Hurricane season begins today, and Colorado State University has upgrade their forecast for the season. In April, CSU called for a slightly below average season. State Climatologist Barry Keim explains why the forecast now calls for 13 named storms.

Cut 3 (09) “this year”

The CSU forecast calls for six hurricanes with two of them becoming major.

Oakdale Elementary School in Allen Parish was ravaged by a massive fire overnight. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson with the state Fire Marshal’s Office says they’re investigating what led to the huge blaze that left most of the school destroyed. He says thankfully the school was already out for the summer.

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State Police say they have arrested the Baton Rouge man who allegedly struck and killed a 12-year-old boy during a police chase. Michelle Southern reports…

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A Shreveport man has been arrested after police say he put a 2-year-old in a refrigerator as a form of punishment. Police say 30-year-old Steven Funderburk is also accused of slapping the child across the face. He is charged with cruelty to a juvenile, and his bond was set at $100,000.

Senate Finance approves a 29-billion dollar budget plan for next fiscal year. It fully funds TOPS and it calls for more state spending than what the House proposed. So colleges, prisons and the department of children and family services will not see cuts. Governor John Bel Edwards says the Senate’s version of the budget makes responsible cuts to the Department of Health. A conference committee will be needed to iron out differences between the House and Senate.

Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil halts his effort to make it harder for high school students to get the TOPS scholarship. Foil told Senate Education a task force will be formed to examine TOPS and he’ll wait to see their findings…
Cut 15 (09) “that reason”
Foil’s bill would have raised the minimum high school GPA from 2.50 to 2.75.

Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh says Louisiana can pay for better roads if it fired three-thousand state transportation workers. DOTD employs 47-hundred. Seabaugh says that would free up a couple hundred million dollars and the state agency wouldn’t even notice the employee reduction.
Cut 5 (09) “do the job” (2x)
But Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says that’s not a practical solution to fund transportation infrastructure. He says all of the employees he was referring to are people that perform routine maintenance and road closures during disasters.
Cut 6 (08) “the actual work”
Seabaugh’s comments came during discussion of a proposed gasoline tax hike that died on the House floor.

State Police say they have arrested a Baton Rouge man who allegedly struck and killed a 12-year-old boy during a police chase. Michelle Southern reports.
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Former LSU band director Roy King has reached a settlement with the university over his firing. King was part of the Tiger Band Program for 18 years, but he was terminated last year after a four-month internal investigation. King’s attorney says he’s happy it’s settled and he’s looking forward to moving on.

Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil’s attempt to make it harder for students to get a TOPS scholarship, by raising the GPA requirement, has been tabled for the session. Foil says he proposed the bill, because the cost of the taxpayer scholarship continues to escalate….
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Foil says the legislature is forming a task force to examine TOPS, so he’ll look at their findings, before proposing changes next year.

After first forecasting a below-average hurricane season, researchers at Colorado State University have upped their seasonal outlook and now predict a more active season. The revised forecast calls for 13 named storms. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana has not seen a hurricane make landfall in four years…:
Cut 4 (11) “but we’ll see”

A 12-year-old Baton Rouge boy is dead after he was struck by a vehicle involved in a police chase. The driver of that car has been identified as 32-year-old Joshual Hilton of Baton Rouge. He’s been charged with manslaughter. State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says Hilton was trying to flee police, who was conducting a drug investigation….
cut 8 (10) “….some closure”
The 12-year-old who was killed has been described as a very good boy.

A couple in Washington Parish has been arrested after the son allegedly hit his mother with a cast iron skillet. Chief Deputy Mike Haley says a table game got out of hand….
cut 13 (09) “….the head”
The mother suffered serious injuries.

Colorado State University upgrades its hurricane season forecast from below-average to near-normal. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The state fire marshal’s office is on the scene in Allen Parish where a fire destroyed much of Oakdale Elementary. Chief Deputy Brant Thompson says they are trying to determine a cause….
cut 10 (09) “….the fire”
Thompson says the school is home to 700 students and it’s a hard hit to the Oakdale community.

Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil halts his effort to raise the minimum GPA required for high school students to receive the TOPS scholarship. Foil told Senate Education a task force will be formed to examine TOPS and he’ll wait to see their findings before pursing his legislation…
Cut 15 (09) “that reason”

Colorado State University hurricane researchers have updated their 2017 Atlantic hurricane season forecast as it begins today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the forecast now calls for 13 named storms.He says the US has gone 11 straight seasons without a major hurricane landfall. He says the last one was Wilma in 2005.

Cut 5 (12) “a major hurricane”

CSU finds there is a 32 percent chance a hurricane will make landfall on the Gulf Coast.

State Police have arrested the man who allegedly hit and killed a 12-year-old boy during a police chase. Trooper Bryan Lee says 32-year-old Joshual Hilton of Baton Rouge faces multiple charges including manslaughter and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He says investigators are reconstructing the scene where Sammy Lee was run over…
Cut 7 (09) “was struck”

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a couple for aggravated assault after the man and girlfriend allegedly attacked the man’s mother with a cast iron skillet. Chief Deputy Mike Haley says Venus Camacho and Kurtis Strong started attacking Strong’s mother after an argument and Strong ended up severely injuring her by throwing the skillet at her head. He says this is extremely disrespectful.
Cut 14 (06) “unacceptable”

Strong is charged with two counts of aggravated battery and domestic abuse battery by strangulation.

After first forecasting a below-average hurricane season, researchers at Colorado State University have upped their seasonal outlook and now predict a more active season. The CSU forecast calls for six hurricanes, with two of them becoming major. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana has not seen a hurricane make landfall in four years…:
Cut 4 (11) “but we’ll see”
the forecast now calls for 13 named storms.

Bond has been set at $57,500 for the man who was arrested after he allegedly struck and killed a 12-year-old boy during a police chase in Baton Rouge. Investigators booked 32-year-old Joshual Hilton with manslaughter, reckless operation, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office arrests a man for allegedly locking his 2-year-old daughter in a refrigerator with the door closed as a form of punishment. He is 30-year-old Steven Funderburk of Shreveport.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man and his girlfriend for aggravated assault after the couple allegedly attacked the man’s mother with a cast iron skillet. Chief Deputy Mike Haley says Kurtis Strong and Venus Camacho, both 38, were playing a table game with the Strong’s mother and her friend when Camacho and the mom got into an argument…:
Cut 12 (07) “his mother”
He says the son then threw the skillet at his mom’s head and her injuries were serious enough that she had to be taken to a hospital in New Orleans.

An elementary school in Allen Parish was ravaged by a massive fire overnight. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson with the state Fire Marshal’s Office says the fire began at Oakdale Elementary around 4 p.m. yesterday. He says it took some time to get the fire under control, and hot spots remained until this morning…:
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About 80 percent of the building was reportedly destroyed by the fire. The cause is under investigation.

State Police say a 12-year-old in Baton Rouge died after being run over by a suspect who was leading cops on a chase. Trooper Bryan Lee says they were called to investigate at the request of BRPD when officers were conducting a possible narcotics operation…:

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The child is identified as Sammy Lee. The suspect 32 year old Joshual Hilton of Baton Rouge, is charged with Manslaughter.

The proposal to raise the state’s gas tax was pulled from the House floor
before debate as there weren’t enough votes to get it passed. It still
sparked discussion from both sides. Shreveport Representative Alan
Seabaugh opposed the increase saying he won’t turn his back on his
constituents…:
Cut 16 (08) “gas tax”
Supporters said killing the bill puts Louisiana’s roads at risk.

SWEPCO is reporting that there are still thousands of customers in west Louisiana who are without power following last Sunday’s severe storm system. The utility hopes to have power restored to the 3600 affected in the Mansfield and Natchitoches areas by 5pm today.

Colorado State University upgrades its hurricane season forecast from below-average to near-normal. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The team at Colorado State University upgrades their forecast for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins today. In April, CSU called for a slightly below average season, but State Climatologist Barry Keim explains why the forecast now calls for 13 named storms…:
Cut 3 (09) “this year”
CSU finds there is a 32 percent chance a hurricane will make landfall on the Gulf Coast, and 55 percent chance one would hit anywhere in the US.

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve made an arrest in the case of a missing 18-year-old girl who was last seen on Tuesday May 23rd. Online records indicate that 22-year-old Malik Davis of Lafayette is being held on a $250,000 bond on a second degree murder charge. Detectives say his booking is in connection with the disappearance of Jacquelyn “Daisy Lynn” Landry who has still not been found.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve arrested a man and his girlfriend for allegedly attacking the man’s mother. They say 38-year-old Kurtis Strong of Franklinton allegedly threw his mom to the floor during a fight over a table game then lunged a cast iron skillet at her striking her in the head. Strong’s girlfriend is also accused of taking part in the assault. Strong was booked with various counts of battery and strangulation. The girlfriend with battery.

A Senate committee defers two bills seeking to protect confederate monuments after 5 hours of emotional testimony. Halen Doughty has more:
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Proposals that would require either a public vote or legislative approval to remove confederate monuments were rejected by a Senate committee. The two bills faced steep opposition from black lawmakers, like New Orleans Senator Troy Carter, who says there are no statues celebrating Hitler.

Cut 10 (12) “a commemoration”

Supporters say confederate monuments honor those who fought in the Civil War.

A Senate committee takes up a bill to raise the minimum GPA requirement for TOPS from a 2.5 to a 2.75. Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil believes his bill has a shot at making it through the process.

Cut 9 (09) “as well”

But the measure could be in trouble in the Senate, which has approved a proposal to create a task force examining how changes to TOPS could impact students.

After a proposal to increase the state’s gasoline tax was killed without a vote in the House, lawmakers discussed their disappointment or excitement the measure died. The bill’s author Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter expressed his frustrations with the out of state anti-tax group Americans for Prosperity, who lobbied against it.

Cut 14 (09) “our problems”

Carter didn’t bring the bill up for vote because the support was not there.

With hurricane season kicking off today, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon reminds homeowners to make sure their home is covered by flood insurance. He says now is the time to purchase flood insurance if you don’t have it already.

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Louisiana Senators reject two proposals that sought to protect military monuments in the state. Governmental Affairs Committee chairwoman Senator Karen Carter Peterson argued men who fought to enslave people should not be revered and reminded supporters the Civil War has ended:
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Bill backers called the monuments a reminder of Louisiana’s history and memorials to the state’s veterans.

A bill to raise the minimum GPA requirement to receive the TOPS scholarship from 2.5 to 2.75 starting with the Class of 2020 will be heard in the Senate Education Committee today. State Representative Franklin Foil stresses his bill is not about leaving anyone out…:
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He says this would also save money to help sustain the TOPS program.

A 12-year-old boy in Baton Rouge was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by a suspect involved in a police chase. That’s according to State Police who say cops were responding to a narcotics investigation when an officer involved shooting took place and the man fled. They said the child was crossing the street when he was hit. The suspect was taken into custody and charges are pending. The 12-year-old died at the scene.

A proposed gas tax hike was killed without a vote on the House floor, but there was still ample discussion about the attempt to raise millions of dollars to improve roads. Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson says even business leaders in her community backed the proposal. She hopes this discussion is not over yet…:
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Governor John Bel Edwards is calling for a special session next week that would only take place, if lawmakers are unable to approve a spending plan for next fiscal year.