The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student late last month. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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President Obama’s proposed budget for next fiscal year calls for taking federal dollars away for coastal restoration and using that money elsewhere. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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President Obama is proposing that offshore revenue sharing plan, which would provide Louisiana millions of dollars in revenue for coastal restoration, be replaced with a plan that would spread that money across the nation for various issues. Senator Bill Cassidy says it seems the president doesn’t care about the people affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

CUT 3 (12)  “disaster in the future”

The president’s proposal would strip Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states of revenue promised by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act which is scheduled to go into effect in 2017. Cassidy, who sits on the Senate Appropriations and Energy committees, says lawmakers will do their best to defeat this policy…

CUT 4 (06)  “about stopping this”

He says if the president is looking for more money, there’s plenty out there. Cassidy points out that some states get 50-percent of the royalties from oil and gas resources produced on in-state lands, while Louisiana, over the past three years, has gotten less than one percent…

CUT 5 (10)  “opposed to us”

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The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a first-grade teacher for allegedly striking a student late last month. Witnesses reported seeing 31-year-old Chanel Lemelle, a teacher at Bains Lower Elementary in St. Francisville, berate, kick, and slap a student at the school. Sheriff’s spokesperson Erin Foster says they met with school board officials regarding teacher complaints about Lemelle…

CUT 6 (12)  “warrant for her”

Lemelle is charged with cruelty to juveniles. Foster says the witness statements about the incident were confirmed by video surveillance footage…

CUT 7 (07)  “of the head”

Lemelle turned herself in to authorities and was released after immediately posting bail. Foster says witnesses reported that, on several occasions, they also saw Lemelle taking food from students’ lunch plates…

CUT 8 (06)  “he sat down”

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

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding low and moderate income tax payers they could be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit — the largest federal government benefit for workers. IRS spokeswoman Jodi Patterson says the EITC is a program designed to give extra money to people who don’t earn very much…:

CUT 9 (08)  “for the credit”

Patterson says for tax year 2014, the credit is as much as $6100 for a family with three or more children. She says last year in Louisiana, 519,000 taxpayers took advantage of the EITC…:

cut 10 (09)  “Louisiana economy”

Patterson says you don’t have to have children to qualify for the credit. She says if you make less than $53,000 a year you should log on to IRS.gov to see if you qualify. Patterson says four out of five people who are eligible for the credit do claim it, a lot of people don’t know about it exists…:

cut 11 (06) “to get that credit”

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

With cooler temperatures forecast for much of Louisiana this week, will that have an effect on the crawfish crop leading up to Mardi Gras? LSU Aquaculture Specialist Dr. Greg Lutz says, in the long term, there shouldn’t be a problem because of their ability to adapt to cold. However, in the short term, Lutz says the cold temps could cause issues…

cut 12 (10)  “just sit there”

Lutz says crawfish get inactive in cold temperatures and won’t crawl into the traps until it warms up. He says some crawfishermen are inactive in cold temperatures, too, because their potential haul is not worth the trouble. Lutz says it costs the same to run their traps whether they catch anything or not…

cut 13 (08)  “their gasoline, probably”

Lutz says consumers may have a hard time finding crawfish this weekend and may see an increased price. He says this problem shouldn’t last long, though. Lutz says, fortunately, crawfish ponds are pretty shallow and they warm up quickly…

cut 14 (06)  “active again”

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

A new poll conducted by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s numbers have slipped among Iowa Republican voters. Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana is in danger of seeing a drop in its credit score. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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The man who led the military’s response in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina says he is thinking about running for governor. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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A new poll conducted by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s numbers have slipped among Iowa Republican voters. Jindal got two-percent of respondents when asked for their first choice in a presidential candidate. Pollster Ann Selzer says it’s too early to count Jindal out, but he does have some work to do…

cut 4  (05)  “at this point”

Jindal also received two-percent when respondents were asked for their second choice. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker lead the poll with 16-percent, followed by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul with 15-percent. The poll also showed the governor’s unfavorable numbers rose to 20-percent. Selzer says it’s important for Jindal to speak in a distinctive voice…

Cut 5  (10)  “a different thing”

Jindal has yet to officially announce his candidacy for president. Selzer says, if he is going to run, it would probably benefit Jindal to make a few more trips to Iowa to make more of an impression on voters there…

Cut 6 (06)  “welcome anytime”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana is in danger of seeing a drop in its credit score. Moody’s Investors Service warned that the state’s recent reductions in revenue estimates are a “credit negative.” Kennedy says states have credit ratings just as individuals do…:

CUT 7 (10)  “for example”

Kennedy says Moody’s is one of the major credit rating agencies and they’ve essentially fired a warning shot at Louisiana saying that if we don’t get our financial house in order, they will downgrade us from stable to negative. He says they point out 7 years we’ve spent more money than we took in…:

Cut 8  (10)  “never materialized” 

Kennedy says the report pointed to Louisiana’s multiple fiscal challenges including the $330 million dollar revenue forecast drop, next year’s $1.6 billion dollar budget shortfall, current mid-year budget cuts and more. But he says it’s not inevitable that we’ll be downgraded, but it’ll be up to the legislature to make some changes next session…:

Cut 9 (09)  “we’ll be okay”

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Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore wants to see Louisiana implement an air monitoring system, paid for by private companies. Honore, who was in charge of military relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina, now leads a coalition of environmental groups called the Green Army. Honore says the state has 150 chemical plants and no system in place to monitor what they put into the air…

Cut 10 (09)  “we do that” 

The Green Army proposes a series of sensors to be installed outside of chemical plants, monitoring the air quality. Honore says if something goes wrong, the sensors can notify nearby residents. He says the current method is not trust worthy…

cut 11 (09) “checking it out”

Honore says he’ll seek to have the state legislature pass what he calls a 21st Century Clean Air Bill. He says the automated air monitoring system should be paid for by the energy industry

cut 12 (10)  “sittin out there”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office says a teacher is behind bars for allegedly having inappropriate sexual relations with a juvenile student. Lt Tommy Carnline says the complaint came from the Glenmora Police Department who asked their deputies to investigate 28-year-old Donald Gene Parker III…:

Cut 13 (08)  “juvenile student”

Parker is a teacher at Glenmora High School according to their website. Carnline says as soon as the person made the complaint to the police department, Parker found out about it somehow…:

Cut 14 (07)  “about it”

Carnline says Parker faces many charges including 1 count of computer aided solicitation of a minor, 1 count of pornography involving juveniles, 1 count of indecent behavior with juveniles, 2 counts of obstruction of justice and 3 counts of intimidating a witness. He says their detectives obtained a warrant to search Parker’s home…:

Cut 15  (04)  “to his arrest”

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LSU shortstop Alex Bregman is on the Baseball America’s preseason All-American first team. Bregman hit .316 with 16 doubles six home runs and 47 RBIs. Bregman hopes to put up better offensive numbers this season, because this year’s baseballs have lower seams on them

Cut 16  (19)  “is going to be”

Bregman and the Tigers missed out on the College World Series last season, because they were upset by Houston in the Regionals. He says the team is very determined to get back to Omaha this year…

Cut 17 (21)  “opening night”

LSU begins its regular season on February 13th against Kansas. The Tigers will have an experienced line-up, but they’ll be young on the mound. Bregman likes what he sees from the young pitchers

Cut 18 (16) “in the SEC’

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According to Gasbuddy-dot-com, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose in Louisiana for the second week in a row. So, have seen the end of the four-month-long drop in prices at the pump? Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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There is a buzz today surrounding the Nationwide Super Bowl commercial last night in which a little boy dies at the end. So is it good for the Insurance Company? Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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

New Iberia’s Cajun Groundhog Day event ended with everyone in attendance expecting a long pleasant spring. Daily Iberian Publisher Will Chapman says when the prognosticating nutria, Pierre C. Shadeaux, emerged from his home, he did not see his shadow…

CUT 3 (07)  “heat and humidity”

When Pierre does not see his shadow, it means a longer spring for South Louisiana. Chapman says the good residents of south Louisiana shouldn’t have to depend on the forecast of Punxsutawney Phil…

CUT 4 (08)  “something to us”

He says south Louisiana is more concerned about spring and summer than winter. Chapman says he’s unsure if they’ve actually kept a record of Pierre’s past predictions, but he’s willing to bank on the forecast…

CUT 5 (05)  “pretty accurate”

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The Allen Parish Sheriff’s Department says they have discovered the remains believed to be that of a pregnant Lecompte woman, missing since 2011, and the woman arrested in connection with her disappearance now faces murder charges. Sheriff Douglas Hebert says the Oakdale Police Department received information about 22-year-old Victoria Perez from a juvenile informant…

CUT 6 (09)  “she went missing”

The informant told officials they witnessed their mother, 32-year-old Pamela Causey-Fregia (fre-JEE-ah), kill Perez around the time she went missing. Hebert says Causey-Fregia, with one of her children, picked up Perez, who was seven to eight monts pregnant, at a local hospital telling the victim that she would give her some baby clothes. He says they believe Causey-Fregia killed Perez as part of a plan to win back her estranged husband…

CUT 7 (11)  “she was pregnant”

They believe Perez was killed by blunt force trauma while the suspects children were present. Hebert says the body was then burned in an effort to dispose of it. He says it is unknown at this time if Causey-Fregia attempted to remove the fetus from Perez. Hebert says Causey-Fregia is facing upgraded charges… (Causey-Fregia faces first degree murder, first degree feticide, and other charges.)

CUT 8 (06)  “after the fact”

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

According to Gasbuddy-dot-com, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose in Louisiana for the second week in a row. Senior Petroleum Analyst Gregg Laskoski says we may have seen the end of the four-month-long drop in prices at the pump….

CUT 9 (07)  “a week ago”

Louisiana’s average price for a gallon of regular is $1.86, which is up two cents a gallon from a week ago. Laskoski attributes the rise in price to a transition period between the winter blend and summer blend of gasoline. He says the price of wholesale gasoline is another indicator that the price drop has ended…

cut 10 (10)  “the retail side”

He says wholesale prices have increased by more than 20 cents a gallon, and those increases will, eventually, get passed on to consumers. Laskoski says you can expect a steady climb in gas prices as we approach the spring and summer driving seasons…

cut 11 (08) “happen this year”

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

There is a buzz today surrounding the Nationwide Super Bowl commercial last night in which a little boy dies at the end. Some are saying the spot was inappropriate and too depressing to be played during the big game. Jensen Moore-Copple is an assistant professor of strategic communication with LSU’s Manship School. She doesn’t think this is good for the company:

cut 12 (07)  “Super Bowl advertising”

Nationwide issued a statement explaining the intention of the ad was to bring awareness to the issue of preventable injuries and deaths among children. Moore-Copple says instead the football fan conversation today is about what commercials are acceptable during the Super Bowl. She says that audience wants to see Payton Manning singing the cute Nationwide jingle:

cut 13 (09)  “that they wanted”

In less than 12 hours, the Make Safe Happen commercial had been viewed 1.44 million times on YouTube. But Moore-Copple says there is a huge negative reaction and backlash on social media…:

cut 14 (07)  “wanted it to be”

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

The Shreveport Police Department says the little girl that was run over while she was on her bicycle by a suspected drunk driver passed away this morning. Cpl Breck Scott says just after 2pm Saturday, 46-year-old Randy Presentine lost control of his red Dodge Avenger on Youree Drive and drove onto the shoulder…:

cut 15 (08) “7-year-old juvenile”

Scott says Presentine’s charges were upgraded to vehicular homicide along with having no insurance and driving under suspension. He says after the impact, the 7-year-old was taken to a hospital with life threatening injuries…:

cut 16 (08) “was declared deceased”

There is a new, free app for your smart phone that puts the health reports for local restaurants at your fingertips. Scott Carwile has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

BESE President Chas Roemer will not follow Governor Jindal’s executive order regarding Common Core exams. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

There’s apparently mixed signals coming out on whether New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will run for governor. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center launches an initiative to provide doctors in Louisiana with proven strategies which would reduce and treat obesity in children. The project is lead by Dr. Amanda Staiano (stye-an-no) who says the Child Obesity Treatment Toolkit helps primary care physicians determine who’s at risk for obesity…:

cut 4  (05)  “in clinic settings”

Staiano says childhood obesity is a very serious issue in Louisiana with half of our kids being overweight or obese. She says they have fantastic national recommendations on how to treat obesity and screen for it in clinics, but they find many physicians aren’t using them…:

Cut 5  (12)  “and families”

Staiano says they have over 2,000 hard copies of the toolkit they plan to distribute throughout the state or doctors can download it online at www.pbrc.edu/obesitytoolkit. She says Louisiana ranks near the top of obesity prevalence even in preschoolers…:

Cut 6 (09)  “good self-esteem”

______________________________________

Amid reports that some families are opting out from having their child take standardized tests that are part of Common Core, the chairman of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Chas Roemer, is encouraging parents to have their child take the test in March…

CUT 7 (12)  “weaknesses”

Based on news reports, only a handful of families have decided that their children will not take the Common Core-aligned tests, because they believe its harmful to their children. Roemer says the new standardized tests are more rigorous than previous ones, but it will help determine a student’s strength and weakness…

Cut 8  (09)  “their student” 

Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order that calls on BESE to have an alternate test for those students who opt-out of the Common Core exam. But Roemer says Jindal doesn’t have the constitutional authority to do that and he accuses the governor of creating chaos…

Cut 9 (09)  “the course”

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There is a new, free app for your smart phone that puts the health reports for local restaurants at your fingertips. The app is called “What the Health” and is the brain-child of Chris Peoples and Jake Van Dyke of Modern Appsolutions. Van Dyke says the app is very user friendly…

Cut 10 (08)  “health inspection” 

Louisiana is one of just eight states, along with Washington DC, serviced by the app. Van Dyke says the idea came from a dinner conversation he had with Peoples. He says the app will show you a letter and number grade for each restaurant along with any actual violations they received during their last inspection…

cut 11 (09) “the salad stuff”

The app is available for both iPhone and Android phones. “What the Health” will give you a list of the 100 restaurants nearest to you. Van Dyke says this app is really just a tool to help you judge your risk in eating out…

cut 12 (06)  “in the morning”

______________________________________

Many are waiting to see if democratic New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will get in the governor’s race. Jeremy Alford, publisher of la-politics-dot-com, says Landrieu only has about 40-thousand dollars in campaign money in the bank, so if he’s getting in, he’ll need to make a decision soon…

Cut 13 (06)  “wanted too”

Alford says some Democratic operatives say Landrieu will pass on the governor’s race, so he can have a major influence on the presidential race…

Cut 14 (04)  “the Clintons”

Alford says he’s also heard that Mayor Landrieu has yet to completely rule out a run for governor

Cut 15  (07)  “more of an interest”

State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a Thursday night mobile home fire in Marksville that has left four dead. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

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With Common Core testing scheduled for March, some families have decided on opting their kids out of taking the tests. BESE member Lottie Beebe says, according to information provided by the Department of Education, this will cause negative implications for schools and school systems…

CUT 3 (09)  “and school systems”

She says students who do not take the assessment test will be given a zero grade and that grade will passed on to schools and school districts. Beebe says another concern with this issue is whether or not a student who refuses to take the tests will be promoted. She says, right now, that’s up to the individual school districts, but it should be state policy…

CUT 4 (09)  “across the state”

So far, only a handful of families have opted their kids out of Common Core testing, but more are expected as the testing dates approach. Education Superintendent John White has recommended a “wait and see” approach, but Beebe says they need to be pro-active. She says BESE should hold a special meeting to address the “opt-out” movement…

CUT 5 (04)  “their concerns”

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State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a fire in Avoyelles Parish that has left four dead. Fire Marshall Butch Browning says the fire occurred just before midnight Thursday night at a mobile home in Marksville…

CUT 6 (07)  “in this fire”

Browning says a father, grandmother, son, and daughter all perished in the blaze. The victims’ ages range from 10 to 73-years-old. Browning says firefighters tried to do a search of the mobile home, but the flames were too intense…

CUT 7 (10)  “the fire starting”

Browning says they believe the four victims were asleep at the time of the fire. He says the mother of the children was at work when the blaze broke out. Browning says the investigation is in its initial stages…

CUT 8 (06) “caused this fire”

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Mitt Romney announces he’s decided not to run for president next year, so what could that mean for Governor Bobby Jindal? 2016 would have been Romney’s third run at the White House. UL-Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says Romney is one less main-stream contender that Jindal has to compete with…:

CUT 9 (10)  “conservative wing”

Cross says Romney passed on Jindal as a vice presidential contender last time saying the two never really connected so him bowing out of the race also helps The Governor…:

cut 10 (09)  “Romney does”

Cross says anytime one of the main candidates drops out of a presidential race, it’s a victory for all of the remaining contenders…:

cut 11 (11) “to go”

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High school principals vote to keep the current split between public and private schools that exists with the football playoffs and allow the new executive director of the LHSAA, Eddie Bonine, develop solutions that could possibly bring the classes back together. Bonine says his first step will be to organize a committee to examine the issues that caused the split

cut 12 (10)  “many, many years”

Many principal Norman Booker authored proposals to divide the postseason between public and private schools in other sports, but it was voted down. Booker says private schools have advantages in the student enrollment process over public schools and he’ll seek try to help come up with a solution as well

cut 13 (09)  “drawing board”

Bonine says he wants to take a hard look at the issues that caused the split, and see if he can solve those, before he proposes a playoff format that high school principals can vote on next January….

cut 14 (07)  “address them”

After more Louisianians have been hospitalized and even died as a result of synthetic marijuana, Governor Bobby Jindal has announced the ban of multiple new synthetic marijuana compounds. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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A study from Tulane suggests residents in Boston and Seattle better take steps to protect themselves from the flu. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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A study looking at inappropriate teacher-student relationships finds  Louisiana has the third highest number of cases in the country on a per-capita basis. Scott Carwile has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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After more Louisianians have been hospitalized and even died as a result of synthetic marijuana, Governor Bobby Jindal has announced the ban of multiple new synthetic marijuana compounds. The new banned compounds are called “PX 1″, PX 2”, and “MDMB-CHMICA” (chimika). Dr. Mark Ryan, Director of the Louisiana Poison Control Center, says the state is staying pro-active in fight against synthetic marijuana…

cut 4  (11)  “those substances”

Ryan feels Louisiana is one of the most pro-active states in the nation in quickly regulating these substances once they are identified. He says there have been several deaths in the state in the last few months related to synthetic marijuana, sold under names like “Blue Diamond” and “Mojo”…

Cut 5  (06)  “in particular”

Ryan says at least one death can be attributed to these new banned substances. He says not only are people who use synthetic marijuana are being harmed, but the people around them are harmed as well. He says, if you are concerned that a product contains an illegal substance, just look for the words “Not For Human Consumption” on the back of the package…

Cut 6 (06)  “drug in it”

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A Tulane University study discovers that cities who have teams in the Super Bowl see a spike in flu deaths. Researcher Charles Stoecker, says based on county-level statistics, there was an 18-percent increase in flu deaths among those over the age of 65 in cities whose teams were in the Super Bowl that year. He says big games bring more people together

CUT 7 (10)  “over 65 set”

Stoecker says based on his research people in Boston and Seattle need to practice good hygiene and his study also reveals the effect is worse in years when the flu strain is more virulent like this year’s strain

Cut 8  (03)  “Super Bowl” 

Stoecker says another interesting aspect of his study found the host Super Bowl city does not see an increase in flu cases or deaths…

Cut 9 (10)  “Super Bowl contenders”

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The Louisiana Lottery says we’ve now hit the biggest Powerball jackpot of 2015 with tomorrow’s drawing worth a whopping $298 million dollars. Spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says the current jackpot has been running since the end of November. She says the last big jackpot winner in Louisiana was from a May 2013 drawing so we’re due…:

Cut 10 (07)  “Powerball game” 

Chopin says the current jackpot has a cash value of about $198.4 million dollars. She says since the match 5 prize has increased to a million dollars we’ve had plenty of those winners in Louisiana…:

cut 11 (09) “one million dollars”

Chopin says when the jackpot gets high like this they find a lot of people play who don’t normally buy tickets — or even for the first time…:

cut 12 (09)  “one to win”

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A new study ranks Louisiana third nationally on a per-capita basis for inappropriate teacher-student relationships. Terry Abbott, a former chief of staff at the US Department of Ed and now chair of Drive West Communications, says he found 23 reported cases in 2014 and in many situations, social media advanced a teacher-student relationship to an inappropriate level…

Cut 13 (11)  “with kids”

Abbott says there’s also a higher percentage of inappropriate relationships involving female teachers than the national average….

Cut 14 (08)  “other states”

Abbott says there’s already been six reported cases in 2015, which is disturbing. He says school district leaders need to get serious about this problem and so do lawmakers, who can pass legislation to create stronger penalties for offenders…

Cut 15  (07)  “jail time”

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Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and former LSU wide receiver Brandon Lafell goes after his first Super Bowl ring. Lafell and the rest of the Patriot receivers will go up against the best defensive secondary in the NFL. Plus the Seahawks like to talk, but Lafell says they can’t trash talking contest

Cut 16  (22)  “this offense”

Lafell is fired up for his first Super Bowl…

Cut 17 (17)  “to come”

Other Louisiana connections to the Super Bowl. Former Louisiana Tech standout Ryan Allen is the Patriots Punter. Northwestern State product Jeremy Lane is a defensive back for the Seahawks. Former LSU Tiger cornerback Tharold Simon is also on Seattle. Lafell says staying loose on game day will be one of his biggest challenges…

Cut 18 (20) “stay in the game’

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The legal drama between the Benson family over ownership of the Saints and Pelicans could drag on for a year or more in courtrooms in New Orleans and San Antonio. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Former KKK leader David Duke’s challenge to run against Steve Scalise for the 1st Congressional District seat likely won’t happen according to pundits. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

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The legal drama between the Benson family over ownership of the Saints and Pelicans could drag on for a year or more. The scene will play out in courtrooms in New Orleans and San Antonio. Legal analyst Tim Meche says an Orleans Civil District Court Judge could rule whether or not Tom Benson is physically and mentally fit to handle his business affairs by spring…

CUT 3 (12)  “likely result”

Meche says the real litigation will take place in San Antonio involving whether or not Tom Benson can transfer the teams out of the family trust. He says, thus far, Benson has been unsuccessful in his attempts to do so…

CUT 4 (11)  “the Pelicans”

He says that case will involve a lot of legal maneuvering and possibly courts of appeal. There is always a chance that the two sides could negotiate a settlement which would bring this to a quicker solution. Meche feels, at this point in the game, both sides are engaging in a public relations war…

CUT 5 (11)  “to get worse”

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So how likely would it be that former KKK leader and Louisiana lawmaker David Duke would be elected again here? Not very likely according to political analyst Bernie Pinsonat. Duke challenged Congressman Steve Scalise to step down for apologizing about speaking to a white supremacist group in 2002. Pinsonat says Duke is only milking this for attention…:

CUT 6 (10)  “long as possible”

Duke took it a step further and said that he would consider challenging the House Majority Whip in the next election for the 1st District Seat. Pinsonat says Duke is just trying to get publicity and he will probably never get re-elected in Louisiana if he chooses to run…:

CUT 7 (08)  “apologizing”

Duke made the comments on Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster Show. Pinsonat says if anything, this would allow Scalise to set the record straight that he doesn’t agree with Duke…:

CUT 8 (08) “and what he stands for”

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There are a lot of Mardi Gras Krewes in Louisiana getting nervous as most of their custom throws have not arrived yet and Fat Tuesday is just around the corner. There was an ongoing labor dispute at a Los Angeles port which held up thousands of signature Mardi Gras product, but Beads By the Dozen President Dan Kelly says tensions have calmed…:

CUT 9 (12)  “two to three days”

Kelly says his containers were stuck in the middle of a bad contract argument between dock workers and the shipping companies in LA but all parties have cooperated. He says they’ve rescheduled all distribution days with the Krewes for next week…:

cut 10 (07)  “back up and runnin again”

Kelly says almost every Carnival Krewe was affected by the delay. He says now all of the Mardi Gras containers are being taken off ships and hopefully will be put on trains over the next two days…:

cut 11 (06) “safe Mardi Gras”

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that yesterday’s fire in Calhoun, where two bodies were recovered, was a murder suicide. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says they believe the situation began with a domestic dispute between 52-year-old Larry Lisotta and his wife, 57-year-old Diane Lisotta…

cut 12 (09)  “suicide himself”

Browning says hey have determined that Larry Lisotta shot his wife in the head and then turned the gun on himself. He says this appears to be an isolated incident and do not believe anyone else was involved…

cut 13 (05)  “tragic deaths”

Browning says they believe Larry started the fire after he shot Diane. He says the investigation is still ongoing in this unfortunate incident…

cut 14 (06)  “two individuals”

Sasol’s announcement of a delay in their final decision to invest in a proposed gas-to-liquids plant in southwest Louisiana has raised some concern in the business community. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

Former KKK leader and State Representative David Duke says Congressman Steve Scalise is a sellout and he may consider running against him. The comments were made in a rare interview on the Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster Show. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (27) “reporting”

______________________________________

State Police announce additional troopers will be deployed to New Orleans for this year’s Mardi Gras season. Scott Carwile reports…

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

______________________________________

Sasol’s announcement of a delay in their final decision to invest in a proposed gas-to-liquids plant in southwest Louisiana has raised some concern in the business community. But George Swift, President of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, says construction has already begun on Sasol’s $8 billion ethane cracker and that quells his concern…

cut 4  (07)  “a later date”

The South African energy company cites falling oil prices as the reason for their announced delay. Swift says the decline in the price of oil has given his organization a reason to be concerned, but projects like this are focused on long-range goals…

Cut 5  (10)  “will go ahead”

Swift says his confidence that the project will go ahead is boosted by the infrastructure work that Sasol is doing around the site of the proposed plant. He says even though Sasol’s decision to delay is disappointing, it could have a silver lining…

Cut 6 (09)  “workforce needs”

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The Onion, a satirical news website, recently wrote an article skewering Governor Bobby Jindal that’s getting national attention. The fictitious article claimed that Jindal’s presidential campaign would last about two months before he pulled out of the race. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says a couple of things may have put Jindal in the cross hairs of The Onion…

CUT 7 (11)  “State University”

The tongue-in-cheek article claimed that Jindal isn’t sure he would want to put his family through the ordeal of a two-month presidential campaign. Stockley says The Onion is really taking two shots at Jindal. He says the first jab focuses on Jindal’s potential presidential campaign…

Cut 8  (12)  “if at all” 

Stockley says The Onion writing an article about Jindal is not flattering and not the kind of national attention that the governor would prefer at this time. He says the underlying joke in the article is one that Louisianians will surely understand…

Cut 9 (07)  “six years now”

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State Police announce that 150 additional troopers will be deployed to New Orleans for this year’s Mardi Gras season. Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson says the troopers will be working in the city through Fat Tuesday. Edmonson says that number is up from past years…

Cut 10 (10)  “we need to” 

He says the detail will include a visible uniform security presence in the French Quarter and Central Business District as well as plain clothes officers. Edmonson says, looking forward, there will be an increased number of troopers in the city for events like French Quarter Fest, Jazzfest, and numerous conventions…

cut 11 (10) “through May”

Edmonson says an increased number of troopers will be working in the Big Easy through the end of May. He says it’s extremely important to have a contingency of law enforcement in areas where you will have a large amount of people…

cut 12 (10)  “in the world”

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Former KKK leader and State Representative David Duke says Congressman Steve Scalise is a sellout and he may consider running against him. In a rare interview on Louisiana Radio Network’s Jim Engster show, Duke says the Congressman should step down for apologizing about speaking to a white supremacists group in 2002…:

Cut 13 (10)  “sold out”

Scalise recently came under fire when the story broke that he was a guest speaker at an event hosted by Duke. The Congressman said it never should have happened and Duke says that is an insult to every member of Scalise’s 1st district which is why he’s seriously considering running against him…:

Cut 14 (08)  “they supported my views”

Duke, who currently lives in Mandeville, says he’s not registered to vote but he would just to run for office against Scalise. He says by apologizing, Scalise is suggesting that everyone who voted for him is racist…:

Cut 15  (07)  “he’s betrayed his people”

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Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky will battle for first place in Conference USA when the two basketball teams meet tonight in Ruston. Tech is 6-and-1 in Conference USA, while the Hilltoppers are 7-and-0. Bulldogs Coach Michael White says Western Kentucky is good in all areas and they have two players who are tough to stop

Cut 16  (20)  “George Fant”

Tech has won 22 in a row at home and White says tonight is about protecting their home floor against a really good offensive team….

Cut 17 (10)  “the opportunity”

Senior guard Speedy Smith says the players are looking forward tonight’s match-up…

Cut 18 (15) “big opportunity’

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Republican Congressman Steve Scalise agrees to meet with two civil rights leaders in the aftermath of reports Scalise spoke to a group of white supremacists in 2002. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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Sasol announces they are delaying a final investment decision on building a gas to liquids plant in the Lake Charles area. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 2 (32) “reporting”

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Republican Congressman Steve Scalise agrees to meet with two civil rights leaders in the aftermath of reports that the House Majority Whip spoke to a group of white supremacists in 2002. The pair want to ask Scalise to help advance civil and human rights issues, like the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Political analyst Clancy Dubos thinks this is a good move for the Congressman…

CUT 3 (12)  “meeting with EURO”

Dubos says this is a step Scalise can take to put some action behind the words he said in regards to the controversy. The Congressman has acknowledged it was a mistake to speak to the group and has apologized. Dubos feels Scalise has been sincere in his remarks since the news came out…

CUT 4 (11)  “in all forms”

The House Majority Whip will meet with former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, and Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, next month. Dubos says Scalise should use this meeting as a real chance to communicate…

CUT 5 (07)  “a good thing”

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Sasol says it’s delaying a final decision on whether or not it will invest in a proposed gas-to-liquids plant in southwest Louisiana. The South African energy company says they’re holding off on the 14 billion dollar phase of the project due to tumbling oil prices. LSU Center for Energy Studies Executive Director David Dismukes says not a surprise, considering the massive scope of the project with…:

CUT 6 (10)  “little bit more questionable”

Sasol has already approved an $8.1 billion ethane cracker in Westlake but right now the company says they are working to conserve as much money as possible in the wake of falling oil prices. There are several other announced industry sites out there in Louisiana and Dismukes says the farther one is away from completion, the more likely a similar delay will take place:

CUT 7 (08)  “locked in”

If Sasol green-lights this GTL plant, it would be the most expensive industrial project in Louisiana history, totaling $22 billion when combined with the cracker. Dismukes says this decision is reflective of what’s happening with the entire energy industry

CUT 8 (08) “oil prices”

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Slidell Police say a homeowner woke up this morning to find something quite unusual in his home. Detective Daniel Seuzeneau says the homeowner immediately called police and responding officers found 31-year-old Sharrod McCullum sound asleep on the victim’s sofa…

CUT 9 (08)  “he was at”

The officers woke McCullum up and were able to arrest him without incident. Seuzeneau says the suspect appeared to be intoxicated. He says authorities discovered that McCullum forced entry through the rear door of the residence…

cut 10 (08)  “the neighborhood”

McCullum faces one count of simple burglary and one count of criminal damage. Seuzeneau says other charges could be filed in the near future. He admits it’s funny, but scary at the same time to wake up and find a stranger sleeping in your house…

cut 11 (09)  “further incident”

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating an early morning fire in Ouachita Parish that has claimed the lives of two people. Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the fire occurred around 5AM this morning at a mobile home in Calhoun…

cut 12 (11)  “this mobile home”

The identities of the man and woman who perished in the fire have not been released. The mobile home shared property with a house that is believed to belong to the father of one of the victims. Browning says the fire that destroyed the mobile home was very intense…

cut 13 (07)  “at this point”

Browning says officials are still working to determine the exact cause of the fire. He stresses it’s a very active investigation and information is very limited at this time…

cut 14 (07)  “in Louisiana”

The Boudin King Cake idea has gone completely viral as people demand to have one right away. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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Studies show more and more women are buying guns and becoming more familiar with how to use them. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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Louisiana’s December labor numbers are in and once again the state broke employment records. Scott Carwile has more….

Cut 3 (32) “reporting”

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What is the first thing you think of when you hear “Boudin King Cake?” Well it’s out there. The brains behind the now crazy viral concept is Acadiana food critic Bob Carriker who is a UL-Lafayette history professor. He says he reviews King Cakes and Boudin from all over the nation and decided to combine the two and share the idea on his Facebook Page…:

cut 4  (12)  “in minutes”

Carriker says the now-famous King Cake uses a bread that is savory, not sweet, stuffed with boudin, topped with Steen’s cane syrup then sprinkled with cracklin. He says his idea immediately went viral so he ran down to a local baker, Billy Guilbeaux who co-owns Twins Burgers and Sweets with his twin Denny…:

Cut 5  (09)  “just dramatic”

Guilbeaux says they began cooking and selling the Boudin King Cake which each comes with its own bottle of Steen’s, and within 2 hours they had used 120 containers of the cane syrup and had to run to Abbeville to get 700 more. Carriker says he’s gotten messages from Alaska, New York, Washington and California all with people who want one…:

Cut 6 (09)  “as soon as possible”

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Studies show more and more women are buying guns and becoming more familiar with how to use them. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 74 percent of gun shops saw growth in female customers in 2013. Barret Kendrick, a firearms trainer in Covington, says they have seen a major increase in the number of women coming into the gun market.

CUT 7 (10)  “well as their children”

Kendrick says women want to be able to protect themselves and their children and not feel like they have to rely on a man to protect them. He says three years ago he’d see just one or two females in a concealed carry training course…:

Cut 8  (08)  “during that course” 

Kendrick says he’s found many of his female students go from being scared of weapons to really enjoying a training course and having fun. He believes the trend of women becoming involved with guns will keeping getting bigger…:

Cut 9 (05)  “sports industry”

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Labor numbers for December show it was another record breaking month for Louisiana employment. Louisiana Workforce Commission director Curt Eysink, says total nonfarm employment grew to 1,992,000, as private employers added 34-thousand jobs over the year. He says professional businesses services is one of their strongest sectors for job growth

Cut 10 (10)  “other people” 

Louisiana’s unemployment rate continues to go up, even though the number of people who are employed is also increasing. Eysink says the higher unemployment rate is not because of layoffs, but because more people are looking for jobs

cut 11 (09) “find work”

The statewide unemployment rate for December was six-point-seven percent, up one-point-three percent from the year before. Eysink says they hope the number of people employed continues to go up, even though weak oil prices are leading to layoffs in the oil industry

cut 12 (07)  “this point”

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The Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s annual convention begins today and the main agenda item is the current split of the football playoffs. There is a proposal to expand the postseason split of public and private schools to other sports. But new LHSAA executive director, Eddie Bonine, is asking schools to give him a year to come up with a proposal a bulk of the schools are pleased with…

Cut 13 (07)  “state again”

Bonine, who was hired in December, has spent the last couple of weeks talking with schools and getting their input. He believes since he’s new on the job, the best course of action is to stay with the split football playoffs for another year, so they can work on a better solution

Cut 14 (09)  “thing right”

The LHSAA voted in 2013 to split the football playoffs, because of concerns private schools had certain advantages over public schools. Bonine says he wants more time to dive into the issues that created the split and work with schools on a plan that will make it more equitable for teams to win a championship

(A vote on the football playoff proposals will take place Friday.)

Cut 15  (05)  “trial on”

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