A Slidell man has been charged in his 4-year-old son’s drowning death. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A House committee has shot down a teacher gun bill by a slim 7-9 margin. Jim Shannon has more
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The House Governmental Affairs committee approved a bill to make it easier to recall an elected official. Covington Representative Paul Hollis’ measure would lower the required the number of signatures from voters in larger cities and parishes to trigger a special election. Pollster John Couvillon testified in favor, because the state’s threshold to recall is too high
Hollis filed the bill after a failed effort to remove the now former St. Tammany Parish Coroner Peter Galvan. Hollis says it’s nearly impossible to recall an elected official in large cities and parishes…
Under Hollis’ bill, the percentage of needed signatures in larger cities and parishes would drop from 33-percent to 20-percent, medium sized communities to 25-percent and towns with less than 25-thousand voters would remain at 33-percent. Hollis says his bill also requires the recall organizer to state why they are trying to remove that person from office……
The bill now moves to the House Floor.
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24-year-old Zachary Brooks of Slidell has been arrested in connection with the drowning death of his four-year-old son Timothy Brooks. Police responded to a call on March 5th from the father, who found the boy non-responsive in his pool. Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal says when officers arrived, they found a house in disarray.
Fandal says officers executed a search warrant and discovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on the premises. Fandal says he believes that drug use played a big part in the negligence that led to Timothy’s death.
Brooks has been charged with negligent homicide and second degree cruelty to a juvenile and he’s being held on a 200,000 dollar bond. Fandal says it’s a death that could have been avoided.
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The House Criminal Justice committee shot down a proposal to allow certain teachers or school staff to carry weapons in school. Chalmette Representative Raymond Garofalo says his bill says would only allow a teacher teachers to possess a gun after extensive training. He says gun free signs on campuses are invitations to kill.
Shreveport representative Barbara Norton argues that she would be more concerned for her grand-daughters life, if the bill passes and teachers are allowed to carry guns to schools.
Pat Greshem testified that as a mother and former teacher she experienced first hand how helpless kids are in schools.
Cut 11 (08) “protect children”
New Orleans Democrat John Bagneris says he can’t support guns in schools at any level.
The bill failed on a 9-7 vote.
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A fire in Bastrop claimed the lives of two children this morning. The two boys, seven and eight years old, died after a fire broke out that went undetected. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the parents barely made it out alive.
Browning says they believe the injuries sustained by one parent were the result of a last second attempt to saving their children.
Browning says there’s a plausible reason why the family did not respond to the fire until it was too late.
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