Governor John Bel Edwards’s budget proposal is coming under heavy fire from GOP and business leaders across the state. Matt Doyle has the story…

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Louisiana has a new tourism slogan. Kelley Ray tells us what it is…

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A study from Pennington Biomedical Research finds walking just ten minutes a day brings great health benefits.  Jeff Palermo spoke with Dr. Tim Church about what they discovered…

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Governor John Bel Edward’s worst-case-scenario budget is making waves across the state, from both inside, and outside of government. The budget is the result of the expiration of a billion dollars in sales taxes this summer, and Edwards says the revenue will need to be replaced to avoid the deep cuts. State Treasurer John Schroder says he doesn’t think the public is willing to pay more taxes…

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Schroder says if the state was more transparent about how it spends money, then it wouldn’t have to turn so often to tax increases…

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Schroder is pushing a plan to have state agencies post their expenditures online.

The governor’s proposal to fill the billion dollar gap leans heavily on eliminating tax breaks for businesses. President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Stephen Waguespack, says Edwards refuses to consider spending cuts…

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Waguespack says the governor is using scare tactics to push through his legislative agenda…

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The state has until July 1^st to address the fiscal cliff.

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“Feed Your Soul” is the new brand Louisiana will use to promote tourism to the state. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser hopes the slogan will target travelers who are in constant pursuit of enjoyment…

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Feed Your Soul replaces Pick Your Passion, which has been used for the past seven years. Nungesser says the new brand is the culmination of six months of rebranding research and analysis and the goal is to bring visitors who want to be in the moment…

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Nungesser says the new brand will be rolled out on Mardi Gras Day with branded Louisiana: Feed Your Soul food trucks serving the taste of Louisiana in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Washington D-C to potential travelers…

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A study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center finds that walking, even if only ten minutes per day, can be beneficial.  Dr. Tim Church says a group of 464 women who walked for 72 minutes a week for six months improved their heart health and fitness…

Louisiana Radio network news, I’m Matt Doyle

The governor presented a doomsday budget that includes an 80 percent cut in funding for TOPS. On top of TOPS, The higher education budget included an additional 26-million dollar cut. Higher Ed dodged budget cuts last year, and President of the University of Louisiana System Dr. Jim Hendersonsays it had a big impact…

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Henderson says cutting TOPS would be a betrayal of hard working students.

Congressman Clay Higgins is aiming to pass a bill that would bolster existing immigration laws. The St. Landry Parish Republican says the Obama Administration created a bureaucratic situation that is keeping the Trump Administration from hiring more boarder guards.

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Higgins would like 10,000 more boarder agents.

LRN

The recent cold snap could cause the strawberry crop to be pushed back a couple of weeks.  There are nine to 12 commercial growers in Tangipahoa Parish.   Whitney Wallace from the LSU Ag Center says those farmers took extra precautions during the brutally cold weather and expects the crop should come through just fine…

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She says everything should be fine for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

A thirty-three-year-old Livingston Parish teacher was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Ashley Meyer is an Albany High School teacher, and has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.

Tulane Law School graduate Wendy Vitter was nominated by President Donald Trump today to fill a federal judgeship in New Orleans. Vitter was the campaign manager for her husband David Vitter’s three US House elections, and has served as general counsel for the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2012.

The governor’s proposed budget calls for an 80 percent cut in state funding for TOPS, because of a one-billion dollar reduction in state revenues. the budget also included an additional 26-million dollar cut to higher education. Higher ed dodged budget cuts last year, President of the University of Louisiana System Dr. Jim Henderson says it had a big impact…

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UL analysis showed Louisiana universities currently operating at the lowest per student funding in the country.

Now that the federal government shutdown is over, Congressman Clay Higgins is setting his sights on passing a bill to bolster the existing immigration law.  Higgins is co-sponsoring the “Securing America’s Future Act”.  The St. Landry Parish Republican says he wants to make it easier to hire Border Patrol Agents…

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The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will feature Aerosmith and Aretha Franklin Michelle Southern spoke with Festival Producer Quint Davis…:

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The recent cold snap could cause the strawberry crop to be pushed back a couple of weeks, but Whitney Wallace from the LSU Ag Center says the weather should perk up just in time for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival…

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Louisiana Radio Network

Congressman Clay Higgins is co sponsoring an immigration reform bill…:
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser has unveiled a new brand to promote Louisiana. Formerly Pick Your Passion, the new slogan is now, “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul.” Nungesser said the brand will offer travelers a new outlook – that you may come to Louisiana hungry, but you’ll leave with your soul full of all the rewarding experiences we offer.

The recent cold snap could mean a delay in the strawberry harvest this year, and a possible increase in price at the grocery store. Whitney Wallace, LSU AgCenter agent in Tangipahoa Parish, says many of the blossoms on the plants that weren’t protected will have to regrow again, which is a 21 day process:
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It’s estimated strawberry production in Louisiana is valued at 17-million-dollars.

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be headlines by Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Buffett and Lionel Richie. Producer Quint Davis says they will also be joining in the celebration of the City of New Orleans’ 300th anniversary. He says there will be a massive Cultural Exchange Pavilion featuring all things New Orleans…:
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Jazzfest is April 27 to May 6 this year.

The 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will feature Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Jimmy Buffet, Beck, Jack White, and Lionel Richie. Jazzfest will be April 27-29 and May 3-6 this year. Festival producer Quint Davis says Aerosmith will be making it’s Jazzfest debut, but they weren’t hard to bill…:
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The full lineup can be found online at nojazzfest.com.

The recent cold snap could mean a delay in the strawberry harvest this year, and a possible increase in price at the grocery store. Whitney Wallace, LSU AgCenter agent in Tangipahoa Parish, says farmers had to double-cover their berries to hold in warmer air, and keep the frigid temperatures out..:
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She says that means additional labor costs, but it shouldn’t keep the prices too high on Louisiana strawberries very long.

It could be a record breaking year for offshore oil producers in Louisiana.
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The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says its investigating an incident in which a pedestrian was run over by a train. They say 43-year-old Damon Long of Houma was laying partially on the tracks, and as a train was backing up the engineer could not see the man who was then struck.

The Lineup for the 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been announced. Headliners include…Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Beck, David Byrne, Lionel Richie, Steve Miller Band, Anita Baker and Sheryl Crow. Jazzfest will be April 27-29 and May 3-6 this year.

Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson is the first person with ties to Louisiana to serve as a head coach in the Super Bowl. Pederson was a head coach at Calvary Baptist in Shreveport from 2004 to 2008, and is also a former ULM quarterback. Ex-Calvary Baptist assistant coach Terry Slack…:
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Pederson and the Eagles will face New England in the February 4th Super Bowl.

A high school teacher from Livingston Parish has been arrested amid allegations she was having a sexual relationship with a minor. The Sheriff’s Office says 34-year-old Ashley Meyer, a teacher at Albany High School, was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center on three felony counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and posted a $75,000 bond.

Entergy Louisiana has broken ground on a new 872-million dollar plant near Lake Charles. Spokesperson Michael Burns says the highly-efficient plant will lower energy costs for its customers…:
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The natural gas fired plant is expected to be operational in June of 2020.

Entergy Louisiana has broken ground on a new 872-million dollar plant near Lake Charles. The natural gas fired plant is expected to be operational in 2020. Entergy spokesperson Michael Burns says the state-of-the-art plant is expected to run much cleaner than previous plants, with greenhouse gas production in particular significantly lower…

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Entergy says they picked Lake Charles because of the regions rapid growth.

A record breaking year could be on tap for oil producers.  Crude oil topped $60.00 a barrel last week for the first time in over two years.  Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Chris John says since the cost of oil could top $70.00 per barrel, Louisiana operators and oil producers in West Texas are willing to ramp up production…

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A nationwide non-profit to help veteran’s in their post military transition to the workplace is coming to New Orleans.  NextOp represents veterans by placing them in jobs throughout the region.  After launching February 1^st, they’re looking to expand statewide.  Louisiana Regional Manager Ben Armstrong says getting in touch with Louisiana veterans is their top priority…

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Philadelphia’s Eagles Doug Pederson is the first person with ties to Louisiana to be a head coach in a Super Bowl.  He coached at Calvary Baptist in Shreveport and also is a former ULM quarterback.  Ex-Calvary Baptist assistant coach Terry Slack says Pederson’s faith is a driving force in his personal and professional life…

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Construction on a new power plant near Lake Charles is underway…:
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The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office say a teen died after being hit by a train in LaPlace. They say cops were called to the scene just before 8 Monday evening, and learned the 17-year-old apparently tried to walk across the tracks and beat the train but did not make it. The name of the teenager has not been released.

Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson is the first person with ties to Louisiana to serve as a head coach in the Super Bowl. Pederson was a head coach at Calvary Baptist and another former coach there, Terry Slack, says the Eagles coach is a football expert…:
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The Super Bowl is Sunday February 4th.

The U.S. is pumping out over ten-million barrels of oil per day, topping a nearly 50-year record, which is great news for the industry in Louisiana. President of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, Chris John, says domestic oil companies are in good shape globally, as Venezuela, for example, normally accounts for 20 percent of the world’s supply…:
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Louisiana’s 170 offshore operators are showing they can keep up with demand.

Former ULM quarterback Doug Pederson takes his Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. Jeff Palermo spoke with a friend of Pederson’s in Bossier City:
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House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish returned to the Capitol following his latest surgery as he recovers from injuries sustained in an ambush last June. He told reporters that the procedure two weeks ago was successful, but it took a long recovery.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announces its 2018 lineup this morning at 11am.

A group that recruits, trains, and places veterans into industry careers is coming to New Orleans. NextOp Regional Manager Ben Armstrong says the challenge for many vets is that they are underemployed…:
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He says there wasn’t a service like NextOp in the New Orleans market to assist veterans or military to try to engage them to keep their talent in Louisiana. They will launch February 1st. Find out more at nextopvets.org.

Entergy Louisiana breaks ground on a new 872-million dollar plant near Lake Charles, which is expected to employ over 700 people during construction. Entergy spokesperson Michael Burns…:
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The natural gas fired plant is expected to be operational in June of 2020.

It could be a record breaking year for offshore oil producers in Louisiana:
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This morning Governor John Bel Edwards is speaking at the 2018 Jump Start Convention in the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge. Jump Start is Louisiana’s career and technical education program.

The Big 10′s Maryland is reportedly expected to hire former LSU offensive coordinator Matt Canada for the same job. The Tigers and Canada parted ways earlier this month after just one season.

A nationwide non-profit to help veteran’s in their post military transition to the workplace is coming to New Orleans. NextOp represents veterans by placing them in industries throughout the region. Regional Manager Ben Armstrong says Louisiana has a lot of veterans looking for work…:
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More information can be found at next-op-vets-dot-org.

Entergy Louisiana has broken ground on a new 872-million dollar plant near Lake Charles. Spokesperson Michael Burns says the highly-efficient plant will lower energy costs for its customers…:
Cut 10 (11) “thirty years”
The natural gas fired plant is expected to be operational in June of 2020.