plans last week.  However, Hogan says don’t expect to hear anything on the Russian investigation involving possible meddling in the 2016 election.

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Governor John Bel Edwards’ “Doomsday Budget” proposal has state agencies scrambling to shore up state funding, with LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center looking at a potential 600,000 dollar cut. John Kirwan, who was named executive director last month, says it’s a pressing issue for the world renowned research center.

Cut 7 (11)  “and recruit”

Kirwan says the budget issues threaten to drive off talented researchers…

Cut 8 (10) “this or that”

Kirwan says Pennington is the world’s largest nutritional research center, responsible for over 400 Louisiana jobs. He says even with uncertainty surrounding the budget, he hopes the center can draw in the best and brightest.

Cut 9 (10)  “moving forward”

Kirwan says the budget cuts threaten Pennington’s groundbreaking research on diabetes and pre-diabetes, which he says effects nearly 50 percent of the state’s population.

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President Donald Trump invited a very special guest to his first State of the Union address tonight. Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers will be in attendance along with a section of 15 other special guests. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says Bridgers’ volunteer group has been credited with rescuing thousands of people during Hurricane Harvey and the 2016 floods.

Cut 10 (10) “great story”

Graves says praising the Cajun Navy’s heroics is one of the few things everyone can agree on.

Cut 11 (07) “amazing work”