Minden Police make two arrests from this past weekend’s mass shooting that was gang-related. Teiko Foxx has the latest.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

And in Caddo Parish today, a 19-year-old student at Southwood High School was arrested after a school resource officer found a fully loaded gun in his backpack. Sheriff Steve Prator says Officer Calvin Williams confronted Caleb Morris after he allegedly threatened to kill a coach at the school.

State Police has arrested the driver of a log truck that slammed into a state department of transportation vehicle in DeSoto Parish killing a DOTD worker. Trooper Jonathan Odom says 42-year-old Charles Barker of Florien was not attentive behind the wheel
Cut 12 (09) “…DeSoto Parish Jail”
35-year-old Christopher Gray of Lake Charles died at the scene.

With the state legislature going to work in just over a week, a non-profit insurance watchdog group shares its hopes to see substantive help for consumers, rather than bills to make a more business-friendly environment for insurance companies. Ben Riggs is the new director of Real Reform Louisiana…
Cut 9 (11) “…and small businesses.”
Riggs says Real Reform Louisiana wants to see legislation that increases competition in the insurance market.

Minden Police have made two arrests in the shooting of at least four people at a gathering Sunday night. The shooting happened at Ewell Park Recreation Center. Police Chief Jared McIver says his officers responded quickly.

Cut 3 (10) “…laying everywhere”

20-year-old Reginald Moore of Heflin and 22-year-old Jamontae Holyfield of Homer have been arrested so far and more are anticipated.

Addiction specialists are praising the FDA’s approval of over-the-counter Narcan to help with the ongoing opioid crisis. Director of Addiction Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Lee Michals is hopeful with Narcan more widely available the number of overdose deaths will decrease.

Cut 6 (11)  “…when it’s needed.” 

Further efforts to make home and auto insurance more affordable for Louisiana consumers will be before the state legislature when they convene April 10th. Kevin Gallagher reports a watchdog group hopes they’ll make real, substantial change…:

Cut 2 (31)  “….I’m Kevin Gallagher” 

Four Louisiana parishes are ranked in the top 10 in the US for population loss in 2022. St. John the Baptist ranked in second place, Terrebonne in third, and Plaquemines in fourth place. St. Charles Parish is in the 8^th spot. Hurricane Ida, which struck south Louisiana in August of 2021 impacted the four ranked parishes.

Minden Police make two arrests from this past weekend’s mass shooting that was gang-related. Teiko Foxx has the latest.

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy says the state is receiving $156-million from the Department of Interior from energy produced in the Gulf of Mexico. The funds are from energy produced fiscal year 2020.  The state dedicates those revenues to pay for conservation, restoration, and environmental projects to preserve and restore the eroding coastline.

The FDA has approved over-the-counter use of Narcan, the nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses. Director of Addiction Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Lee Michals says the greater the availability the better but don’t be afraid to ask your physician for a prescription either.

Cut 8 (11)  “…as well.” 

With the widespread use of opioids, he says everyone should have Narcan on hand just in case.

Proposed legislation from Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon would force policyholders to pay their legal expenses even if they WIN in court against an insurance carrier. Real Reform Louisiana executive director Ben Riggs says the state needs to be on the taxpayers’ side.

Cut 10 (10) “…consumers and taxpayers” 

Minden Police arrested and charged 20-year-old Reginald Moore of Heflin and 22-year-old Jamontae Holyfield of Homer with four counts of attempted second-degree murder in the mass shooting involving four people at a social gathering in Minden over the weekend.  Police Chief Jared McIver says all of the victims are now in the recovery phase.

Cut 4 (11)  “…female back” 

More arrests are expected.

 FDA has approved an over-the-counter Narcan to help with the ongoing opioid crisis. Director of Addiction Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Lee Michals says the nasal spray can reverse an opioid overdose but the public should learn how to use it properly.

Cut 7 (11)  “…on hand.” 

Michals says don’t be afraid to ask your physician for a prescription.

A non-profit insurance watchdog group plans to hound in on consumer-oriented insurance reforms during the upcoming legislative session. the executive director of Real Reform Louisiana, Ben Riggs says consumers should be the focal point and not the insurance companies.

Cut 9 (11) “…and small businesses.”

Riggs says tort reforms passed in recent years were touted as a way to reduce auto insurance rates, but they have failed to do so.

State Police arrested and charged  2-year-old Charles Barker of Florien and charged with manslaughter in an accident involving a state department of transportation vehicle in DeSoto Parish that killed a DOTD worker. Trooper Jonathan Odom explains why Barker was charged with negligent homicide…

Cut 13 (10) “…of someone else”

Gray was standing behind a DOTD dump truck when he was killed. The crew was performing road surface improvements to the highway.

Minden Police have made two arrests in the shooting of at least four people at a gathering Sunday night. The shooting happened at Ewell Park Recreation Center. Police Chief Jared McIver says his officers responded quickly.

Cut 3 (10) “…laying everywhere”

20-year-old Reginald Moore of Heflin and 22-year-old Jamontae Holyfield of Homer have been arrested so far and more are anticipated.

Addiction specialists are praising the FDA’s approval of over-the-counter Narcan to help with the ongoing opioid crisis. Director of Addiction Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Lee Michals is hopeful with Narcan more widely available the number of overdose deaths will decrease.

Cut 6 (11)  “…when it’s needed.” 

Further efforts to make home and auto insurance more affordable for Louisiana consumers will be before the state legislature when they convene on April 10th. Kevin Gallagher reports a watchdog group hopes they’ll make real, substantial change…:

Cut 2 (31)  “….I’m Kevin Gallagher” 

According to the website Family Destinations Guide, Cajuns traveling overseas have one of the hardest accents to understand by foreigners. The website that specializes in family travel conducted a survey of 3,000 participants to rate their level of understanding and Cajun English came in 5^th for being the most misunderstood abroad.

Two arrests have been made in the shooting of four people at a gathering over the weekend. Minden officers discovered the shooting was involved gang-related. Police Chief Jared McIver says this has been an ongoing problem before he took office.

Cut 5 (13) “…gang activity”

The investigation is ongoing.

A non-profit insurance watchdog group shares its hopes and concerns for consumer-oriented insurance reforms as the legislature prepares to begin a new session on April 10th. Executive director of Real Reform Louisiana Ben Riggs says his group is hoping to see more help for working consumers.

Cut 9 (11) “…and small businesses”

Riggs says Real Reform Louisiana lobbies to “deliver real reform that levels the playing field, increases competition, and lowers costs.

Many factors can cause stress but how does that look collectively as a country and where does Louisiana fit on WalletHub’s 2023 list of most stressed states? Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

The Federal Aviation Administration has changed its initial findings from the early Sunday morning helicopter crash that killed two Baton Rouge police officers who were piloting the aircraft. The initial report stated the chopper’s tail rotor struck a tree but that’s been changed to unknown circumstances. The crash remains under investigation. A memorial service for the two officers will be held April 6^th.

Will public school teachers get a pay raise when legislators convene for the regular session next month? Kace Kieschnick has more…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Kace Kieschnick”

Minden Police has arrested 20-year-old Reginald Moore of Heflin and 22-year-old Jamontae Holyfield of Homer for the shooting of at least four people at a gathering Sunday night. The shooting happened at Ewell Park Recreation Center. Police Chief Jared McIver says three males and one female were injured and at least one was flown to a Shreveport hospital.

Cut 4 (11)  “…female back” 

More arrests are expected.

State Police has arrested the driver of a log truck that slammed into a state department of transportation vehicle in DeSoto Parish killing a DOTD worker. Trooper Jonathan Odom says 42-year-old Charles Barker of Florien (chlorine) was not attentive behind the wheel.

Cut 12 (09) “…DeSoto Parish Jail” 

The crash occurred on U-S Highway 171 on January 25th.

Minden Police have made two arrests in the shooting of at least four people at a gathering Sunday night. The shooting happened at Ewell Park Recreation Center. Police Chief Jared McIver says his officers responded quickly.

Cut 3 (10) “…laying everywhere”

20-year-old Reginald Moore of Heflin and 22-year-old Jamontae Holyfield of Homer have been arrested so far and more are anticipated.

The legislative session is right around the corner and with the state sitting on a large surplus of money, raising salaries will be a big topic. Governor Edwards proposes a three-thousand-dollar teacher salary increase. Republican Houma Representative Tanner Magee says legislators support raising teacher pay but by how much…:

Cut 7 (06) “…pay for it.”

Magee says federal pandemic monies that boosted state revenues are going away and pay raises need to be from sustainable funding.

A bill to create a Criminal Justice System Pilot Program providing free access to criminal court records and case information for the public and the press has been filed for the upcoming session. Attorney General Jeff Landry supports it.

Cut 6 (11)  “…the results.”

The bill gives the public more transparency in sentencing.

According to WalletHub, the Bayou State is ranked number two among the most stressed states in the country. WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzales says a common stressor for all states is financial.

Cut 11 (09)  “…even more so.”

She says the sooner you address your money problems the better, ignoring them doesn’t make them go away. Mississippi topped the list as the most stressed state, followed by Louisiana, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Nevada.

There are eleven days until the start of the legislative session. On the agenda is a proposal to increase teacher salaries by three-thousand dollars. Also an increase in supplemental pay for law enforcement officers and there’s a bill to increase the salary of lawmakers. Houma Republican Representative Tanner Magee says raising the pay of legislators’ in an election year is dicey….
cut 9 (10) “…do that”

Another bill that will be up for discussion is a measure that would give citizens and the press free access to criminal court records, so crime victims can see what is going on with their case. Attorney and victims rights’ advocate Laura Rodrigue says…
cut 5 (11) “…..as victims”
The program would start in Orleans, East Baton Rouge and Caddo parishes.

According to Wallet-hub, Louisiana ranks second as the most stressed out state in the country. Analyst Jill Gonazles says Louisiana ranks high because of its high crime and divorce rate. Plus, Louisiana ranks second for median credit score and percentage of the population living in poverty. When it comes to money problems, Gonzales says the worst thing you can do is ignore it…
cut 12 (11) “….people out”
Mississippi is ranked as the most stressed out state.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says it has 19 new commissioned agents who will enforce hunting, fishing, and boating regulations. L-D-W-F spokesperson Adam Einck says many of the individuals love the outdoors and appreciate having a job that seeks to preserve the Sportsman’s Paradise…
cut 15 (10) “… as we can”
Einck says the next academy will likely start in the fall and they’ll begin taking applications later this spring.

The state legislature is expected to take on teacher and law enforcement pay raises when they convene in about 12 days. Louisiana has over a billion dollars in surplus, thanks to pandemic relief and hurricane recovery money, so the Governor wants to give teachers a $3000-a-year raise. Others want to give more supplemental pay to LEOs. Houma Representative Tanner McGee says the latter will likely get some pushback…:

CUT 08  (09)        “…local responsibility.”

McGee says pay raises need to come from renewable funding sources.

Wildlife & Fisheries just graduated a class on 19 new field agents. Spokesman Adam Einck says they’ll spend their first 6 months on the job with a training officer. He says the additional agents were sorely needed…:

CUT 14  (14)        “…helps a lot.”

When you compare stress factors among states Louisiana isn’t at the top of the list but it sure is close. Brooke Thorington has more on WalletHub’s 2023 list of Most Stressed States…:

CUT 03(29)      “…Thorington.”

This is NOT a Louisiana story, but you should enjoy it. A pair of teenage carjackers in Germantown, Maryland are under arrest after they failed to make off with a man’s wheels. They accosted the man as he was finishing getting gas, forcefully took his keys and jumped in the car…only to find it had a standard transmission…which they could not fathom. They were apprehended a short time later after fleeing on foot.