A strong cold front heading into the state could produce some winter precipitation. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy sees pros and cons to Governor Bobby Jindal’s budget proposal. Scott Carwile reports…

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

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The Energy Department says there is a major increase in crude oil and the US is running out of room to store it. Some say this could mean another huge drop in the price we’re paying for gas at the pump in Louisiana. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (28) “reporting”

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Get ready for a big change in the weather. State climatologist Barry Keim says high temperatures today will be in the 70s and tomorrow they’ll be back in the 30s and 40s as a result of a strong cold front….

cut 4  (12)  “southern parts of the state”

This front has the potential to produce another round of winter precipitation. Keim says the northern half of the state could see see freezing rain during the overnight hours

Cut 5  (12)  “of the state”

Keim says enjoy the warm temperatures while you can, because the weather is about to change….

Cut 6 (11)  “on Thursday”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy sees pros and cons to Governor Bobby Jindal’s budget proposal. The governor has proposed scaling back certain tax credits and cut spending in other areas to address a $1.6 billion revenue shortfall. Kennedy says some of the proposed reductions in spending make sense, especially in the area of consulting contracts…

CUT 7 (11)  “point eight million”

Kennedy says the proposed budget looks to reduce the 60-percent of the deficit by repealing tax credits and 40-percent by reducing spending. However, Kennedy does question the proposal of closing all health clinics in New Orleans, which will effect about 57,000 people…

Cut 8  (12)  “us more money” 

Kennedy spoke about the budget on Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster show. He says the budget’s biggest revenue increase comes with the repeal of the inventory tax credit, which would add about $525 million dollars to the state’s coffers. Kennedy says he’s not sure this was chosen wisely…

Cut 9 (09)  “small businesses”

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The Energy Department says there is a major increase in crude oil and the US is running out of room to store it. Some say this could mean another huge drop in the price we’re paying for gas at the pump in Louisiana. David Dismukes, the director for the Center for Energy Studies at LSU, says refineries are in a transition period right now but it won’t last long..:

Cut 10 (10) “on prices”

Dismukes says once again while this will be welcome news for the consumer, the low oil prices will not be good for the service side of the industry oil and gas industry…:

cut 11 (10) “less jobs”

Dismukes says refineries and consumers will be the main beneficiaries so it may end up not having such a major effect on the economy in Louisiana:

cut 12 (10)  “impacts are going to be felt”

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Agents with the state office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control say a Ruston woman is under arrest accused of selling booze out of her personal residence. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert says 21-year-old Bryanna Jackson was taking money for cocktails at her apartment…:

Cut 13 (07)  “two of them”

Hebert says undercover agents went in one evening and were able to purchase two mixed drinks from the suspect. He says they discovered the illegal activity was going on from ads the woman was posting online…:

Cut 14 (12) “easy on us”

Jackson was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and charged with operating without a local or state high content permit. A man in central Louisiana was arrested for apparently operating a bar out of his house last week and Hebert says these illegal actions are not necessary…:

Cut 15  (10)  “already”

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The LSU men’s basketball team plays its final home game of the year tonight as they host the Tennessee Volunteers at six pm in the Maravich Center. These two teams met in Knoxville on Valentine’s Day and it was all LSU as they won by 18 points. LSU forward Jarell Martin expects a tougher game this time around

Cut 16  (10)  “hard fought battle”

The Volunteers bring a five-game losing streak to Baton Rouge. LSU guard Keith Hornsby says despite Tennessee’s struggles they can’t look past them

Cut 17 (09)  “battle of course”

LSU has won its last three and they are ten and six in league play. Hornsby says they are trying to close out the regular season on a strong note

Cut 18 (13) “to us’

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###Changes made to the newscall as a result of two arrests in the fatal home invasion in Shreveport#####

The state Department of Revenue announces that state tax refunds are now being issued. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry says Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposal to eliminate the inventory tax credit will hurt the state’s economy. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The Shreveport Police Department says they are looking for a suspect following an overnight fatal home invasion. Corporal Marcus Hines say officers were called to the scene at around one AM…

(At this point officers believe a resident in the home fatally shot one of the suspects, the other fled.)

CUT 3 (10)  “shot the man”

There were  children inside the home at the time of the shooting, but they  were not injured . Hines says they believe the two men entered the home wearing masks and one of them was armed with a semi-automatic rifle…:

CUT 4 (11)  “not been captured”

Hines says evidence seized during a search of the residence suggest illegal narcotics may have been a motivating factor in the attempted robbery…:

(Officers have arrested two people living inside the home, because of illegal drugs inside the home.)

CUT 5 (09)  “degree of involvement”

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The state Department of Revenue announces that state tax refunds are now being issued. The department had said that it would not issue refunds until March 2nd, but actually began last Friday. Spokeswoman Kizzy Payton says the delay was due to the increase of the filing of fraudulent tax returns across the nation…

CUT 6 (08)  “taxpayer’s accounts”

She says the department issued additional security measures so they would more easily detect suspicious activity around taxpayer’s accounts. Payton says the department strives to make sure they are not handing out tax refunds to people who do not deserve them…

CUT 7 (08)  “anti-fraud initiative”

Payton says some may have already received their refund, depending on the method of payment they chose. She says, thus far, over 763,000 tax returns have been filed and about 244,000 have been processed. But Payton says that’s just the beginning…

CUT 8 (05)  “each year”

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The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry plans to fight Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposal to repeal the inventory tax credit. Such a move would save the state an estimated $380 million which could be used for health care and higher education. But LABI Vice President, Jim Patterson, says a repeal of this tax credit would be devastating to business across the state…

CUT 9 (09)  “to our economy”

Patterson says the vast majority of states do not have inventory taxes, so if the refund went away, jobs could leave as well…

cut 10 (08) “such a tax”

Patterson says businesses could decide to shift inventories to states that do not have such a tax and those warehouse jobs would be lost. He says Louisiana is one of only 13 states that have an inventory tax on the books. Patterson says if the inventory tax credit is repealed, then business will have to make up that money somewhere…

cut 11 (06)  “to consumers”

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The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says a 14-year-old student from H.L. Bourgeois High in Gray is under arrest accused of calling in 2 bomb threats to the school. Captain Dawn Foret says last Tuesday and yesterday there were two separate bomb threats they were emailed to the school’s principal…:

cut 12 (10)  “could resume”

Foret says they began an investigation and were able to track the email address that the suspect had sent both threats from to the H.L. Bourgeois student…:(The suspect is charged with two counts of False Communication of a Bomb Threat. Foret says it does not appear the teen had any access to items that would let him carry out his threats.)

cut 13 (06)  “emails”

============================

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says  a 73-year-old woman died in a house fire in Opelousas today. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says St. Landry Parish firefighters responded to a wood frame dwelling around 4am which they found fully engulfed in flames. He says the 73 year old victim, Mary Ann Sam, was also located…

cut 14 (09)  “that’s been done”

They are still working to determine the cause of the blaze. Browning says they know the woman was living alone in the home and the fire was discovered by someone who was driving by…:

cut 15 (06) “those things out”

As the military, once again, looks to reduce the number of troops at the Fort Polk Army base, the Army is holding a meeting tonight to listen to concerns about the potential effects a troop reduction could have on the area. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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It looks like north Louisiana is in for yet another winter weather event Wednesday night into Thursday. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 2 (27) “reporting”

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A new study suggests people who sleep longer face a greater risk of having a stroke. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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As the military, once again, looks to reduce the number of troops at the Fort Polk Army base, the Army is holding a meeting tonight to listen to concerns about the potential effects a troop reduction could have on the area. Fort Polk Progress Chairman, Michael Reese, says the listening session is the final event in their evaluation process. He says they will host three events in Leesville, Lake Charles, and Alexandria…

cut 4  (07)  “will be”

Reese says these events will show the Army the breadth of support Fort Polk enjoys and will be something unique they won’t see at other installations. The military is considering troop reductions at 30 bases nationwide. He says Fort Polk faced a reduction last year and the base only lost around 250 troops…

Cut 5  (11)  “currently provide”

Reese says attendence at these events is very key and critical to there mission of avoiding massive troop reductions at Fort Polk. He says if you can attend one of the three events, your presence could speak volumes to the Army…

Cut 6 (10)  “done in reports”

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Higher Education Commissioner Joe Rallo says Governor Jindal’s proposed budget is about 200-million dollars short of what’s needed to fully fund the state’s public college and universities. Rallo says if the funding situation doesn’t change, campus leaders will have to make some tough decisions

CUT 7 (11)  “faculty members”

The state’s budget problems have raised concerns that one possible solution is to close college campuses. But Rallo says the state will not see the kind of savings some might expect by shutting down a school

Cut 8  (10)  “go away” 

He says higher education leaders are looking at various options to improve their funding situation, one idea that’s been thrown on the white board is to privatize some public universities

Cut 9 (10)  “talked about”

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A new study suggests people who sleep longer face a greater risk of having a stroke. Researchers followed patients for 10 years and found that someone 63 or older who sleeps more than eight hours a day is 46 percent likelier to suffer a stroke in the next decade than adults who sleep for 6-8 hours. Dr. Caroline Barton is an assistant professor of neurology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine…:

Cut 10 (12) “on people”

Barton says you can’t diagnose a stroke before it happens but studies like this help give doctors clues as to what might be causing them. She says stability of sleep as a trait is very important…:

cut 11 (09) “slept normally”

The findings were published in the journal Neurology. Barton says the study also noted that if someone had a significant change in their sleeping habits it was a bad sign…:

cut 12 (11)  “in stroke”

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It looks like north Louisiana is in for yet another winter weather event Wednesday night into Thursday. Meteorologist Davyon Hill with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says a cold front is moving through late this evening into tomorrow bringing some rain along with it and a massive temperature drop behind it…:

Cut 13 (10)  “edge of it”

Hill says this line of a possible wintry mix is from Natchitoches to Monroe and northwest of that…:

Cut 14 (07) “early Thursday morning”

Hill says central Louisiana could get some freezing rain and as you go north the risk for sleet and possibly some snow gets higher. He says this could once again hamper traffic conditions…:

Cut 15  (11)  “heavier than that”

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LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman is the SEC player of the week. Quarterman had a triple-double on over the weekend, the first one in LSU’s history since Shaquille O’ Neal did it in 1992. Quarterman had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Ole Miss on Saturday and he didn’t know he was close to accomplishing the feat…

Cut 16  (16)  “Pistol Pete”

Quarterman is the third player in LSU history to record a triple-double, Shaquille O’ Neal and Pete Maravich are the other two. Quarterman says his mother is really proud of what he did…

Cut 17 (14)  “it was just special”

Quarterman is averaging 12 points and five rebounds a game this season, after averaging only two and a half points a game last year. The Georgia native says positive conservations he had with Coach Johnny Jones during the offseason gave him the confidence he can have a big impact on this year’s team

Cut 18 (15) “mindset’

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A straw poll conducted at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference showed Governor Bobby Jindal finishing in 12th place among Republican presidential hopefuls. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

==================

Slidell Police has arrested a Baton Rouge man after he threw his young daughter to the ground while fleeing officers during a shoplifting attempt. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

===================

LSU and its former defensive coordinator John Chavis are in a legal battle. The two sides filed lawsuits against each other. LSU claims Chavis owes a 400-thousand dollar contractual buyout for accepting a job with Texas A-and-M. Legal analyst Tim Meche says where the case will be heard, Texas or Baton Rouge, needs to be settled first…

CUT 3 (11)  “is over”

Chavis filed the first lawsuit in Texas, claiming he took the proper steps when he left LSU to avoid paying a 400-thousand buyout. LSU counter sued, seeking to dismiss Chavis’ suit and have the case heard in Baton Rouge. Meche says having the home court advantage is critical in this case

CUT 4 (10)  “Texas judge and jury”

Meche believes this case will be settled out of court, because it’s in the best interest of the LSU and A-and-M football programs not to have Chavis or Tigers Head Coach Les Miles go through a deposition…

CUT 5 (11)  “to public”

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A straw poll conducted at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference showed Governor Bobby Jindal finishing in 12th place among Republican presidential hopefuls. Jindal received less than one percent of the ballots in that poll. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says this group has not had a good record in predicting presidential nominees…

CUT 6 (07)  “not that person”

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul won the poll, followed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Cross doesn’t think the results of this straw poll will discourage Jindal’s presidential aspirations…

CUT 7 (06)  “hang it up”

Cross says Jindal is not necessarily looking to gain the Republican nomination for this presidential election. He says the governor is looking to get his name out there and becoming one of the players in the Republican Party for future presidential races…

CUT 8 (08)  “presidential candidates”

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The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says the wife of a doctor who admitted to shooting and killing her husband during an argument has not been charged in his death. 65-year-old Wayne Breen was shot early Sunday morning at the couple’s Folsom-area home. Legal analyst Doug Sunseri says in cases like this the DA will often let a grand jury make the next move:

CUT 9 (06)  “or not”

Dr.Breen was an obstetrician/gynecologist.  Detectives are working to determine if the shooting was justified. Kacie Breen called 911 around 3am and said she and her husband got into a fight and she ended up shooting him according to cops. Sunseri says the DA will likely let grand jurors decide what happens next…:

cut 10 (08) “or not”

Deputies say the couple had a history of domestic issues, including reported physical violence committed by Mr. Breen.  In 2012, Mrs. Breen obtained a restraining order against him; that order has since expired. Sunseri says the DA has a couple of options…:

cut 11 (10)  “to a grand jury”

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Slidell Police has arrested a Baton Rouge man after he threw his young daughter to the ground while fleeing officers during a shoplifting attempt. Detective Daniel Seuzeneau says officers responded to a call that 24-year-old Lamar Causey was attempting to steal cologne and perfume from a cosmetics store…

cut 12 (08)  “hit her head”

As officers approached, Causey threw his 17-month-old daughter to the ground, causing her to hit her head. One officer stopped and cared for the child, while the other officer chased Causey down and apprehended him. Seuzeneau says the incident was truly shocking for everyone involved…

cut 13 (10)  “a toy doll”

The little girl was transported to a local hospital for her injuries. She was released to family members and will make a full recovery. Police recovered 14 bottles of stolen cologne and perfume on Causey valued at almost $1,200. Seuzeneau says Causey was booked into the Slidell City Jail… (Causey is charged with theft of goods over $1000, cruelty to juveniles, child desertion, resisting an officer by flight on foot, public intimidation, and possession of schedule II drugs.)

cut 14 (11)  “schedule II narcotics”

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NBC’s hit show “The Voice” begins its second week of the new season tonight and Louisiana already has ties to three contestants who made it through the blind auditions. Michelle Southern reporting.

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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As the Louisiana filmed blockbuster “Focus” opened over the weekend, a group of lawmakers is looking at ways we can improve the film tax credits in the state. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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A south Louisiana lawmaker believes a student should not be punished if he or she opts out from taking the Common Core exam. Scott Carwile has the story…

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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NBC’s hit show “The Voice” begins its second week of the new season tonight and Louisiana already has ties to three contestants who made it through the blind auditions. 22-year-old Rob Taylor, who was raised in Baton Rouge and now lives in Donaldsonville, gets to move on to the battle rounds which take place next month. Taylor says he never thought he would get such an opportunity…:

cut 4  (08)  “never gave up”

The Voice’s blind auditions continue tonight at 7. Taylor says when he graduated high school he was offered a partial scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music, but he chose to stay home to care for his mother who was sick. He says his biggest musical influence is his grandmother…:

Cut 5  (07)  “with everything”

Also vying to win a recording contract this season is Tonya Boyd-Cannon who’s from Jackson, Mississippi but currently lives in Chalmette. And Meghan Linsey who’s from The Big Easy but currently lives in Nashville. Taylor says one of the things that influences him the most musically from Louisiana is that styles here are so eclectic…:

Cut 6 (06)  “to everyone I guess”

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As the Louisiana filmed blockbuster “Focus” opened over the weekend, a group of lawmakers is looking at ways we can improve the state’s film tax credits. Some have argued that the movie credits here are corrupt and too generous. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, who is working on reform legislation, says he fully supports the program but it has major issues.:

CUT 7 (12)  “who are paying for it”

Economic impact numbers revealed Focus filmed here for 43 days and spent over $8.3 million on local labor at in-state businesses and on location. Morrell says they don’t want to lose the fact that Louisiana has become an industry film leader in the country and earned the name Hollywood South. But he says there are things that must be done to restore taxpayer confidence in the film tax credit program…:

Cut 8  (12)  “credit programs” 

Morrell says drafts of possible legislation will be discussed on Wednesday in a meeting with the Entertainment Industry Development Advisory Commission. He says in addition to legislators, that group also is made up of stakeholders in the industry and the goal is a “comprehensive reform” of the film tax credit program…:

Cut 9 (13)  “on the right track”

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In two weeks, students will take Common Core exams and a state lawmaker has introduced a bill that will prohibit penalties if a student decided to opt out of the testing. Abbeville Representative Bob Hensgens’ bill would protect students, schools, and school systems from non-participation penalties. He says there is no law that levies penalties for not taking the tests, but that’s not what he’s hearing from school districts…

Cut 10 (09) “intended to do”

Currently students who opt-out of the testing will be given a score of zero, which will be transferred to the performance score of schools and school districts. Hensgens says the decision for a student to take these tests belong to the parent and not the government…

cut 11 (10) “in the future”

Education Superintendent John White says they will address opt-outs when they see how many students actually opt-out of the exams. Hensgens says it shouldn’t be left up to White to determine if penalties should be levied if someone decides not to take the Common Core tests…

cut 12 (11)  “to decide this”

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The Jindal administration has said they are willing to scale back 526-million dollars in tax credits for businesses, but Chairman of the republican house delegation, state Representative Lance Harris of Alexandria is disappointed the governor didn’t suggest reeling back some of the film tax credits

Cut 13 (10)  “someone else”

As a way to help reduce cuts to higher education, The Jindal administration proposes higher fees to attend public college, but provide a tax credit to offset those costs, which would be paid for by raising the cigarette tax. But Harris doesn’t like the idea of a cigarette tax

Cut 14 (09) “right now”

The governor has highlighted 12 tax credits that could become non-refundable which would give the state more money to spend. But the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Amite representative John Bel Edwards, says legislators should look beyond those tax credits as a way to raise revenue…

Cut 15  (08)  “comprehensive job”

Edwards says he’s not a fan of Jindal’s proposal  to raise cigarette taxes and have that money pay for a tax credit for those individuals who pay higher fees at colleges

Cut 16  (10)  “Tax reform”

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ULM officials will break ground today on a new end zone building at Malone Stadium. It’s the first new athletic facility built on campus in 1983 and it will feature a new locker room, a Hall of Fame area and new coaches’ offices. Coach Todd Berry says the project has been a long time coming for the program….

Cut 17 (16)  “excited about it”

Berry says the facility will have an impact on their current players and recruiting…

Cut 18 (15) “period of time’

Today is also the first day of spring football for the Warhawks. ULM has to find a new starting quarterback. Brayle Brown is listed number one on the team’s depth chart, after completing 12 passes last year, but Berry says Brown will compete against a couple of other quarterbacks….

Cut 19 (22)   “grow up”

Hey guys,

The last name of the woman on the Bill Cosby story is “Tucker” not “Turner.” We apologize for the error.

The embattled comedian Bill Cosby is appearing tonight at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette. There are some who aren’t happy about that due to allegations which recently surfaced accusing Cosby of sexually abusing women. Ebony Tucker, Director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, is concerned people who still buy tickets to Cosby’s show don’t take these alleged victims seriously…:

Cut 13 (08)  “come forward”

The comedian released a statement thanking fans for love, support and trust and added he can’t wait to warm the hearts of the audience with the gift of laughter. Tucker says it’s their hope that people in the audience tonight realize that famous people also have private lives that are very different from who they portray…:

Cut 14 (06) “criminal activity”

The performance is set for 8pm. Tucker says there has been so much victim blaming surrounding the Cosby allegations that people are separating Dr. Huxabtable from someone who is capable of committing a horrible crime…:

Cut 15  (12)  “sexual assault”

Republican gubernatorial candidate, US Senator David Vitter, is getting the endorsement of an ex-president. Michelle Southern reports…

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The Jindal administration laid out its plan today on how to cope with a one-point-six billion dollar revenue shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July first. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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This week’s wintry weather that hit Louisiana could result in a lower supply of crawfish this weekend. Mark Shirley, with the LSU AgCenter, says pond water temperatures dropped into the 40’s this week, which keeps crawfish from crawling into traps. Shirley says if you want some crawfish this weekend, you may want to get them early…

CUT 3 (09)  “be there”

He says you will be able to find crawfish this weekend, but the supply will be below normal. Unfortunately, the decrease in production will see a rise in the price of mudbugs. Shirley says you should see an improvement in the price as temperatures warm up…

CUT 4 (10)  “to springtime”

Because of the cold temperatures, you may see some smaller crawfish on your plate, but Shirley says crawfish are good, no matter what size they are. He says, although the winter weather has slowed the crawfish harvest, it hasn’t shut it down completely…

CUT 5 (08)  “Louisiana crawfish”

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Republican gubernatorial candidate, US Senator David Vitter, is getting the endorsement of an ex-president. The Vitter campaign sent an e-mail to supporters announcing the endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says this is significant, especially on top of the endorsement of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul…

CUT 6 (11)  “hugely critical”

In his endorsement, Bush describes Vitter as an effective, conservative leader and urges people to contribute to his campaign. Stockley says the backing of Bush and Paul are a big boost to Vitter’s quest to become governor…

CUT 7 (09)  “on your side”

Vitter is the front runner in this year’s governor’s race, ahead of Republicans Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, and Democratic state Representative John Bel Edwards. Stockley says Vitter’s opponents will now have to step up their game…

CUT 8 (07)  “behind Vitter”

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The Jindal administration presented a proposed budget today that provides  a starting point on how to prevent drastic cuts to health care and higher education, despite a one-point-six billion revenue shortfalll for next fiscal year. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols says they want lawmakers to scale back a dozen  refundable tax credits which would save the state 526-million dollars

CUT 9 (14)  “take in”

Even with a cap on certain tax credits, the cut in the proposed budget to higher ed is 211-million dollars. Nichols offered solutions to further reduce cuts to higher education and one includes raising the cigarette tax and using those revenues to provide families with a tax credit to help offset the costs for higher fees at public colleges..

cut 10 (07) “100 million dollars “

The potential drop in funding for health care sevices is 235-million dollars according to the proposed budget. Lawmakers who serve on the budget committees seemed like some of the ideas and Delhi Senator Franics Thompson is glad the cuts to higher ed and health care are not as bad as once feared…

cut 11 (06)  “we have”

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The Jefferson Davis Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men in connection with the homicide of a Lake Arthur man. Spokesman Christopher Ivey says deputies were dispatched to the home of 73-year-old Charles Talen, Sr. to notify him that his stolen vehicle had been found burned…

cut 12 (06)  “inside his home”

18-year-old Roderick Cawthrone, Jr. and 26-year-old Brett Hebert, both of Lake Arthur, face first degree murder charges in the death of Talen. Ivey says arrest warrants for the pair were issued yesterday afternoon… (Detectives are expecting more arrests in this investigation.)

cut 13 (07)  “to us”

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The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office says a man is under arrest accused of pranking 911 calls because he was bored. Sheriff Jason Ard says 27-year-old Brandon Kirkland allegedly called 911 dispatchers and reported that 2 masked men were entering a business in Watson to rob it…:

cut 14 (07)  “as themselves”

Kirkland admitted he did this as a prank two times and that’s two counts of felony terrorizing. Ard says the suspect’s story to detectives obviously didn’t fly…:

cut 15 (07) “prank call”

The Jindal administration will propose a budget for next fiscal year to lawmakers that’s expected to include significant cuts to higher education and health care. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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The new movie “Focus”, featuring Will Smith, hits theatres today and it’s just one of many major Louisiana shot movies to be released this year. Scott Carwile reports…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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Comedian Bill Cosby is appearing tonight at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette and not everyone is laughing. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (32) “reporting”

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Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed budget for next fiscal year will be presented to lawmakers today and significant cuts to higher education and health care are expected. La-politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says during today’s joint legislative budget committee there will be discussion on how to mitigate those cuts

cut 4  (09)  “be enough”

Drastic cuts are needed as the state faces a  one-point-six billion dollar revenue shortfall. Alford says the governor opposes any tax increase to close the deficit, but Jindal is open to changing the rules for refundable tax credits to increase revenue, but the budget ax will  likely still fall hard

Cut 5  (08)  “budget hole”

Alford says once lawmakers have a chance to see the proposed budget and how bad the cuts will be, ideas will start flowing on how to deal with it….

Cut 6 (08)  “session starts”

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Cleco’s shareholders have approved the sale of the Pineville-based company, but the Public Service Commission still has to give its consent. A North American investor group led by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and by British Columbia Investment Corporation is seeking to purchase the utility company. PSC Commissioner Clyde Holloway says he will study this proposed merger carefully.

CUT 7 (10)  “present employees”

Holloway says their job is to take care of people who work for CLEO and its customers. He says he knows what they have now with CLEO, but they don’t know what they’d be getting with Macquarie — a company outside of the US…:

Cut 8  (09)  “and for the employee” 

Holloway says he expects a vote before the PSC during the latter part of the third quarter of this year…:

Cut 9 (07)  “their findings are”

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The new movie “Focus”, featuring Will Smith, hits theatres today and it’s just one of many major Louisiana shot movies to be released this year. Chris Stelly, Executive Director of Louisiana Entertainment, says “Focus” could top the box office this weekend…

Cut 10 (09) “really well”

The streak started last weekend with the release of “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”. Stelly says other Louisiana films scheduled to open this year include “Pitch Perfect 2” in May and “Jurassic World” in June. Stelly says he’s looking forward to seeing “Get Hard” starring Will Farrell and Kevin Hart that will open next month…

cut 11 (11) “see that one”

This summer will also see the release of “Terminator Genisys” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in July and the reboot of the “Fantastic Four” franchise in August. Stelly thinks this summer is going to be a blockbuster season for films shot in Louisiana…

cut 12 (07)  “of films”

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The embattled comedian Bill Cosby is appearing tonight at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette. There are some who aren’t happy about that due to allegations which recently surfaced accusing Cosby of sexually abusing women. Ebony Turner, Director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, is concerned people who still buy tickets to Cosby’s show don’t take these alleged victims seriously…:

Cut 13 (08)  “come forward”

The comedian released a statement thanking fans for love, support and trust and added he can’t wait to warm the hearts of the audience with the gift of laughter. Turner says it’s their hope that people in the audience tonight realize that famous people also have private lives that are very different from who they portray…:

Cut 14 (06) “criminal activity”

The performance is set for 8pm. Turner says there has been so much victim blaming surrounding the Cosby allegations that people are separating Dr. Huxabtable from someone who is capable of committing a horrible crime…:

Cut 15  (12)  “sexual assault”

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The LSU men’s basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to three games on Saturday when they host Ole Miss. The Rebels are led by five-foot-ten guard Stefan Moody, who is averaging 16 and a half points a game. Tigers Coach Johnny Jones Ole Miss likes to create shots for Moody by running him off screens…

Cut 16  (17)  “one look”

LSU has been led lately by Jarell Martin who is also 16.5 points a game. He’s coming off a 25-point performance against Auburn and Jones likes how the sophomore is playing

Cut 17 (19)  “vast improvement”

A win on Saturday for LSU gives them 10 conference wins. In Jones first two seasons in Baton Rouge, LSU won nine games in the league each year

Cut 18 (18) “important’

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The ongoing rift between Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator David Vitter is getting national press. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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2014 Federal Highway Administration data shows that 29-percent of Louisiana’s nearly 13,000 bridges are deficient. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The ongoing rift between Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator David Vitter is getting national press. In a recent interview with the National Journal, Jindal told the reporter to turn the recorder off and he’d say what he really thinks about Vitter. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says voters in Louisiana do not want to see these two fighting amongst themselves…

CUT 3 (09)  “public trust”

Both the governor and senator have taken shrewd jabs at each other over the years. Pinsonat says it’s amazing that Jindal is getting involved in this now, seeing that he is eyeing a run for president. He says this could hurt the governor’s aspirations…

CUT 4 (05)  “United States Senator”

Vitter is in the midst of a gubernatorial campaign to succeed Jindal. Pinsonat says this rift could actually benefit Vitter in his quest to become the state’s next governor…

CUT 5 (08)  “doesn’t like him”

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As students in Northeast Louisiana miss their 4th winter weather day in a row, officials say all these days off could mean longer days for students. The state requires 63,720 instructional minutes per student per academic year, and Ouachita Parish Superintendent Bob Webber says they’ve already exceed extra time that is incorporated for inclement weather…:

CUT 6 (08)  “to each day”

Webber says the first option will be tacking minutes to the end of each day through the end of the year, but they are very close to adding entire extra days to the calendar. Webber says in his 13 and a half years as Superintendent, he’s never seen more than 2 inclement weather days in a row…:

CUT 7 (08)  “snow and ice”

In addition to the four days this week, Monroe City schools were also out a day in October last year because of an EF-2 tornado that tore through Ouachita Parish causing widespread damage. Webber says even though they have a significant amount of time to make up, you would always rather be safe than sorry when it comes to putting kids on buses in snow and ice…:

CUT 8 (12)  “concern”

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Two Slidell residents have been arrested after they allegedly forced a one-year-old to drink beer. Slidell police detective Daniel Seuzenau says the child’s grandfather noticed signs of abuse

CUT 9 (11)  “child’s throat”

Twenty-four-year-old Brett Flower and 23-year-old Krysten Verdin were arrested on cruelty to juvenile charges. Seuzenau says Flower poured the beer the down the infant’s throat, because he thought it was funny….

cut 10 (06)  “came forward”

Seuzenau says when Flower poured the beer down the child’s throat, it caused him to choke and regurgitate and Verdin then would get upset with the child…

cut 11 (08)  “witnesses”

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2014 Federal Highway Administration data shows that 29-percent of Louisiana’s nearly 13,000 bridges are deficient. That’s the 14th highest percentage in the United States. Louisiana DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett says motorists should not take this description of bridges in Louisiana too literally…

cut 12 (11)  “that it’s unsafe”

He says DOTD is working to replace and repair as many bridges as they can. Mallett says most bridges are on an inspection schedule of once every two years, with some on a six month schedule. He says there are 81 bridge inspectors throughout the state…

cut 13 (08)  “as needed”

Mallett says, since 2008, DOTD has spent $1.3 billion to replace or repair 467 bridges across the state. He says motorists should not think that that they can’t safely cross bridges in Louisiana…

cut 14 (05)  “in the past”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office says a now former Alexandria Police Officer is under arrest amid allegations he had sex with a juvenile. Lt. Tommy Carnline says they first got the complaint on December 1st of last year…:(Carnline says the alleged inappropriate sexual conduct occurred while Reed was off duty and it was outside the City of Alexandria.)

cut 15 (08) “police department officer”

Carnline says the city of Alexandria conducted their own internal investigation after the alleged incident occurred and the accused, 38-year-old Deric Reed, was placed on leave immediately. He says the suspect no longer works as a cop..:

cut 16 (10) “of a juvenile”

The snow that impacted north Louisiana yesterday has moved out of the area, but some of the roadways are still slick. Scott Carwile has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Eleven children were injured in a single vehicle bus school bus crash in Rapides Parish Tuesday morning. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says The Bayou State now has the second highest number of bald eagles that are nesting. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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State Farm announces they’ve received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use drones to inspect customers’ roofs. Spokesman Gary Stephenson says there are a number of different ways they can use this technology…

cut 4  (04)  “quickly”

Stephenson says they look forward to testing the unmanned aircraft systems on roof inspections to make things easier for their customers. He says they will be able to check out claims for damage quicker…:

Cut 5  (10)  “that are available”

Stephenson says they plan to use the drones to look at a roof before issuing policies, for renewals, catastrophe damage and in claims holding. He says the flying devices will assess damage at a faster pace in certain instances…:

Cut 6 (06)  “inspection”

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The snow that impacted north Louisiana yesterday has moved out, leaving slippery roadways in some areas. Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallet says several roadways will remain closed until they are deemed safe for travel. He says if you do plan to venture out today, check for what roads are open…

CUT 7 (08)  “plan accordingly”

He says you can go to 511LA-dot-org to get the latest road closure information. If you do plan on driving this morning, give yourself some extra time to reach your destination and take it slow as ice on some roadways has not had sufficient time to melt. Mallet says even though temperatures will rise above freezing today, that doesn’t mean that roads will immediately re-open…

Cut 8  (09)  “so to speak” 

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Eleven children were injured in a single vehicle bus school bus crash in Rapides Parish Tuesday morning. Trooper Scott Moreau says the bus was traveling down muddy Highway 121 when the driver lost control and the bus overturned on its side..

Cut 9 (09)  “5 to 15.”

Moreau says State Police are not expecting any charges for the driver but the investigation is still ongoing. He says they are looking to find a reason why there was so much mud on the road.

Cut 10 (09) “is low”

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LSU says an audit they performed finds newly-elected US Senator Bill Cassidy provided services to the university that equaled the 20-thousand dollar salary that he received. There were allegations during the US Senate race that Cassidy was paid for work he didn’t perform. Political Blogger Lamar White helped break the story that started the controversy and does not think the audit completely clears Cassidy…(White’s comments were made on the Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster Show.)

cut 11 (09) “extremely unusual”

Doctor Cassidy, who is a liver specialist, said in a written response that the audit provides sufficient facts to conclude that he provided services for equal or more than that of his compensation. But White says the audit confirms that gaps do exist in Cassidy’s time sheets, and he still questions whether Cassidy double-dipped

cut 12 (09)  “questions were answered”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says The Bayou State now has the second highest number of bald eagles that are nesting. Michael Seymour works with all non-game birds with LDWF and he says over the past couple of weeks they’ve been using helicopters to survey nests of bald eagles. He says in 2007 they discovered about 340 nesting pairs…:

Cut 13 (09)  “not a decrease”

Seymour says they looked at 647 nests and found that 356 were active with eggs, young and adults tending to them. He says most of them were located in the southeastern part of the state…:

Cut 14 (08) “pine trees”

Seymour says bald eagles build families during the first few months of the year which is why they have recently conducted a new survey. He says there are so many bald eagles flying around in Louisiana that it’s not unusual for you to spot one…:

Cut 15  (09)  “really helpful”

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Big college basketball game tonight in Ruston as Louisiana Tech hosts UTEP with the winner taking over sole possession of first place in Conference USA. The Bulldogs have won 26 straight home games, while the Miners are the hottest team in the league, with a seven game winning streak. Tech head coach Michael White says UTEP likes to show a lot of different looks defensively

Cut 16  (18)  “as possible”

The Miners are led by six-foot-eight sophomore Vince Hunter, who is averaging nearly 16 points and ten rebounds a game. White says UTEP is a tough team to defend…

Cut 17 (14)  “Conference USA”

Louisiana Tech beat the Miners in El Paso earlier this season and White says they need a big crowd tonight to help them sweep the season series

Cut 18 (15) “be successful’

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